Master of Legal Studies (M.L.S.) –
Business and Entrepreneurship Law Concentration

The Business and Entrepreneurship Law Concentration is just one of your options. See the main Master of Legal Studies page for details about the overall program and other available options.


M.L.S. Business and Entrepreneurship Law Concentration 

Are you considering a career transition or broadening your entrepreneurial horizon and wondering whether a legal master’s degree is the right path for you? Let’s break down the key factors of a Master of Legal Studies with a concentration in Business and Entrepreneurship at St. Mary’s Law to help you make an informed decision.

 Students of the law are renowned for their ability to deconstruct arguments and construct persuasive ones. Law school hones your critical thinking skills, making you adept at dissecting complex issues and presenting compelling cases. The M.L.S. at the School of Law is the perfect analytical compliment to your professional skill set. M.L.S. graduates are taught to excel in precise, detail-oriented communication and make successful entrepreneurs by combining their legal knowledge with their industry-specific toolbox.

If your goal is to practice law, a J.D. is a necessity. However, if you’re considering a broader career in business, an M.L.S. offers a diverse skill set and extensive career opportunities. Keep in mind that your success ultimately depends on how you leverage your education, contacts and knowledge. Choose the path that aligns with your long-term career goals and interests and be prepared to make the most of your chosen degree.

The matriculation ceremony was a bliss. The pledge was epic. It was an awakening gesture to start the journey of studying in law. I felt strongly committed and dedicated to the study by vowing the pledge and signing the paper. It was great to learn the history of St. Mary’s University and the vision of the School of Law. The dean and the faculty demonstrated their knowledge and the experience in practicing laws. They were also very accessible and willing to give advice in a professional field or in personal life. The facility does not just provide a good environment to study but also a venue to network with fellow colleagues. I felt comfortable to go to the law school buildings anytime for any reasons. thank you so much to hosting the ceremony and providing the outstanding experience.

-Joseph Liu (M.Jur. ’21)


Proven results and professional advancement

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics jobs within the legal occupation sector (non-lawyer) are expected to increase 8% over the average for all occupations from 2022-23. To decide whether or not this is a career worth pursing, you’ll need to ask yourself: Is a career that continually adapts to changing business relationships of interest to you? Do you genuinely enjoy coming to terms with an understanding complex legal issues? Are you willing to analyze a constant stream of statistical information and data? Most importantly, if you can see yourself playing a key role within corporate meeting rooms and answered yes to any of these questions, you’re likely to enjoy working in the dynamic field of business law.

Our concentration in Business and Entrepreneurship Law both imparts the legal knowledge needed in the business world today and gives our students the tools they need to utilize that knowledge to succeed in business and in their community.

-Chad J. Pomeroy, J.D.
Professor of Law,
Co-Director of the Institute on World Legal Programs in Innsbruck, Austria
and James N. Castleberry, Jr. Chair of Oil and Gas Law


Required Courses

Core courses
Fundamentals of the American Legal System
Legal Research and Writing
Choose two from the following:
Criminal Law
Constitutional Law
Contracts
Property Law
Torts

Concentration Emphasis Courses

Course NameCourse Numbers
Business StructuresLW 5305, 7310
NegotiationsLW 5310, 8761
Employment LawLW 5308, 8791
AccountingACCT or various
TaxVarious
SalesLW 7694
Secured TransactionsLW 7395
Sales/Secured TransactionsLW 7494 OR
Commercial Law and ContractingLW 5405
Business TortsLW 7312
Intellectual PropertyLW 6200
TrademarkLW 8685
CopyrightLW 8649
HIPAA Privacy LawLW 5607
Cyber LawLW 5313, 6200

Courses marked with an * are required electives. Two additional courses from the list must be chosen.

Request Information

Curious which Law Certificate is right for you? Questions about the admission process or the program? Our team will answer any questions and help you through the process when you’re ready.

Applying to the M.L.S.

