Walt Shelton

Professor Shelton splits his time between academics and private practice. He has taught at Baylor Law since 1990. Professor Shelton teaches four environmental and water-related courses, supervises field placements at federal and state agencies, directs independent studies, and sponsors the Baylor Environmental and Natural Resource Law Society. Professor Shelton has also taught Business Law in the Baylor Hankamer School of Business (1999-2001) and the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas in Austin (2006).

Professor Shelton is Co-Chair of the Law School Committee of the Environmental and Natural Resources Law Section (ENRLS) of the State Bar of Texas. He is also a member of the Executive Committee of ENRLS.

Professor Shelton has practiced in the past as part of environmental practice groups with Baker Botts, L.L.P., and Haynes and Boone, L.L.P. He currently practices on his own in Austin, focusing on transactional and regulatory matters. Professor Shelton has expertise in issues associated with the remediation of contaminated properties, Brownfield programs, and water quality. He also has substantial experience in environmental aspects of real estate, corporate, lending, and other transactional matters. Professor Shelton has been recognized by his peers for excellence in practice, including being named in The Best Lawyers in America for the past 25 years (currently in the areas of Environmental Law and Water Law).

Professor Shelton graduated first in his class from Baylor Law with a J.D. in 1989, where he was the Editor-in-Chief of the Baylor Law Review. He also has a B.A. in History from the University of Texas (1977, summa cum laude), where he was admitted to Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Eta Sigma, and an M.A. in Religion from Baylor University (1979, magna cum laude).

Professor Shelton is an award-winning author and a prolific writer and speaker, including wellness, ethics, faith, and life quality-related subjects.  Professor Shelton has had more than 70 articles published in the past fifteen years.  His first book, The Daily Practice of Life: Practical Reflections Toward Meaningful Living (CrossLink Publishing 2020), won a Nautilus Award in the Religion—Spirituality of Western Thought category.  CrossLink published his second book, Authentic Living in All Seasons: Focused, Fearless, and Balanced (CrossLink Publishing 2022) in June 2022.

Professor Shelton is married to Roxanne Shelton. They have two children and five grandchildren.