Alumni News - October 2024

October 30, 2024

Baylor Law School is proud to celebrate the accomplishments of Baylor Lawyers. 

This information highlights the professional and personal successes of our graduates, showcasing the impact they are making on the legal profession and in their communities. Please share your alumni notes here.


Karl P. Mattlage, JD ’65, was recently appointed by Fort Worth mayor Hon. Mattie Parker to her Urban Rail Transportation Committee. He has previously served as Commissioner of the Colorado Department of Transportation for two terms under two Colorado governors.

Michael P. Heiskell, Sr., JD ’74, has been honored as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, one of the foremost legal associations in the United States and Canada. Membership is limited to no more than one percent of the total lawyer population in any state or province.

Recently, Fellows and guests from across North America convened to induct 88 new Fellows, including Heiskell. He is the immediate Past President of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and has also served as Past President of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association.

Kerry Wooten, JD ’80, retired from serving as Mount Pleasant, Texas, city attorney for 42 years. He will continue to work at his firm, Russel & Wooten.

Pam E. Johnson, ’85, is General Counsel for Camterra Resources, Inc., with offices in Dallas and Marshall, Texas. 

Lewis “Lew” Miltenberger, JD ’89, was recently honored by Southeast Missouri State University with the 2024 Alumni Merit Award for “bringing distinction to themselves and the university.”

Nicole Kennedy, JD ’96, has joined Principle Recruiting as a Principal.

Jason Stephens, JD ’97, founder of Stephens Law in Fort Worth, Texas, was inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.

Amber Slayton, JD ’00, has been named the chief operating officer of the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden.

Jonathan P. Friday, JD ’01, is a partner with Friday Milner Lambert Turner, PLLC, in Austin, Texas, and is board certified in family law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He was selected as a “Rising Star” from 2005 through 2014 and as a “Super Lawyer” from 2014 through 2023. Jonathan has been listed in the “Best Lawyers in America” publication by Woodward White, Inc. and was selected as a fellow into the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers in 2023. 

Scott Snellings, JD ’04, is the founder of the trial lawyer firm of Snellings Law PLLC in Frisco, Texas.

Tom Jacob, JD ’09, with Whitehurst Harkness Brees Cheng Alsaffar Higginbotham & Jacob, PLLC in Austin, Texas, had his article entitled, “Navigating the Rabbit Hole of Audit Trails,” published in the October 2024 edition of Trial magazine. Trial Magazine is the national publication of the American Association for Justice, formerly the American Trial Lawyers Association.

James Ray, JD ’11, has been appointed Managing Shareholder of Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C.’s Austin office, effective January 1, 2025. As Managing Shareholder, James will lead the firm’s business and administrative functions in Austin, overseeing the 11 attorneys and four staff members currently based in the Austin office and sitting on the Firm’s Operations Committee. James is a member of the firm’s litigation practice, where he focuses his practice on real property, intellectual property, and commercial and consumer disputes. 

Andy Jones, JD ’13, received the 2024 Service to the Community Award from the Dallas Trial Lawyers Association.

William Thorne, JD ’16, Shareholder with Mehaffy Weber, P.C. in Beaumont, was selected as a “40 Under 40 Honoree” by the Southeast Texas Young Professionals Organization, Greater Beaumont Chamber of Commerce, and the Beaumont Enterprise.

Tori Cooper Emory, JD ’21, an associate in the Trial & Appellate Litigation practice of Jackson Walker’s Houston office, was recognized by Managing IP, a global resource for intellectual property news and analysis, as a Rising Star in the United States in the 2024 IP Stars Guide.