See details about admission requirements and how to apply:


Jeffrey Addicott

Director, Warrior Defense Project | Professor of Law

Biography

Lt. Colonel (US Army, Ret.) Jeffrey Addicott is a full Professor of Law and the Director of the Warrior Defense Project at St. Mary’s University School of Law. An active duty Army officer in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps for twenty years, Addicott spent a quarter of his career as the senior legal advisor to the US Army Special Forces.

He served in senior legal positions in Germany, Korea, Panama and throughout the United States and deployed on numerous occasions to areas of armed conflict, awarded a Legion of Merit for his work in Peru.

As an internationally recognized authority on national security and terrorism Law, Dr. Addicott not only lectures and participates in professional and academic organizations both in the United States and abroad (over 900 speeches), but he also testifies before Congress on a variety of legal and policy issues.

Dr. Addicott is a regular contributor to national and international media outlets to include FOX News, CNN, MSNBC, OAN, BBC, New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, Wall Street Journal (over 5,000 interviews). Addicott is a prolific author, publishing over 100 books, articles, and monographs on a variety of legal and policy issues.

Among his many contributions to the field of law, Addicott pioneered the teaching of law of war and human rights course to the militaries of numerous nascent democracies in Eastern Europe and Latin America. Addicott was also the Associate Dean for Administration (2006-2007) and headed the Center for Terrorism Law.


Publications

Articles in a Periodical

Awards & Highlights

  • Recipient: “2017, The Silver Patrick Henry Medallion, awarded by the Military Order of the World Wars, for ‘patriotic achievement’ to America’s national defense.”
  • Recipient: “2012, The J. Edgar Hoover Memorial Award 2012, awarded by the Society of Former Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigations for ‘academic excellence.”
  • Recipient: “2011, The Vice Admiral George C. Dyer Award 2011, Military Order of the World Wars, awarded each year to the ‘most outstanding article published by the Officer Review magazine.”
  • Recipient: “2010, The J. Edgar Hoover Memorial Award 2010, awarded by the Society of Former Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of investigations for ‘academic excellence.”
  • Recipient: “2007, The St. Mary’s Alumni Association’s St. Mary’s University School of Law Distinguished Faculty Award 2017, awarded each year to the distinguished law faculty member.”
  • Recipient: “1999, Distinguished Service Medal of the State of Alabama, awarded for ‘exceptionally meritorious and distinguished military or civilian service for or to the benefit of the United States or the State of Alabama.”
  • Co-recipient: “1995, The American Bar Association’s Hodson 1995, awarded each year to the ‘outstanding public sector law office in the nation.”
  • Recipient: “1993, The Outstanding Career Army Judge Advocate Award 1993, awarded annually to one Army lawyer, by the Judge Advocates Bar Association.
  • Recipient: “1983, Academy of Health Sciences Commander’s Award, awarded for ‘outstanding service to Fort Sam Houston.”

Books

  • Christian Doctrines (Imprimatur Press ed., Jan. 2, 2022).
  • Trump Judges:  Protecting America’s Establishment Pillars to “Make America Great Again,” (Dallas, TX: Imprimatur Press, 2020).
  • Categorical Bible Doctrines, (Dallas, TX: Imprimatur Press, 2019).
  • Radical Islam Why?: Confronting Jihad at Home & Abroad, (Tucson, AZ: Lawyers and Judges Pub. Co., 2016).
  • Terrorism Law: Materials, Cases, Comments, 7th ed. (Tucson, AZ: Lawyers and Judges Pub. Co., 2014).
  • Globalization, International Law, and Human Rights, Addicott, Bhuiyan, & Chowdhury(New Delhi, India: Oxford University Press, 2012).
  • Constitutional Rights for Guantanamo Detainees: An Immediate Look at the Legal and Governmental Ramifications of Boumediene v. Bush, Addicott; Rose III (New York, NY: Thompson/Aspatore Pub. Co., 2008).
  • Selected Essays on State Open Government Law and Practice in a Post-9/11 World, Addicott & Garcia, editors, (Tucson, AZ: Lawyers and Judges Pub. Co., 2008).
  • State Open Government Law and Practice in a Post-9/11 World, Addicott, Cochran, Dalglish & Winegar, editors, (Tucson, AZ: Lawyers and Judges Pub. Co., 2007).
  • Human Rights & International Humanitarian Law Handbook (Bogotá, Colombia: Imprenta y Publicaciones de las Fuerzas Militares, 1999).
  • Law of War: Handbook for Officers of Armed Forces of Ukraine (Kiev, Ukraine: Lubava Pub. Co., 1996).
  • Code of Conduct for Participants in Military Operations, (Kiev, Ukraine, Ministry of Defense: Lubava, 1995).
  • Derechos Humanos: Decalogo de las Fuerzas del Orden, (Lima, Peru: Comando Conjunto de las Fuerzas Armadas, 1993).

