As 282 new law students entered the doors of Townes Hall in August to begin their three-year journeys at Texas Law, they brought with them a sense of optimism and enthusiasm.
This year’s 1L students, representing a broad range of backgrounds and interests, were selected from
nearly 5,500 applicants. They hail from 30 states and five foreign countries, matriculating from 128 different undergraduate institutions, with 12% holding science, technology, engineering, and math degrees and 12% having earned graduate degrees. Nearly 13% represent the first generation in their families to attend college. The average 1L age is 24, but more than 6% are at least 30 years old.
These incoming students are the first to benefit from the recently unveiled, state-of-the-art classroom suite, designed to provide an optimal environment for academic success.
The Texas Law Class of 2027 is full of fascinating individuals! Read more about the following six memberswho have talents ranging from language acquisition to opera to car restoration: Lucien Bates-Artinian, Ariana Guerrero, Madison Lamb, J.D. Newman, Tony Peeler Jr., and Cassidy Winters.
Lucien Bates-Artinian
Hometown: Bethesda, Maryland Education: Brown University—bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering
You speak numerous languages. What drew you to language learning? The importance of being multilingual was ingrained in me from a young age. At home, my mother spoke Armenian and maintained her Lebanese-Armenian family traditions, which included Arabic. I attended the French International School in Washington, D.C. from ages 3 to 18, where I was surrounded by people from around the globe, and learned French, Spanish, and Latin. At Brown, I continued to learn new languages, including Japanese and Italian. Learning new languages has helped to immerse me in different cultures and traditions, think creatively, and listen to others more effectively.
What made you pursue law? As an undergrad, I witnessed the rise of generative AI. There are so many fascinating aspects to this technology and how it can be utilized for good or ill, to aid or manipulate society, that I was intrigued by the legal implications. I want to see how governments will regulate the spread of this technology to maximize the benefit to society, while avoiding some of the obvious pitfalls.
Why did you select Texas Law? Texas Law has an excellent reputation. I applied to several schools across the country, but I ultimately chose Texas because it felt like the most genuine and caring institution. From my tour of campus, including meeting several faculty members, I felt the authenticity of the program and a sense that they cared about me and my success.
What are you most looking forward to over the next three years? Given that I spent my undergrad years focused on engineering, I am looking forward to embarking on a different path at Texas Law—learning the legal mechanics that underlie government and corporate institutions. I am also excited to live in Austin and try out the different barbecue joints!
Ariana Guerrero
Hometown: Alamo, Texas Education: The University of Texas at Austin—bachelor’s degree in international relations, and Race, Indigeneity, and Migration Studies
You participated in Texas Law’s Pipeline Program while applying. How did that prepare you for law school? The Pipeline Cohort Program was an immense support system through the application process. Being a cohort member mentally prepared me for law school since it created the community that first-generation lawyers need not only to succeed academically but in our lives. We kept each other motivated through our personal connection.
As the first in your family to attend college, what then made you decide to pursue law school? I have always seen education as a means to reformation—not only for myself, as I break generational cycles, but for my family and the communities I grew up in. My commitment to social justice flourished from a young age as my family was excluded from legal systems. I knew law school would help me channel my passions of fighting not only for migrants, but for vulnerable populations through proactive legal reformations and advocacy initiatives.
Who and what inspires you? Growing up in a border city and being raised by my grandmother in Mexico gave me the opportunity to see life through a different lens. My father’s resilience as well as my family’s strength and hard work have been my biggest motivators to become an attorney, devoted to serving others battling similar oppressive systems in the Rio Grande Valley and across our illusory borders.
Why did you select Texas Law? I was searching for a welcoming and active public service community. This past year, I volunteered at an immigration clinic Temporary Protected Status workshop inside the Workers Defense Project in Austin. I instantly felt a connection to the work of the clinic and was able to envision myself doing this pro bono work at Texas Law.
Madison Lamb
Hometown: Fort Worth, TexasEducation: Stanford University— bachelor’s degree in Science, Technology, and Society; master’s degree in communication-media studies
You’re trained as an opera singer. How has that experience enriched your life? I consider myself extremely lucky to have found opera—there’s something about projecting and controlling a vast amount of sound that makes you feel invincible! I’ve been singing from a young age, but I truly fell in love with opera while at Stanford. Throughout college and graduate school, I trained as a coloratura—high soprano—with the music department, and with members of the San Francisco Opera and the Opera di Firenze (Florence, Italy) while abroad. Music has enriched my life in countless ways. It has taught me immense discipline, brought me incredible memories, and given me the courage to be vulnerable in front of others. My passion for music also led to a fellowship with Warner Music Group, sparking my interest in intellectual property law.
How did you end up at Texas Law? Austin holds a special place in my heart. I grew up taking family road trips to watch the bats fly under the Congress Avenue Bridge, visit the Driskill Hotel—where my parents got married—and eat Amy’s Ice Cream. When I moved here with my husband in 2023, I had the joy of watching him fall in love with Austin as well. It’s a town full of our favorite things—innovation, music, kind people, and great food!
