Dean's Note
Each new academic year brings energy and renewal. This semester we welcomed new students, launched fresh initiatives, and reconnected with our community. With this newsletter, we aim to keep you informed of the work taking place at the law school and the accomplishments that move us forward. Thank you for your continued support of the UNT Dallas College of Law
— Dean Epps
Welcoming our Incoming Class
This fall we welcomed our newest class consisting of 87 full-time students and 42 part-time students. Their energy and commitment are already evident in classrooms and student organizations. We look forward to supporting their growth as they begin their legal education.
Faculty Scholarship & Recognition
Several of our faculty contributed to important conversations:
• Professor Joseph Hummel published Respice Finem: Law, Regret, and the Purpose-Driven Life in Leo Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilych in the Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics (Spring 2025). The article examines how themes in Tolstoy’s novella intersect with challenges in modern practice, including lawyer well-being and professional purpose.
• Professor Laura A. Frase published Before “Once Upon a Time”: Creative Class Exercises That May Foster Law Student Proficiency in Gathering Information During a Client Interview in the St. Mary’s Law Journal (Vol. 56, No. 4, 2025). Her work highlights approaches to strengthening student preparation for client interaction.
• Professor Eric Reis authored Building Grantor Trusts Back Better, selected as the lead article in the Tulsa Law Review (Spring 2025). The article proposes streamlining trust ownership rules to address inconsistencies across income and estate tax regimes.
• Professor Matthew Crockett published In Defense of the Texas Statutory Easement in the Texas A&M Journal of Property Law (Vol. 11, 2025). His analysis of Texas Transportation Code § 251.053 argues in support of statutory easements for landlocked property owners.
• Professors Korin Munsterman and Aryele Maye presented a series of national workshops on artificial intelligence and legal education in 2025. These included Building Your First Legal Bot (AALS, July 23), Using GenAI Bots to Improve Learning (AALS, June 11), AI Amicus Curiae: Bots as Friends of Law Students (CALICON, June 6), and AI Teaching Assistants: Building Custom Learning Companions (UNT Dallas Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning, February). They also co-presented the CLE program What All Practitioners Should Know About AI: Leveraging AI While Meeting Legal Compliance and Ethical Standards.
Advocacy
Our students continue to distinguish themselves in advocacy competitions, demonstrating the skill and professionalism that define our law school. During the 2024–25 academic year, the College of Law fielded 15 advocacy teams that represented UNT Dallas College of Law with excellence and distinction. Several teams advanced beyond preliminary rounds.
During Summer 2025 a team composed of students Lina Garner, Celeste Nava, and Chrissy Duncan advanced to the Elite Eight at the International Criminal Moot Court Competition in Nuremberg, Germany. They were coached by Associate Dean Cindy Fountaine and Professor Shannon Conway.
Eleven students where accepted into the Academy of the Advocate, a study abroad program in In Scotland. Award recipients from this program included students Katelyn Mitchell, First Place Overall Best Advocate, Cameron McClure, First Place Best Petitioner Advocate; and Grace Mulkey, Best Storyteller.
Academic Success & Bar Readiness
This fall, we introduced JDEdge, a pre-law training program for our first-year students. The platform, developed by AccessLex, provides modules on court structure and legal vocabulary, case reading and briefing, and simulated classes and assignments. JDEdge gives our students a foundation before beginning doctrinal courses.
We also celebrated a milestone in our ongoing commitment to student success. Our graduates who took the July 2025 bar exam achieved a first-time pass rate of 82.83 percent, the highest in the history of the College of Law. This result reflects not only their preparation and perseverance but also the dedication of our faculty and staff who continue to guide and support them on the path to professional excellence.
Experiential Education & Clinics
We began the 2025–26 academic year by integrating our Community Engagement Program with Martin Luther King III’s global initiative, Realize the Dream. Guided by faculty in six practice areas: business and transactional law, criminal law, family and juvenile law, real estate, technology, and wills and estate planning.
Nearly 150 students selected their preferred practice area and were assigned to service projects. These include community presentations on trademarks and copyrights with follow-up assistance, appraisal protest workshops with mock hearings, and programming with Café Momentum to support youth participants in their academic and career goals.
Legal Education Technology
The College of Law expanded its leadership in legal education technology through a series of national webinars and conference presentations. Professors Korin Munsterman, Director of Legal Education Technology, and Aryele Maye led programs on Building Your First Legal Bot and Using GenAI Bots to Improve Learning. These sessions demonstrated how faculty and students can automate routine tasks, improve instruction, and increase efficiency in teaching and scholarship.
Munsterman and Maye also presented AI Amicus Curiae: Bots as Friends of Law Students at CALICon 2025, a legal education and technology conference in Atlanta. Their work underscores our commitment to preparing students and faculty to engage with the tools that are shaping the future of law.
Office of Career and Professional Development
Our Career and Professional Development team continues to provide programs that connect students to the profession. On October 21, the law school will host a Swearing-In Ceremony for our graduates who passes the July 2025 bar exam. Chief Justice J.J. Koch, Fifth District Court of Appeals, will administer the oath to our new attorneys. We encourage you to join our alumni, faculty, and staff in recognizing this important milestone.
Alumni & Advancement
This fall, we welcomed graduates back to campus for our first Alumni Homecoming. The event brought together alumni to reconnect and celebrate the growth of the law school community. We look forward to carrying this tradition on for years to come.
As we continue to build stronger ties, I encourage our alumni to connect with us and engage with current students through mentoring, events, and professional opportunities. Your continued involvement strengthens our mission and impact.