Awards Given to Outstanding May 2021 Grads

Christina Ta served as an SBA mentor, was an inductee to The Order of Barristers, won the Lynn Pinker Hurst & Schwegmann competition this spring, and was named regional champion in the Thomas Tang Moot Court competition. She served as Off Campus Advocacy Director of the Board of Advocates. Ta will be joining Hartline Barger LLP.

Crystal Guevara served as President of the Hispanic Law Student Association, President of Women in Law, and was a member of the International Law Review Association.Guevara will be joining the DeAnda and Sarabia Law Firm in Midland.

Trent Koen was a Rowling Scholar with the SMU Rowling Center for Business Law and Leadership, was involved in the Board of Advocates, and served as a mentor to the International LL.M. students. He is a co-founder of his own start-up, Penhole, Inc. and was very involved in bringing Venture Capital University to SMU.

Lakeenya Colvin served as an SBA mentor and was a member of the Black Law Students Association, OUTLaw, and the Veterans Law Association. Before law school, Lakeenya was an officer in the United States Air Force and recipient of the Bronze Star for meritorious leadership in connection with Operation Enduring Freedom. After graduation, Colvin will be an Air Force Judge Advocate.

Leah Anderson served as Vice President of Fundraising for the Association of Public Interest Law, a member of the SBA wellness committee, and the Chili Cook-Off Chair. She served as a research assistant to Professor Offit and student attorney with the Innocence Clinic and is seeking a position in government or the District Attorney’s office.

Evan Rios served as President of the SMU Law Review Association, President of the Hispanic Law Student Association, a member of the Barristers’ service organization, and an SBA Mentor to transfer students. Rios was a student attorney and chief justice with the First Amendment Clinic and argued an appeal before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. This fall, he will serve as law clerk to Chief Justice Nathan L. Hecht with The Supreme Court of Texas followed by a clerkship with The Honorable Cory T. Wilson of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.