Book Chapters

  • Foreword, in Honor Killing (Daniel Akbari & Paul Tetreault, 2015).
  • Is the Use of Coercive Interrogation or Torture Permissive and Effective as a Counter-terrorism Method?, in Contemporary Debates on Terrorism (Richard Jackson; Samuel Justin Sinclair, 2012).
  • Radical Islam’s Manipulation of the Media (with Nathanial Fulmer & Robert Gunn), in Terrorism Research & Analysis Project (TRAP): A Collection of Thoughts, Ideas,Perspectives, Vol. 1 (Andrew Bringuel, ed., 2011).
  • Cyberterrorism: Legal and Polices Issues, in Legal Issues in the Struggle Against Terror (John Norton Moore & Robert Turner, eds., 2010).
  • The War on Terror: War or Metaphor?, in Political Leadership (Joseph Masciulli, Mikhail A. Molchanov & W. Andy Knight, eds., 2009).
  • Institutionalizing Human Rights in the Militaries of the Emerging Democracies: The Case of Peru, in Fear of Persecution: Global Human Rights, International Law, and Human Well-Being, (James D. White & Anthony J. Marsella, eds., 2007).
  • Teaching Intelligent Design and the Anthropic Principle in the Public Schools, in 1-3
  • Encyclopedia of American Civil Liberties (Paul Finkelman, ed., 2006).
  • The Role of Special Operations Forces in the War on Terror, in The Global War on Terrorism: Assessing the American Response, (John Davis, editor, 2006).
  • (Hauppauge, NY: Nova Science Pub. Inc., 2004).
  • Terrorism and Weapons of Mass Destruction: A Review and New Paradigm, in Transnational Threats: Blending Law Enforcement and Military Strategies, (Carolyn W. Pumphrey, ed., 2000).
  • The Appeal of Dr. Samuel A. Mudd, in Dr. Mudd and the Lincoln Assassination: The Case Reopened, John Paul Jones, ed., 1995).

Memberships

  • Sons of the American Revolution
  • Member of the Bar of Alabama; U.S. Supreme Court; Court of Military Appeals; American Bar Association
  • International Society for Military Law
  • The Law of War
  • Military Order of the World Wars (life member)
  • Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society
  • Special Forces Association
  • Sons of Confederate Veterans
  • Board Member of the Toda Institute for Peace
  • Contributing editor for JURIST
  • Law Faculty on Federalist Society
  • National Security Committee Consultant, American Legion
  • Retired Army Judge Advocates Association (life member)

Presentations

Foreign presentations include numerous professional lectures at universities and government institutions in Colombia, Peru, Ukraine, Germany, France, Austria, Canada, Thailand, Japan, India, Honduras, Haiti, Egypt, Kuwait, Panama, Guatemala, Albania, Okinawa, South Korea, England, Mexico, Sweden, Ireland, Scotland, Greece, Israel, Russia, Luxembourg, China, Poland, and Uruguay.