Speaking of people, who inspires you? I was very close with my great aunt—a brilliant, inspiring woman who shared her love of travel and education with my sister and me. In the 1960s, she worked long hours to support her husband as he attended Texas Law. He later became an ex-husband and she always said she wished she spent that time getting herself that Texas Law degree instead! I like to think she’s smiling down on me now, saying “Hook ’em!”
What are you most looking forward to over the next three years? I’m fired up for Texas football! As a former college cheerleader, I can honestly say there’s nothing quite like a packed stadium on game day. I’m equally excited to enjoy Austin’s music scene.
J.D. Newman
Hometown: Amarillo, Texas Education: West Texas A&M University—bachelor’s degree in communications; Baylor University—Master of Divinity and MBA
You’ve served as a pastor. What did you learn from that experience? Pastoring is one of the few professions that affords you a “backstage pass” into some of the most vulnerable and meaningful moments of people’s lives. It’s humbling to be accepted into others’ pain and joy, and in those spaces I learned to listen well. I found people are less interested in answers to the big theological issues of life in those moments, but rather they are looking for someone to hold their hand and love them well.
What made you decide to shift and enroll in law school? Although I loved pastoring, I realized that my analytical nature was better suited to law, prompting a career change. I think my brain works more like a lawyer’s than a pastor’s, and continued conversations with my family and close friends in the legal profession emboldened me to take a risk and change career paths. One friend shared that lawyers are aptly titled “counselor” and I won’t necessarily leave behind all of pastoring when entering the legal profession.
Who inspires you? My wife LorAnn gave me the courage to pursue a career change, and I wouldn’t be where I am without her. She’s been a prosecutor for several years, and it is the way in which she approaches her work that I find most inspiring. Her sense of justice drives her in the courtroom. Ultimately her core values are centered on the people she represents. As I step into the study of law, I aspire to hold to such convictions as well—valuing human connection and flourishing regardless of the area of law I will practice.
What’s important for people to know about you? I have a son, Fin who’s 3, and a baby girl on the way, due right around finals.
One thing I’m looking forward to most here at Texas Law is building connections and developing friendships that will span our lives and careers.
Tony Peeler Jr.
Hometown: Dallas, Texas Education: George Washington University— bachelor’s degree in international affairs and public policy
You’re a car restoration enthusiast. Have you acquired skills you think will benefit you in law school? Cars are constantly evolving to the world we live in and consistently becoming more innovative. That’s very similar to the legal field with its new niche and creative practice areas. Classic car restoration experts take something that is antiquated and apply innovative thinking to keep the original charm but adapt it to the times and make it even better than it originally was. This process is similar to the thinking needed to ensure laws are constantly changing and becoming more accessible to society as times evolve.
In an earlier time, you worked as a child actor. How did the experience influence your life? I had the opportunity to be in TV shows like “Barney & Friends,” commercials, and much more. This pushed me out of my comfort zone and allowed me to focus on my speaking and storytelling skills—both very much needed in the legal profession. Additionally, being in these segments forced me to assume another character or personality depending on the situation, which can be easily translated to putting yourself in the shoes of the individuals who you advocate for as an attorney.
What made you decide to pursue law school? In high school, I learned about landmark Supreme Court cases of the 20th century, such as Brown v. Board of Education and Roe v. Wade. Without the lawyers who advocated and influenced the court’s rulings, our country wouldn’t have integrated public schools or permitted reproductive rights. With Black lawyers making up only 5% of the legal profession, I felt a responsibility to contribute to increasing this representation. I realized that I could use my law degree as an advocacy tool, rather than a means to an end.
What’s something important for people to know about Tony Peeler? Most of my friends consider me to be one of the biggest extroverts they know, and I pride myself on being able to talk to most anybody. I believe this translates to me being very open minded and excited to learn about other people and cultures.
Cassidy Winters
Hometown: St. Louis. Missouri Education: Hannibal-LaGrange University—bachelor’s degree in media communication and public relations; Webster University— global master’s degree in international relations
You’ve been a cave tour guide and assisted with bat research. What did you appreciate most about those adventures? Other than being able to share my rock-solid cave puns with tours, I loved learning about the delicate ecosystems that make up caves. From the bats to the flowstone, caves are full of life and history.
What made you decide to pursue law school? After earning my master’s degree, I lived in West Africa and worked with International Justice Mission, an organization that strengthens justice systems to protect people in poverty from violence. My work there, coupled with my experiences in conflict zones, reinforced my belief that while imperfect, the legal system is one of our best tools for protecting vulnerable populations. I wanted to be an active part of seeking justice for those who need it most.
Why Texas Law? I knew that in three years, I wanted to not only be an intelligent lawyer but one who is kind, compassionate, and diligent. My goal was to find a school that was as concerned about creating lawyers of upstanding character as I was about being one. When I went to the admitted students’ day and saw a culture full of brilliant people who cared for each other and had a ton of fun, I knew I had found my place.
Who has most inspired you? My parents have inspired me throughout my life. My father was a man who deeply believed in doing what was right in hard situations. He lived out that conviction to the point that he gave his life to protect others during an active shooter attack on our church. My mother found herself suddenly a widow and lived with generosity, kindness, and determination in some of the most challenging seasons of our lives. My father’s legacy of giving your all for others and my mom’s life of resiliency inspire me daily and create a foundation to build my legal career.
Original source can be found here.