Brian Aslin, JD '16: Meet the New Baylor Law Alumni Association President

Firm:
Jackson Lewis P.C.

Practice Area:
Management-Side Labor and Employment Law

Baylor Class:
BFA 2013

Baylor Law School Class:
2016

City:
Austin

Why did you choose Baylor Law School?

I don’t have any attorneys in my family, but growing up in Central Texas and attending Baylor for undergrad, I was well aware of Baylor Law School’s reputation for producing excellent trial lawyers. I also wanted to be challenged and to leave law school practice-ready, and I knew I’d get exactly that through Practice Court, though nobody really understands what they’re signing up for until they’ve been through it themselves.

What lessons from Baylor Law School have stayed with you throughout your career?

I draw on the practical training from Practice Court every single day, but the biggest lesson I carried out of Baylor Law School was that Baylor Lawyers are leaders. As early as orientation, I remember Professor Teague emphasizing the legacy of leadership and service that Baylor Lawyers have brought to the profession and to public service across Texas and beyond. Professor Guinn returned to that same theme again and again, reminding us of our obligation to serve our communities. I’ve tried to take that charge to heart, and I’ve had the privilege of watching many of my classmates do exactly the same.

What motivates you to remain so engaged with Baylor Law School?

Baylor Law School has given me so much that giving back feels less like a choice and more like a duty. My late mother taught kindergarten at a Title I public school, and she believed deeply in education’s power to break cycles of poverty and transform lives, families, and communities. I do too because I’m living proof of it. Dean Counseller likes to say that Baylor Law School changes lives. Having now worked alongside, and against, lawyers from across the state and the country, I can say with real confidence that the culture and education at Baylor Law School are singular and second to none in legal education. Staying involved is my way of continuing to invest in the students who will carry that forward, for their clients, their families, and their communities.

How has your faith shaped your approach to leadership and the practice of law?

As a person of faith, I believe that every person is an image bearer of God. That’s a truth worth remembering when you’re dealing with opposing counsel, clients, colleagues, judges, court staff, and everyone else who crosses your path in this profession. We have a duty to zealously represent our clients, but that duty and a genuine respect for the dignity of everyone involved are not mutually exclusive. In my experience, the best lawyers manage to honor both at once.

How are you involved in your community? 

I currently serve on the Board of Directors of Hospice Austin, the first hospice in Central Texas and the only non-profit hospice in Austin. I also serve on the Governing Board of First Baptist Church of Austin, a Baptist community of faith established in the 1840s. In the past, I’ve served on the boards of the Trinity Street Players, an Austin non-profit theatre, and the Austin Young Lawyers Association. I’m also a frequent educator and speaker on labor and employment law issues, presenting regularly to groups like SHRM chapters and at UT Law CLE programs on the latest developments employers need to know.

Tell us about your family.

My wife, Taylor, is a fellow double Baylor Bear who took a different path through campus, earning a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and later an Executive MBA. Rounding out the household are our two large, loving, and high-strung dogs, Duke and Wilbur.

 If you weren’t a Baylor Lawyer, what would you be doing?

Honestly, it’s hard to imagine doing anything else, but if I weren’t practicing law, I’d like to think I’d be a comedy writer and an on-air personality for “The Howard Stern Show.”

Outside of work, what brings you the most joy? 

Spending time with close friends and family and laughing together brings me the most joy. In a profession where we have to take our work so seriously, I think it’s essential to keep people in your life who remind you not to take yourself too seriously. I also love traveling anywhere that promises great food. Oregon’s Willamette Valley, the California coast, and New York City are the places I keep finding my way back to. When I’m home, I’m usually in the kitchen, trying to recreate meals from those trips. I’m also a devoted reader of nonfiction, particularly The New Yorker, along with memoirs and biographies of historical figures. I do my best to keep a consistent gym schedule, though the results tend to ebb and flow with work.

Most influential book, and why?

It’s a bit of a cop-out because it’s an anthology, but The Essential Henri Nouwen. A Dutch Catholic priest, professor, and prolific writer, Nouwen taught again and again that our spiritual identity isn’t found in what we do, what people say about us, or what we have, but in being chosen and beloved children of God. I suspect I keep returning to his writing because that’s a reminder we all need, especially in the practice of law, where it’s so easy to let your identity become enmeshed with the profession.