Presentations in the United States include over 900 appearances at universities, public and private; State and Federal institutions and academies; as well as more than 5,000 appearances on radio, print, and television broadcasts to include: Associated PressNew York TimesLondon TimesWashington PostWall Street Journal, USA Today, Miami HeraldLos Angeles Times,Chicago TribuneWashington TimesWashington ExaminerAir Force Times, Army TimesMarine Corps TimesFederal Times, Miami Herald, FOX NEWS Channel, One America News, MSNBC, CNN, ABC, PBS, NBC, CBS, NPR, BBC, The Blaze, Voice of Russia, China Daily and Al-Jazeera.

Jeffrey Addicott has taught at the following institutions:

  • 1980-1981: Adjunct Professor, University of Maryland; Berlin, Germany. Business Law and Government.
  • 1982-1983: Adjunct Professor, Central Texas College; Korea. Business Law.
  • 1984-1985: Professor, Academy of Health Sciences; San Antonio, TX. Health Law.
  • 1988-1989: Adjunct Professor, Chapman College; Tacoma, WA. Graduate level International Law.
  • 1989-1992: Assistant Chair, International Law Department, The Judge Advocate General’s School; Charlottesville, VA. Graduate level International Law, National Security Law and Criminal Law.
  • 1995: Adjunct Professor, Central Michigan University: Washington, D.C. Graduate level International Law.
  • 1996: Adjunct Professor, Central Texas College; Central Michigan University; Webster University; Fayetteville, NC. Criminal Law, Graduate level Business Law, Graduate level Administrative Law.
  • 1997: Adjunct Professor, Campbell University; Fayetteville, NC. Business Law.
  • 1998-2001: Adjunct Professor, Central Michigan University. Savannah, GA; Fort Myers, FL; Fayetteville, NC; Arlington, LA. Graduate level International Law and Administrative Law.

Jeffrey Addicott

Director, Warrior Defense Project | Professor of Law

Contact Information

Education

  • S.J.D., University of Virginia School of Law Graduate Program, 1994
  • LL.M., University of Virginia School of Law Graduate Program, 1992
  • LL.M., The Judge Advocate General’s School, 1987
  • Command and General Staff College, Combined Arms and Services Staff School, Fort Leavenworth, 1985
  • J.D., University of Alabama School of Law, 1979
  • B.A., University of Maryland (with honors), 1976

License to Practice

  • Alabama

Specialties and Courses

  • Administrative Law
  • Criminal Law
  • Comparative Law
  • Constitutional Criminal Law
  • Federal Civil Procedure
  • Medical Malpractice
  • National Security Law
  • Terrorism Law
  • Military Legal Issues
  • Oral Depositions

Michael S. Ariens

Aloysius A. Leopold Professor of Law

Biography

After graduating law school, Ariens worked as a law clerk at the Wisconsin Court of Appeals. He then worked as an associate in the Washington, D.C. office of Holland & Knight for three years. He was a civil litigator for firm clients in state and federal courts in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia, in both trial and appellate courts.

In addition to teaching at St. Mary’s, he has served as a part-time visiting professor at Southern Methodist University, a visiting professor at Catholic University Columbus School of Law, and a visiting professor at the University of Innsbruck, Austria.

He is the author of five books. His book Lone Star Law: A Legal History of Texas received two awards. He is also the author of fifty law review articles, essays, and other scholarly works, and a number of book reviews.


Publications

Books

  • The Lawyer’s Conscience: A History of American Lawyer Ethics (University Press of Kansas, 2022)
  • American Constitutional Law and History (2d ed., Carolina Academic Press, 2016)
  • American Constitutional Law and History (Carolina Academic Press, 2012)
  • Lone Star Law: A Legal History of Texas (Texas Tech University Press, 2011)
  • Law School: Getting In, Getting Out, and Getting On (Carolina Academic Press, 2010)
  • Religious Liberty in a Pluralistic Society (2d ed., 2002) (with Destro)
  • Religious Liberty in a Pluralistic Society (1996) (with Destro)

