Nikkee Espree

From the very young age of 2, Nikkee connected with people as she spoke and waved to strangers during “safer” times. In kindergarten she exhibited a love for helping others as the teacher's helper reading books to her classmates, and this desire continued as she later assisted her mother in providing games and entertainment at a local nursing home in Marshall, Texas. Her quick wit and “gift of gab” benefitted her high school debate and mock trial teams, and she honed those skills to secure a part-time position at a local plaintiff’s firm, which fostered her interest in the legal field. Throughout her adult life, she taught and served multiple church youth groups and local and regional Boy Scout of America troops. Nikkee takes pride in being transparent for the benefit of others, actively mentoring students and young adults in reaching their academic and career aspirations. It is this prelude of service and care that prepared her to join the Baylor Law faculty. 

Nikkee E. Espree will serve Baylor Law as the Assistant Dean of Academic Success inspiring students to “Strive for excellence, not perfection.” She is excited to work alongside faculty and staff to develop kind, gracious and effective Baylor Lawyers. Her relationship with God, personal legal education, professional journey, and life lessons have equipped her with the knowledge, experiences, and skills to positively impact the lives of the Baylor Law students, faculty and staff, and the community in which she lives. Ignited by an instance where the plaintiff’s attorney at a deposition assumed that Nikkee was the court reporter instead of the lead defense counsel in a room of 30+ attorneys, she possesses the zeal for developing lawyers who respect the law and each other, despite erroneous preconceived notions and assumptions.

After receiving a B.B.A. in Real Estate from the University of Texas at Arlington, Dean Espree attended South Texas College of Law and was named as Best Oralist in the Spurgeon E. Bell Moot Court competition and was a member of the Best Team in the Leroy Jeffers Moot Court competition the following semester. As a first-generation doctoral student, she received her J.D. in 1997, and joined the law firm of MehaffyWeber, PC, in Beaumont as an associate in 1998 and was elected as a shareholder in 2004. Her litigation experience at MehaffyWeber and as a solo practitioner includes successfully representing national premise owners and product manufacturers, handling a construction defect claim for a local Baptist church, and defending a copyright infringement case in U.S. District Court – Northern District. She also has experience in the non-profit sector as an Executive Director for organizations benefitting plighted underserved communities and children and youth impacted by abuse and neglect. Immediately preceding Baylor Law, she worked in the title industry as a Commercial Escrow Officer/Attorney managing and closing multi-million dollar single and multi-property transactions.

Nikkee and her husband, Lester, are avid Dallas Cowboy fans. However, she does not share her husband’s belief that the Cowboys are going to the Super Bowl every season, and she owns a Kansas City Chiefs jersey for postseason NFL action. Their son Micah is majoring in Choral Music Education at Baylor University pursuing a teaching career. Nikkee is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., a public service sorority, and additionally enjoys reading, playing card and board games, and completing occasional furniture makeover projects.