South Texas College of Law Houston (STCL Houston) will honor three exceptional graduates on Sept. 20 at the 2022 Alumni Association Annual Luncheon at the Hilton Las Americas Ballroom in downtown Houston.
Houston’s oldest law school will recognize Rick Morris ’91 with its Distinguished Alumni Award, Carl Shaw ’90 with its Public Service Award, and Alex Gonzalez ’12 with its Young Alumni Award.
“STCL Houston has a long tradition of graduating distinguished attorneys,” said South Texas President and Dean Michael F. Barry. “We instill both legal knowledge and a spirit of service in our alumni, and we are proud to honor Rick Morris, Carl Shaw, and Alex Gonzalez as remarkable graduates. They embody our mission and they set a standard of excellence for our students and for their fellow alumni.”
Darcy Douglas ’07, vice president for advancement and alumni engagement at STCL Houston, added: “The STCL Houston Alumni Association is proud to honor these impressive graduates with our most prestigious awards.”
Distinguished Alumni Award
Rick Morris will receive the Distinguished Alumni Award, the highest honor presented by the Alumni Association. This award acknowledges outstanding civic contribution to the community in which the recipient lives. Honorees must demonstrate significant leadership to South Texas College of Law Houston and to the legal profession.
Morris received his bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin in 1988, and graduated summa cum laude from STCL Houston in 1991n — first in his class. He was a Langdell Scholar and a recipient of the Alumni Association’s Honor Scholar Award and the Houston Hispanic Bar Association’s De Anda Scholarship. Morris competed with several national moot court teams, including the winning team of the American Bar Association’s National Moot Court Championship in 1990.
Beginning his professional career as an associate of Vinson & Elkins, L.L.P., Morris was a member of a defense team that successfully overturned the death row conviction of a Mexican national on grounds of actual innocence and prosecutorial misconduct. He also served as an adjunct professor of appellate advocacy at STCL Houston from 1991 to 1997.
In 1993 he was recruited to join the predecessor firm of Rogers, Morris, and Grover, L.L.P., where he began his career representing governmental entities, including serving as legal counsel to governing boards of educational institutions.
Morris recently joined a select group of attorneys who have presented an oral argument in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. In 2022, he successfully petitioned, briefed, argued, and won the case of Houston Community College System v. Wilson in which the Supreme Court unanimously held that the board of trustees for a public entity does not violate a board member’s First Amendment right to free speech by censuring that member. Upon learning that his case would be heard, Morris turned to STCL Houston to prepare, recalling the exceptional advocacy training he received at the law school through moot court competitions. His former competition partner, Rob Galloway, JD ’91, is now the law school’s vice president of advocacy, professor of law, and the W. James Kronzer Jr. Distinguished Professor of Advocacy. Because Morris has always prepared for court in the same way he prepared for competitions while a student he thought, “Where else would I go to prepare for the Supreme Court?”
Prof. Galloway guided 20 students in his Appellate Litigation clinic to research the justices, to study past court decisions, and to practice the arguments for both sides – with active involvement by Morris and several STCL Houston First Amendment scholars.
Morris has received numerous recognitions from state and national publications for his achievements in law and has been peer reviewed by Martindale-Hubbell, receiving an AV rating, which denotes the highest rating in legal ability and ethical standards. He has been selected for inclusion in Texas Super Lawyers: Rising Stars and Texas Super Lawyers. “He is a litigator at heart, but he is so much more through his role as a mentor, leader, and truly one of the giants in education law,” said Clay Grover ’91. his law partner.
Public Service Award
As the recipient of the 2022 Public Service Award, STCL Houston graduate Carl Shaw will be honored for his significant and sustained accomplishments in a public service position.
Shaw began his professional career as a law enforcement officer, graduating from the Harris County Sheriff’s Academy in 1986. He continued his duties as a police officer while attending classes at STCL Houston. Shaw participated in the advocacy program at South Texas and served as president of the Board of Advocates. He took the lead role in forming the Summer Trial Academy and upon graduation received the Order of the Barristers Award, the Dean’s Student Advocacy Service Award, and the Outstanding Male Graduate Award.
After graduating from STCL Houston, Shaw spent 20 years as a trial lawyer working on major torts cases at a nationally recognized firm. During that time, he maintained his peace officer certification as a reservist, earning a Master Peace Officer Certification and working as special counsel and child advocate for the Precinct Six Constable’s Office. He also gave back to STCL Houston by returning as an adjunct professor and a mock trial coach.
A licensed Texas law enforcement officer for more than 30 years, Shaw decided to become a full-time public servant almost a decade ago. Shaw currently serves as the assistant chief deputy for Harris County Constable Precinct One. Affiliated with the agency for nearly 10 years, Shaw has multiple responsibilities that include various divisions of the Downtown Courthouse Complex, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Citizens Police Academy, and the management of Public Information Act requests. He is also a member of the STCL Houston Alumni Association Board of Directors. Shaw was nominated by multiple alumni, including David Towery ’79, who said, “I can think of no other nominee for the Public Service Award more deserving than Carl. His service to STCL Houston and the community are without equal.”
Young Alumni Award
Alex Gonzalez — the 2022 recipient of the Young Alumni of the Year Award — is being recognized for his significant leadership and service contributions to STCL Houston and the legal profession in the decade since his graduation. He is an attorney and partner at the law firm of Pacheco Couceiro & Gonzalez, where his practice is dedicated solely to helping people who have been hurt due to the negligence of others. In his 10 years as a personal injury attorney, he has recovered millions for his clients.
Gonzalez graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio with a bachelor’s degree in international business before attending South Texas College of Law Houston. While in law school, he was a varsity advocate on the school’s nationally ranked advocacy program. Gonzalez won several awards including the Heart of South Texas Advocacy Award and the Bernardino Agosto Sr. Award.
Gonzalez is a board member and past president of the Mexican American Bar Association of Houston. He also serves as a member of the Alumni Association Board of Directors at STCL Houston, where he is the co-vice president of the Career Resources Committee. In that role, Gonzalez frequently brings attorneys to campus to impart first-hand knowledge to students about practicing law in various specialties. He previously served as an advocacy coach for nearly a decade at South Texas, leading his teams to three national championships. “He remains active in giving back to STCL Houston,” said Nick Lanza ’89 in his nomination letter.
Outside of practicing law, Gonzalez enjoys spending time with his wife and family and credits them for all the success he has been fortunate enough to achieve.
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.