Articles in a Periodical

Book Chapters and Entries

  • Church and State in Ohio, 1785-1833, in DISESTABLISHMENT AND RELIGIOUS DISSENT: CHURCH-STATE RELATIONS IN THE NEW AMERICAN STATES, 1776-1833, at 249-271 (Carl H. Esbeck & Jonathan Den Hartog eds., 2019)
  • Religion and Roman Catholicism in American Legal History, in American Law from a Catholic Perspective: Through a Clearer Lens 1 (Ronald J. Rychlak ed., Rowman & Littlefield 2015)
  • Teaching Legal History Through Storytelling, in Teaching Legal History: Comparative Perspectives 32 (Robert M. Jarvis ed., Wildy, Simmonds & Hill 2014)
  • Simon Greenleaf, in Yale Biographical Dictionary of American Law 234 (Roger K. Newman ed., 2009)
  • Charles T. McCormick, in Yale Biographical Dictionary of American Law 370 (Roger K. Newman ed., 2009)
  • Edmund M. Morgan, Jr., in Yale Biographical Dictionary of American Law 389 (Roger K. Newman ed., 2009)
  • United States v. Cruikshank, in Encyclopedia of the Supreme Court of the United States (Gale Publishing 2008)
  • Religion in the 19th Century—Bible Wars, in Encyclopedia of American Civil Liberties (2006)
  • Church and State in the United States, 1900-2001, in New Catholic Encyclopedia (2003)
  • Religion in the Courtroom, in Encyclopedia of Religious Freedom (2003)
  • Forms of Legal Practice, in The Oxford Companion to American Law (Oxford University Press 2002)
  • Sole Practitioners, in The Oxford Companion to American Law (Oxford University Press 2002)
  • Paralegal and Legal Secretary, in The Oxford Companion to American Law (Oxford University Press 2002)
  • Defining ‘Church’ in American Law, in Church Autonomy: A Comparative Survey (Gerhard Robbers ed., 2001)
  • On ‘Doctrine’ and the Establishment Clause, in Vouchers for School Choice: Challenge or Opportunity? An American Jewish Reappraisal (Marshall J. Breger & David M. Gordis eds., 1998)

Media Highlights


Michael S. Ariens

Aloysius A. Leopold Professor of Law

Education

  • LL.M., Harvard University, 1987
  • J.D., Marquette University, 1982
  • B.A., St. Norbert College, 1979

License to Practice

  • District of Columbia
  • Wisconsin

Specialties and Courses

  • American Legal History
  • Church and state
  • Constitutional Law
  • Evidence
  • Professional Responsibility

Jaime Aleman

Associate Professor of Practice of Law

Biography

Prior to joining St. Mary’s Jaime Aleman worked as an associate attorney in an insurance defense firm, where he represented clients in personal injury claims. Professor Aleman later worked as staff attorney for Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid where his work focused on probate and federal tax law, and he continues to provide assistance with federal tax cases on a pro bono basis through Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid. Professor Aleman is licensed to practice in Texas, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, and the U.S. Tax Court.

Professor Aleman grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas, and moved to San Antonio to attend The University of Texas at San Antonio where he earned his B.A. in Economics. Thereafter, he obtained his J.D. from St. Mary’s University School of Law.

In his free time, Professor Aleman serves as a volunteer on the Shavano Park Board of Adjustments, and he enjoys spending time with his family.


Jaime Aleman

Associate Professor of Practice of Law

Portrait of Jaime Aleman

Contact Information

Education

  • J.D., St. Mary’s University School of Law, 2020
  • B.A., Economics, The University of Texas at San Antonio, 2016
  • A.S., Houston Community College, 2011

License to Practice

  • Texas
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas
  • U.S. Tax Court

Specialties and Courses

  • Legal Communication, Analysis, and Professionalism (LCAP)

Suzanne Oliva

Practicing Faculty

Biography

Suzanne Oliva, LL.M., J.D., CPA, Assistant Professor of Business Law, has taught undergraduate, graduate and law classes at St. Mary’s University since 2003. In addition, she was the Director of the Greehey Scholars Program from 2016 to 2022 and an advanced tax trainer and preparer for the St. Mary’s Law School Center for Legal and Social Justice Voluntary Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program from 2005 to 2019.

