Adjunct Professors, Fall 2015

COMMERCIAL LAW

Adjunct Professor Matt Crockett will teach Commercial Law in fall 2015. He is a Partner at the law firm of Gardere Wynne Sewell, LLP, where he works in the Finance and Banking group. His practice includes representing regional banks, corporate clients, and private equity clients in financial transactions. He has represented commercial and consumer lenders in regulatory and financial matters; borrowers in acquisition financing of oil and gas and real estate facilities; and agents and lenders in financing. He graduated from California Western School of Law, where he graduated magna cum laude and served on the law review. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of New Orleans, which he attended on both academic and athletic scholarships. During law school, he served as an extern for two federal judges—Judge Roger Benitez in the Southern District of California, and Judge Jerry Buchmeyer in the Northern District of Texas.  

Family Law

Adjunct Professor Larry Hance is managing partner and founder of the firm Hance Wickham, practicing exclusively in the family law area. He is Board-Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. From 1988 through 1990 he sat as the Associate Judge of the 301st Family District Court in Dallas County. His interest in reducing the emotional and financial costs of family litigation led him to be the co-founder, past president, and current member of the Collaborative Law Institute of Texas. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, a Fellow of the Dallas Bar Foundation, and a Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation. He has been selected numerous times by D Magazine as one of Dallas’ top family lawyers. Texas Monthly has named him a Super Lawyer every year since 2003. Each year since 2008, he has been nominated and named to the Best Lawyers in America. He frequently writes and speaks on family law and collaborative law issues.

Adjunct Professor Rhonda Hunter is a Partner in the firm of Farrow-Gillespie & Heath LLP. She is Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. D Magazine has named her as one of Dallas’ top family lawyers. In addition to an extensive practice experience that includes over 100 trials, she has served as President of the Dallas Bar Association, President of the JL Turner Legal Association, member of the Board of Directors of the State Bar of Texas, member of the State Bar of Texas Family Law Council, and member of the Supreme Court of Texas Board of Disciplinary Appeals. She received the Distinguished Alumni Award from SMU School of Law in 2003. For over 20 years, she has served as choreographer and assistant director of the Dallas Bar Association’s “Bar None” annual variety show, which has raised over $1 million in law school scholarships. Her many dozens of continuing education and other presentations have covered topics in family law, Dallas legal history, and ethics.

PRINCIPLES OF ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE FOR LAWYERS

Adjunct Professor Ronald F. Shuff will teach Principles of Accounting and Finance for Lawyers in fall 2015. He is a retired Senior Vice President and General Counsel for Flowserve Corporation, a publicly traded $4.5 billion global manufacturing company. He received an M.S. degree from MIT's Sloan School of Management, and his J.D. degree from Capital University School of Law. His experience and responsibilities have included serving on the management committee for multinational operations in over 65 countries, and handling or overseeing negotiations with local advisors of acquisitions or joint ventures in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Saudi Arabia, India, China, Brazil, Russia, Japan, and other countries. He also worked closely with boards in resolving SEC and Department of Justice investigations, and shareholder class action and derivative actions. He has taught principles of accounting and finance at SMU Dedman School of Law, Capital University School of Law, and Wade College.

PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY

Adjunct Professor Coyt Randal Johnston will teach Professional Responsibility in fall 2015. He graduated from the University of Texas School of Law, where he was Chairman of the Legal Research Board, and graduated with honors. After practicing in the litigation section of a large law firm, he formed his own law firm, now Johnston Tobey, P.C. For over 25 years, he has concentrated his practice on legal malpractice, professional liability, and fiduciary litigation. He is a member of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, the American Board of Trial Lawyers (ABOTA), and the Texas and Dallas Trial Lawyers Association. He is a former president of the Dallas Chapter of ABOTA and is former president of the Adjunct Professor Dallas Trial Lawyers' Association. He is Board-Certified in Civil Trial Law, and has served as a member of the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He is consistently recognized in D Magazine's Best Lawyers in Dallas and in Texas Monthly's Super Lawyers. He received the Dallas Bar Association's Presidential citation for fundraising for legal aid for the poor, the Standing Ovation Award from the staff of the State Bar of Texas for outstanding speaker at a CLE conference, and a Texas Trial Legends Award from the Dallas Bar Association's Tort and Insurance Practice Section. He is the author of Robbed at Pen Point (2008), a book relating to financial malpractice claims against lawyers, stockbrokers, accountants, financial planners, money managers, and business partners.

TEXAS CIVIL PROCEDURE

Adjunct Professor David Schenck will teach Texas Civil Procedure in fall 2015.  He is a Justice on the Fifth Court of Appeals in Dallas. Before his appointment to the bench, Justice Schenck was a Partner at the firm of Dykema Gossett PLLC, where he was national chair of the firm’s Specialized Litigation and Advanced Motion Practice Team. He graduated from Baylor Law School as class valedictorian and with highest honors, serving as the Editor-in-Chief of the Baylor Law Review. He then clerked for Honorable Henry Politz, Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. After working at Hughes & Luce and Jones Day and becoming a Partner at both those firms practicing in the areas of issues and appeals, Justice Schenck served as Chief Legal Counsel to the Attorney General of the State of Texas, where he oversaw Opinions, Public Finance, General Counsel, Grants Administration, and Legal & Technical Support Divisions. Among his professional awards and activities are: Board Certification in Civil Appellate Law; named a Texas “Superlawyer” in Appellate Law in Texas Monthly Magazine; Representative to the Fifth Circuit Rules Advisory Committee; President’s Award from the State Bar of Texas; and Special Service Award from the Dallas Volunteer Attorneys Program.

TEXAS CRIMINAL PROCEDURE

Adjunct Professor Tim Cole will teach Texas Criminal Procedure in fall 2015. He graduated from UNT magna cum laude, and received his J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law with honors. He served four terms as the elected District Attorney for the 97th District of Texas from 1993 to 2006. Before that, he served as an Assistant District Attorney, as counsel to Texas Governor William Clements, and as General Counsel to the Texas District and County Attorneys Association. In the mid-1990's, the Governor appointed him to serve as the chairman of the Texas Council on Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorders. He is Board-Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Criminal Law and in Criminal Appellate Law. He has handled over 150 criminal jury trials at every offense level, including death penalty cases, and is in private criminal practice in Fort Worth.

WILLS, TRUSTS, AND ESTATES

Adjunct Professor Sam Long will teach Wills, Trusts, and Estates in fall 2015. He is Of Counsel to the firm of Shackelford, Melton, McKinley & Norton, LLP. He received his undergraduate degree from SMU with highest honors, and received his J.D. degree from Vanderbilt University. At Vanderbilt, he was an Associate Editor on the Vanderbilt Law Review and a member of Order of the Coif. After graduation from law school, he joined the firm of Thompson & Knight, practicing in the areas of estate planning and taxation. He is Board Certified in both Estate Planning and Probate Law and in Tax Law. He has written and presented in multiple settings on wills, trusts, estate planning, and taxes. He has over thirty years of legal experience in all aspects of comprehensive estate planning, wills, trusts, disability and end-of-life documents, family wealth planning, probate and administration, and planning and administering trusts and non-profit organizations.