The South Texas College of Law Houston Alumni Association will honor three distinguished South Texas alumni Sept. 21 at The Hobby Center during its 2023 Alumni Awards Luncheon: Benny Agosto, Jr. ’95, Distinguished Alumni Award; Samantha Torres ’13, Young Alumni Award; and Jose S. Lopez ’03, Public Service Award.
“We are proud the Alumni Association selected such excellent honorees this year,” said President and Dean Michael F. Barry. “Distinguished Alumni Award winner Benny Agosto, Jr. is receiving the Alumni Association’s highest honor bestowed to graduates. In addition to his outstanding professional achievements, Benny has spent his life working diligently to enhance diversity in the legal profession.”
“Young Alumni Award winner Samantha Torres has been an engaged alumni volunteer at South Texas and with the Houston Bar and Houston Young Lawyers Association. Among her many contributions to the law school, Samantha coordinated a meaningful Women in the Law panel discussion last year. Public Service Award winner Jose Lopez, a bilingual Houston civil litigator and mediator, is well known for placing his legal expertise in service to the Greater Houston community and the law school. He is widely recognized for his mentoring and support for youth and youth organizations.”
The luncheon will bring together STCL Houston alumni and the broader legal community to celebrate and honor exceptional individuals who have exemplified excellence and dedication in their legal careers. While there is no cost for the luncheon, guests must register in advance and seating is limited.
Here is more information about this year’s recipients:
Distinguished Alumni Award Recipient: Benny Agosto, Jr. ’95
Benny Agosto, Jr., is a managing partner with Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner, one of the longest standing plaintiffs’ personal injury law firms in Texas. He has been admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court and the Supreme Court of Texas. A $3 million initial gift from Benny Agosto and his wife Nichole in 2021 allowed STCL Houston to launch the Benny Agosto, Jr. Diversity Center. Agosto has focused much of his career on helping change the face of law to become more diverse.
Agosto served as Houston Bar Association President in 2019-20 and was the first native Spanish speaker and second Latino to serve as president of the HBA. As the Hispanic National Bar Association President from 2011-12, Benny brought many important issues to the forefront of the national debate. He is president and a co-founder of the HNBA’s Legal Education Fund — the association’s only 501(c)3 charitable group that raises money to give 100 percent of its contributions toward minority scholarships — and he founded the Mexican American Bar Association of Texas Foundation.
Agosto has earned significant recognition on both local and national levels. He is a former recipient of the President’s Award from both the State Bar of Texas and the Houston Bar Association and the Outstanding Public Service Award from STCL Houston.
“Benny is ever-present at the law school and in the STCL Houston alumni community, and he is well-deserving of this distinguished honor,” noted Brittny Mandarino Curry ’20, Harris County Public Defender’s Office. Brant Stogner ’06, partner, Abraham Watkins, added, “Benny’s dedication to the law school has been shown through his time and his strong support for the diversity center on campus. He also is a very accomplished litigator who makes us proud.”
One of many nominators of Agosto for this honor was his son Jon Agosto ’21. “The guidance and advice he gives to me, other new attorneys, law students, and everyone at the Abraham Watkins law firm lights our path forward. He stands as a shining example of our profession.”
Young Alumni Award Recipient: Samantha Torres ’13
Samantha Torres, a first-generation attorney and graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, is a litigation associate at Okin Adams Bartlett Curry LLP, a bankruptcy & restructuring, general litigation, and corporate transactions firm. Before entering private practice, Torres gained extensive first-chair jury trial experience as an attorney for the State of Texas at the Special Prosecution Unit in Huntsville.
Torres serves as vice chair of the Programs & Events Committee on the STCL Houston Alumni Association Board. In 2022, the committee organized the Women in the Law CLE, featuring some of STCL Houston’s most prominent alumnae. Torres is a director on the Houston Bar Association Board, the co-chair of the Houston Bar Association’s Membership Committee, and a director on the Houston Lawyer Referral Service Board. In 2019-20, she served as President of Houston Young Lawyers Association.
During her tenure, HYLA developed mental health/wellness and first-generation attorney programs that received state and national recognition from the State Bar of Texas, Texas Young Lawyers Association, and American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division.
Torres’s colleague and friend Derek Pershing ’13 wrote, “Samantha has been a shining star in representing South Texas.” He noted her extensive service to the bar and community, resulting in numerous recognitions, including the HYLA President’s Award in 2018, the HYLA Outstanding Committee Chair Award in 2016, and the honor of Outstanding Service to the Bar for the Passport to Fitness program she launched.
Public Service Award Recipient: José S. Lopez ’03
José S. Lopez is recognized for his unwavering commitment to public service and his substantial contributions to the betterment of society. Lopez is a proud immigrant and the owner of The Lopez Law Firm. His practice focuses on helping people who have suffered serious injuries in an accident. He represents thousands of clients and has recovered millions for them.
“As long as I have known José, he has fought for those who have no voice or aren’t able to fight for themselves,” wrote Chris Abundis ’05, “Jose also has been extremely generous, particularly to youth and youth organizations, and has contributed his time to volunteer and mentor others. He inspires others, showing them that they can ‘make it,’ too. He is a quintessential example of the American Dream.”
Lopez is dedicated to giving back to his community and has been recognized by the Houston Mayor’s Office and the City of Houston for his work.
Fellow STCL Houston alumnus and friend Jerry Michael Acosto ’03 wrote, “José has a very successful practice but always remembers his humble beginnings. He is visible in the community and is always giving back. From food drives for needy families in the holidays to laptop giveaways to students during the school year, José remains someone who knows you can’t be successful without the help of others.”
Event Details: The South Texas College of Law Houston’s Annual Alumni Luncheon and Awards Ceremony serves as an opportunity for South Texas Law to acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of exceptional alumni.
Date: September 21, 2023
Time: 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Location: The Hobby Center, 800 Bagby Street, Houston, TX 77002
RSVP: https://my.stcl.edu/annual-alumni-luncheon
About South Texas College of Law Houston
South Texas College of Law Houston is one of America’s most diverse law schools in America’s most diverse city. In 1923, the YMCA established the law school to offer night classes for working professionals. Today, the ABA-accredited, independent law school in downtown Houston offers both full-time and part-time schedules to earn a J.D. degree. STCL Houston, recognized nationally as an advocacy powerhouse, provides an exceptional legal education featuring renowned faculty and nationally recognized, experienced-based learning. The law school’s 16,000-plus alumni lead and serve with distinction as Texas Supreme Court justices, Fortune 500 CEOs, Tier 1 attorneys, state and national officials, judges, law professors and more.