Prior to earning her J.D., Oliva was an auditor with what is now the Big Four public accounting firm, Ernst & Young LLP. After graduation from law school, she joined the law firm of Oliva, Saks, Garcia & Curiel LLP, and primarily concentrated her legal practice in the areas of wills, probate, estate planning, family law, personal injury law and corporate law.

She is past president of the Bexar County Women’s Bar Association and Foundation. She is a member of the State Bar of Texas and is also admitted to practice law in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas and the United States Supreme Court. Oliva is an active member of Holy Trinity Catholic Church and enjoys live theater, sporting events and world travel with her husband, Javier and four sons.


Publications

Articles in a Periodical

  • Oliva, S. (2015). In The Institute of Law and Policy (Ed.), To Buckle Up or Not Buckle Up, That is the Question (2nd ed., vol. 7, pp. 147-165). The Institute of Law and Policy: Journal of International Judicial Affairs.
  • Royalty, K., Oliva, S., Fix, B. (2012). Reverse Payments in the Pharmaceutical Industry: Finding the Right Prescription. Southern Law Journal, 22(1), 61-78.
  • Oliva, S. (in press). Attorney Advertising – A Comparison of the Attorney Advertising Laws in Florida, Texas and California. No. St. Petersburg, Fl: Society of Marketing Advances National Conference.
  • Oliva, S. (2010). Elder Law Handbook – Texas Department of Public Safety Laws. Elder Law Handbook (pp. 50). San Antonio, Texas: San Antonio Bar Foundation.
  • Oliva, S. (2008). Elder Law Handbook – Residential Services and Placement Laws in Texas, Texas Department of Public Safety. Elder Law Handbook (pp. 48). San Antonio, Texas: San Antonio Bar Foundation.

Suzanne Oliva

Practicing Faculty

Contact Information

Education

  • LL.M. University of St. Thomas School of Law, 2020
  • J.D. St. Mary’s University School of Law, 1996
  • B.B.A. St. Mary’s University, 1987

License to Practice

  • Texas

Specialties and Courses

  • Financial Accounting
  • Managerial Accounting
  • Principles of Accounting I
  • Principles of Accounting II
  • Legal Environment of Business
  • Business and Professional Ethics
  • Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility
  • Law and Ethics
  • Business and Professional Ethics for MBAs
  • Property I Law
  • Property II Law
  • Insurance Law
  • Federal Income Taxation Law
  • Accounting for Lawyers

Honors and Awards

  • Belva Lockwood Outstanding Attorney of the Year, BCWBF 2017.
  • NuStar Excellence in Teaching Award, GSB 2006
  • NuStar Excellence in Teaching Award, GSB 2007
  • NuStar Excellence in Teaching Award, GSB 2008
  • NuStar Excellence in Teaching Award, GSB 2011
  • NuStar Excellence in Teaching Award, GSB 2017
  • Excellence in Teaching Award, NSLS 2019
  • GSB Service Award, GSB 2023

Catherine Deyarmond

Associate Director of Law Communications

Biography

Catherine Deyarmond joined St. Mary’s University in April 2024 as Associate Director of Law Communications. In this role, she promotes the interests of the School of Law, primarily through electronic communications, web-based and printed publications, and social media.

Deyarmond came to St. Mary’s with 16 years of higher education experience at UT Health San Antonio and Our Lady of the Lake University. During her time at these universities, she worked in media relations, communications, publications, social media, marketing and advancement.

