October 13, 2022
The St. Mary’s University Law Alumni Association will honor nine graduates at its Distinguished Law Graduate Dinner on Saturday, Oct. 15, at the Grand Hyatt San Antonio.
The Association hosts the event to fund scholarships and student services. This year’s event will include the 2020, 2021 and 2022 honorees.
2020 Honorees
Distinguished Law Graduates
The Hon. Dean Rucker (J.D. ’80), Presiding Judge, Seventh Administrative Judicial Region, Midland
Rucker has served as the Presiding Judge of the Seventh Administrative Judicial Region of Texas for the past 24 years. He was judge of the 318th Family District Court in Midland for more than 26 years. Rucker is board certified in family law and child welfare law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He is the recipient of Jurist of the Year by the Texas Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, the Samuel Pessarra Outstanding Jurist Award presented by the Texas Bar Foundation, the Judge Sam Emison Memorial Award presented by the Texas Academy of Family Lawyers, and the Dan Price Award presented by the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Texas. He is a past chair of the Judicial Section, State Bar of Texas and the Texas Center for the Judiciary. Rucker was a charter commissioner on the Supreme Court of Texas Permanent Judicial Commission for Children, Youth and Families and served as its jurist in residence for several years.
Jodi Goodwin (J.D. ’95), Attorney, Law Office of Jodi Goodwin, Harlingen
Goodwin practices immigration law on the border. Since 1995, she has represented thousands of asylum seekers, economic migrants, long-term permanent residents, businesses, families, and U.S. citizens in immigration and nationality matters. Goodwin also represents immigrants and U.S. citizens in federal court in both criminal and civil proceedings. She was awarded the Arthur C. Helton Human Rights Award, the Michael Maggio Memorial Pro Bono Award and the Frank J. Scurlock Award. Goodwin is past-chair of the Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and has served as a director for the Cameron County Bar Association.
Distinguished Young Alumna
Fátima Menéndez (B.A. ’08, J.D. ’13), Legislative Staff Attorney, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, San Antonio
Menéndez serves as the Interim Southwest Regional Counsel for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) Southwest Regional Office. In that role, she has led policy advocacy and testified before the Texas Legislature on education, voting rights and immigrants’ rights to protect the civil rights of Latinos in Texas. Prior to joining MALDEF, she represented unaccompanied child immigrants as a staff attorney with the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES). During her time at St. Mary’s Law, she was a staff writer for The Scholar: St. Mary’s Law Review on Race and Social Justice and worked as a student attorney in the Immigration and Human Rights Clinic.
2021 Honorees
Distinguished Law Graduates
The Hon. Julie Kocurek (J.D. ’90), District Judge, 390th District Court, Austin
Kocurek has served as the presiding judge of the 390th District Court of Travis County since her appointment in 1999 by Gov. George W. Bush. Kocurek presides over felony criminal cases and has been board certified in criminal law for 24 years. Her most significant work has been improving the indigent defense system in Travis County and creating the first Mental Health Court in Travis County. After an assassination attempt on her life in November 2015, 40 days in the hospital and 30 surgeries, Kocurek returned to the bench after only four months. She came back to the bench because of her passion for being a judge and for helping people change the course of their lives. She worked with the legislature to pass the Judge Julie Kocurek Judicial Security Act, and she continues to advocate for judicial security in Texas and across the country.
Sara E. Dysart (B.A. ’74, J.D. ’81), Attorney, Dysart Law, and St. Mary’s University Trustee, San Antonio
Dysart is a sole practitioner, who is board certified in commercial real estate law. She is a fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers. She is a member of the board of directors of Broadway Bank, the Texas Bar College, the Texas Bar Foundation and Incarnate Word High School. The St. Mary’s University Alumni Association honored Dysart as a 2019 Distinguished Graduate. While at St. Mary’s, Dysart was the Symposium Editor of the St. Mary’s Law Journal.
Distinguished Young Alumna
Alicia Grant (J.D. ’16), Associate, Norton Rose Fulbright, San Antonio
Grant is a senior associate at Norton Rose Fulbright and former law clerk for the Hon. Tony M. Davis, United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Western District of Texas. She serves in leadership volunteer roles with organizations, including San Antonio Legal Services Association, Texas Minority Counsel Program, the San Antonio Bar Association’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, and the State Bar of Texas Legal Services to the Poor Committees. At St. Mary’s, Grant was a staff member of the St. Mary’s Law Journal. She competed nationally with the External Advocacy Moot Court Team and was inducted into the Order of the Barristers. She was also a member of the John Marshall Harlan Honor Society, the Pro Bono College of the State Bar of Texas and recipient of St. Mary’s Presidential Award.
2022 Honorees
Distinguished Law Graduates
The Hon. Sid Harle (J.D. ’80), Presiding Judge, Fourth Judicial Administrative Region, San Antonio
After having a successful career in private practice and as a chief felony prosecutor for the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office, Harle was appointed to the 226th District Court in 1988 by Gov. William Clements. At age 30, he was one of the youngest judges in the history of Texas. Since his appointment, he has continued his dedication to justice and serves as the Presiding Judge of the Fourth Judicial Administrative Region. Prior to his appointment, Harle presided over the Bexar County 226th District Court Judge for almost 30 years.
Claude Ducloux (J.D. ’76), Law Office of Claude E. Ducloux, Austin
Ducloux began law school at St Mary’s in 1974 after completing his service in the U.S. Army’s 1st Cavalry Division. Graduating in December 1976, he has been licensed in Texas, California and Colorado. Ducloux has a legacy of bar service, including as president of the Austin Bar Association and as chair of the Board of Legal Specialization, State Bar College, the Texas Bar Foundation and the Center for Legal Ethics. He is board-certified in civil trial and civil appellate law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, and has won the State Bar of Texas’ highest statewide awards in CLE (the Gene Cavin Award), pro bono (W. Frank Newton Award), ethics (Lola Wright Foundation Award), professionalism (State Bar College), as well as the Luke Soules Award for Litigation Practice. He is the national director of education, ethics and state compliance for LawPay.
Distinguished Young Alumnus
Daniel Koeneke (J.D. ’12), Attorney, Ellis, Koeneke and Ramirez, McAllen
Born in Weslaco and raised in Mission, Koeneketemporarily left the Rio Grande Valley to attend Texas A&M University, where he received a Bachelor of Science. He was then admitted to the St. Mary’s University School of Law, where he received his J.D. and graduated cum laude. Koenekereturned to the Rio Grande Valley in 2012 and began practicing law as an associate at Ellis, Koeneke & Ramirez, L.L.P. and was later named partner in October 2017.