Thank you to our retiring adjunct law professors for their service to the Clinical Program at SMU Law

Larry Jones ’68
Adjunct Clinical Professor of Law, Federal Tax Clinic

Larry Jones, earned his J.D. from SMU Dedman School of Law in 1968 and his LL.M. in 1972 from Georgetown. He was just the second Director of the Tax Clinic and served it and its students for 19 ½ years. He brought to the Tax Clinic, and to the Small Business Clinic which he started in 2005, his experience in negotiating with the IRS and a commitment to the careful practice of law. His timely, effective, and efficient personalized service to his clients, traits he honed in his own practice, were valuable tools he passed on to law students he supervised. Larry often looked for opportunities to expose students to the practice of tax law and frequently co-authored short tax articles with students returning to the Tax Clinic as a Chief, many of which were published in national and local publications. With a dry wit, Larry demonstrated deep and abiding concern for his students, many of whom continued to stay in touch long after they left the clinic. Deeply loyal to SMU, for many years while balancing a busy practice and supervising clinic students, Larry also taught advanced tax courses in LL.M. program.

Prior to entering private practice, Larry was a Trial Attorney with the Tax Division of the U. S. Department of Justice, where he received substantial trial experience in tax cases. After entering private practice, Larry represented taxpayers at all levels of the IRS, and in litigation against the United States. 

Larry is listed in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, and as a Super Lawyer in Texas Monthly. Larry is a Fellow of the American College of Tax Counsel, an honor given to leading members of the bar who have made a significant contribution to the understanding and improvement of our tax system. Currently, he is of counsel to Gray Reed & McGraw LLP. They are very fortunate to have his service.

Brook Busbee
Adjunct Clinical Professor of Law, Criminal Clinic

Brook joined SMU Dedman School of Law in October 2005 as an adjunct clinical professor working with Adjunct Clinical Professor McCollum in the Criminal Clinic. During her time with the clinic, she worked with several hundred law students representing indigent defendants in the Dallas County Criminal Courts. Brook served as an invaluable resource to the students she supervised. She coached and mentored them and providing critical feedback as they represented their clients. She played a leading role in facilitating the Criminal Clinic's role with the Dallas County Expunction Expo, now in its fourth year. After graduating from UT Law School, Brook served as the Chief Felony Prosecutor in 147th District Court in Travis County. Brook is one of the leading criminal defense attorneys in the Dallas area and has been recognized by her peers on 8 separate occasions as one of Texas’ Super Lawyers. She now practices in the Capital Division of the Dallas Public Defender's office.

Sally Helppie
Adjunct Clinical Professor of Law, Small Business and Trademark Clinic

Sally Helppie is a lawyer and film producer. A graduate of the UCLA School of Law, she practices entertainment law and business litigation at Waddell Serafino Geary Rechner Jenevein, P.C. where she is of counsel. She has been an adjunct professor in SMU’s Meadows School of the Arts since 2001 and joined the Dedman School of Law in the fall of 2016, to serve as Director of the Small Business and Trademark Clinic. Under Sally’s supervision, students in the Small Business & Trademark Clinic provided individual start-ups as well as existing for-profit and non-profit entities with a range of legal services including counseling regarding entity formation, contract review, and licensing. Working with David Cho, Trademark Clinic Director, Sally also supervised students working with clients regarding trademark matters. In all her work, Sally set an example of excellence for her students not only through her careful attention to detail and concern in putting the client first, but also in her willingness to take on new challenges, including collaborative projects with Dedman Law’s Child Advocacy and Hunter Clinics. Sally will continue to teach Entertainment Law at the law school, which she has taught since 2017.