Texas Bar Journal • July/August 2025
‘The Trailhead of an Incredible Journey’
Texas’ newest attorneys take the oath.
Written by Eric Quitugua
From Left: Texas Board of Law Examiners Executive Director Nahdiah Hoang, Supreme Court of Texas Chief Justice Jimmy Blacklock, Stanford Law School graduate and February 2025 Texas Bar Examination high scorer Summer Shaw, Supreme Court of Texas Justice Brett Busby, and Texas Board of Law Examiners Board Member Dwaine Massey on April 30, 2025, at the Supreme Court of Texas in Austin. Photo by Eric Quitugua.
More than 500 people were in attendance to watch Texas’ newest attorneys take the New Lawyer Oath on April 30 at the University of Texas Bass Concert Hall in Austin. Welcoming the law school graduates into the profession were members of the Supreme Court of Texas, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, the Texas Board of Law Examiners, and the State Bar of Texas, as well as family and friends.
The day marked final swearing-in appearances for State Bar of Texas President Steve Benesh and Texas Young Lawyers Association President Hisham Masri, who each spoke to the newest members of the bar at Bass Concert Hall for one last time during their presidencies.
“It is my great honor to speak to you on such a momentous occasion,” Benesh said. “You stand at the trailhead of an incredible journey that is ahead of you. A fantastic voyage that lays ahead in the practice of law.”
In his remarks, Benesh encouraged people to take up pro bono work, saying assisting underrepresented communities feels good because the work makes a difference in the lives of others.
He also touted many of the State Bar’s resources for attorneys designed to improve the quality of legal services: free legal research through vLex Fastcase, free billing and trust accounting software through Smokeball, the Texas Bar Career Center, the free Attorney Ethics Helpline, and the Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program, among others.
Masri highlighted the projects and resources of the Texas Young Lawyers Association (TYLA) available to all young attorneys in their budding practices. He focused on projects, including the TYLA checklist for first-year attorneys; TYLA podcasts, especially Practice Areas 101, which answers questions attorneys are asked; and the Attorney Wellness Hub. “There’s always help if you need it,” Masri said.
“Your oath today is an anthem for honor and justice across this state,” he said. “The law cannot stand without your commitment to uphold it. And just in case the joy and excitement fades over the next few months and years, please remember you’re legendary.”
The high scorer of the February 2025 Texas Bar Examination was Stanford Law School graduate Summer Shaw, and the second highest score was achieved by Baylor Law School graduate Andrew Oliver.
Shaw, a California native, took the exam with the intent of setting up shop in the Lone Star State. On being notified by Supreme Court of Texas Justice Brett Busby that she achieved the highest score, Shaw said she was bewildered.
She thanked her family and friends for standing by her during all the long weeks of bar preparation, alluding to perseverance, character, and grit required to pass the exam. In many ways, the real work is just beginning, Shaw said:
“We are entrusted with knowledge of the law and the judicial system. We are entrusted with a voice to speak for those who can’t speak for themselves. And we are entrusted with the power to seek justice, to advocate for the truth, and to defend the dignity of every human being. The question now is not, Are you smart enough to be a lawyer? Because you are. You’ve proved that. The question is, What will you do with the power you’ve earned? For me, I hope to live up to the faith of those who believed in me, who helped me to reach this day.”
The ceremony also marked the first for Jimmy Blacklock in his new role as Supreme Court of Texas chief justice. He administered the New Lawyer Oath, charging the audience with practicing law in a way that truly supports the U.S. and Texas constitutions and not the private interests of clients and attorneys.
Blacklock then congratulated the new lawyers and drove home a message of work-life balance, recalling advice from Supreme Court of Texas Justice Jane Bland:
“No matter how hard you’re working—no matter what challenges you face in your professional life—your professional life is not your whole life,” he said. “You will always be far more than just a lawyer, especially to the people who love you. So always save the very best part of yourself for the people you love.”
