88R29300 JRI-D
 
  By: Menéndez, et al. S.R. No. 554
 
 
 
R E S O L U T I O N
         WHEREAS, The online juris doctor program at St. Mary's
  University School of Law in San Antonio has earned the distinction
  of being the first fully online law degree program that has been
  accredited by the American Bar Association; and
         WHEREAS, St. Mary's University School of Law dates back to
  1927, when the San Antonio School of Law was founded by the local
  bar association as a part-time institution that met at night;
  shortly thereafter, St. Mary's offered to make it into a university
  law school with full-time faculty and a stronger curriculum, and in
  1934, the law school acquired its current name and its Catholic and
  Marianist mission; and
         WHEREAS, In summer 2020, an ad hoc committee made up of
  full-time tenured, tenure-track, and clinical faculty was formed at
  the direction of Dean Patricia Roberts to explore the viability of
  an online program, and on January 15, 2021, the school applied for
  acquiescence from the ABA to change its part-time residential
  program to a completely distance education program consisting of
  synchronous and asynchronous online instruction; and
         WHEREAS, In an effort to make a legal education more
  accessible, particularly for those who are typically
  underrepresented, the St. Mary's online juris doctor program was
  designated as a part-time program so that students could attend law
  school without having to forfeit their employment; they will have
  access to the same opportunities and resources as full-time
  students, without the costs usually associated with relocation and
  long commutes; the fall 2022 online cohort consists of 27 inaugural
  students who were matriculated from a lengthy list of 797
  applicants, and together they represent 9 different states and 20
  undergraduate universities; St. Mary's benefits from the
  leadership of its president, Tom Mengler, and its provost and
  executive vice president for academic affairs, Jason Pierce, and
  the law school is led by Dean Roberts and associate deans Ramona
  Lampley, Colin Marks, and Zoe Niesel; and
         WHEREAS, For nine decades, St. Mary's University School of
  Law has diligently prepared generations of attorneys with the
  highest standards of skill, knowledge, and professionalism, and its
  online juris doctor program is a testament to its ongoing
  commitment to excellence and innovation; now, therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 88th Texas Legislature
  hereby commend the online juris doctor program at St. Mary's
  University School of Law and extend to all those associated with the
  program sincere best wishes for continued success; and, be it
  further
         RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
  prepared for the law school as an expression of high regard by the
  Texas Senate.