South Texas College of Law Houston recently elected two new members to its governing Board of Directors who bring a wealth of experience, expertise, and a shared commitment to the advancement of legal education.
The Honorable Jennifer Walker Elrod Chief Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
For nearly two decades, Judge Jennifer Walker Elrod has served as a circuit judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. She was recently named Chief Judge of the Fifth Circuit. Before her tenure on the federal bench began, Elrod was appointed, then twice elected, judge of the 190th District Court of Harris County, where she spent more than five years presiding over 200-plus jury and non-jury trials. She also serves as South Texas Law’s jurist in residence.
Prior to becoming a judge, Elrod worked in private practice, focusing on civil litigation, antitrust, and employment matters. She has presented the Lewis F. Powell, Jr. Distinguished Lecture at the Washington and Lee University School of Law and is a frequent speaker on trial and appellate procedure, ethics, employment law, and constitutional law. She has also served as chair for the Committee on Codes of Conduct for the Judicial Conference.
Elrod earned a Bachelor of Arts in economics from Baylor University and graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School, where she was an active member of the Harvard Federalist Society, an Ames Moot Court finalist, and a senior editor of the Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy. Elrod previously served on the Board of Regents for Baylor University, where she chaired the Academic Affairs Committee, and on the Board of Visitors for Brigham Young University Law School and South Texas College of Law. She currently teaches First Amendment Law at South Texas Law, and she has previously taught Civil Procedure II.
Michael Hurst ’90Partner, Lynn Pinker Hurst & Schwegmann
Michael Hurst ’90 is returning to the South Texas Law board after serving previously from 2007-20. Hurst has consistently been recognized as one of the top trial lawyers in the country for large and high-stakes commercial and intellectual property litigation, and he has won many high-profile verdicts. His extensive courtroom experience includes large claims for breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duties, fraud, and theft of trade secrets.
Many of his cases involve partnership disputes, non-compete agreements, and fraudulent transfers. His class action work has spanned many industries, including private equity, energy, financial and investment banking, and oil and gas. Hurst is an esteemed leader both in and out of the courtroom. A member of the prestigious American Board of Trial Advocates and International Society of Barristers, he also served as president of the Dallas Bar Association in 2018. He is the only male lawyer ever awarded the Louise B. Raggio Award by the Dallas Women Lawyers Association.
Hurst is passionate about preserving the civil jury trial system. He frequently speaks on panels and provides keynotes on trial skills, business litigation topics, and important community issues. He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Texas and earned his JD from South Texas College of Law Houston in 1990.
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