After graduating with a Bachelor of Journalism from UT Austin, Deyarmond began her career in print journalism, working as a reporter and section editor for The Huntsville Item and the McKinney Courier-Gazette. During her college years, she worked part time at the San Antonio Express-News and the Austin American-Statesman.

When she moved back to her hometown in the 1990s, San Antonio had become a one-newspaper town. With no writing jobs available, she became Executive Producer of KTSA 550 AM News Talk Radio. Deyarmond scheduled and prepared guests for the talk show hosts to interview on air.

She later worked in new home marketing, where she expanded her marketing and advertising skillset, but her love of higher education drew her back to marketing the product that benefits all – higher education.

She knows firsthand the benefits of a college degree, and the professional career it has afforded her. After graduating from Highlands High School in San Antonio, Deyarmond was fortunate to receive a four-year endowed scholarship to attend college.

Deyarmond is particularly excited to be able to share the achievements and impactful stories of the School of Law. With its dedication to celebrating inclusivity, valuing the dignity of all of its members, and assisting community members battling social and economic injustices, she is proud to continue to grow the school’s reputation.


Catherine Deyarmond

Associate Director of Law Communications

Portrait of Catherine Deyarmond

Education

  • B.J., The University of Texas at Austin, 1990

Joan Labay-Marquez

Practicing Faculty

Biography

Joan Labay-Marquez (J.D. ’90, M.Jur. ’22, B.A. ’87) is the Assistant Director for Graduate Studies at the Dreeben School of Education at the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW). She has taught undergraduate, graduate and doctoral classes at UIW since 2016. Prior to her entry into Higher Education Administration, she maintained a general practice that included matters in employment law, family law, school law, wills, probate and estate planning, mortgage lending, oil and gas, corporate law and consumer bankruptcy.

Labay-Marquez is a member of the State Bar of Texas, the American Bar Association and is admitted to practice law in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas. She served as a Municipal Court Prosecutor for the cities of San Antonio and Kirby.

She is Vice President for the Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS) San Antonio Affiliate and Former Director of the UIW Young Women’s Global Leadership Program and Board Member for Young Professionals of the Editorial Board for the NASPA Journal of Women and Gender in Higher Education (JWG). She is a member of the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics (SCCE) and the International Association of Privacy Professionals.

She is a member of Holy Spirit Catholic Church and enjoys music, reading and traveling with her family.


Joan Labay-Marquez

Practicing Faculty

Education

  • J.D., St. Mary’s University School of Law, 1990
  • M.Jur., St. Mary’s University School of Law, summa cum laude, 2022
  • B.A, St. Mary’s University, cum laude, 1987

Contact Information

License to Practice

  • Texas

Specialties and Courses

  • Risk, Regulation and Reporting
  • Employment and Human Resources Law
  • Higher Education Law and Legal Issues in Student Affairs
  • Law and Ethics in Cybersecurity
  • Risk Management and Policy in Cybersecurity
  • Network Security Management
  • Texas School Law
  • Special Education

Publications

  • Love, A. S., Niu, C., & Labay-Marquez, J. (2025). Artificial intelligence in public health education: Navigating ethical challenges and empowering the next generation of professionals. Health Promotion Practice. https://doi.org/10.1177/15248399251320989
  • Love, A. S., Labay-Marquez, J., & Valadez, R. (2023). Understanding Adult Learners’ Needs and Integrating Technology for Effective Online Education: Adult-Centered Approaches for Teaching and Learning. In J. Keengwe (Ed.), Handbook of Research on Innovative Frameworks and Inclusive Models for Online Learning (pp. 172-193). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-6684-9072-3.ch009.

Awards

  • CCVI Grant Recipient “Sisters Supporting Women for a Better World” 2021
  • UIW Connelly Leadership Award, 2020
  • American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics (AIAA) Harry Staubs Award 2018
  • AIAA Foundation Educator Achievement Award, 2013

Jacqueline Calvert

Staff Attorney

Biography

Jacqueline is the staff attorney for the Housing Rights Project at the Center for Legal and Social Justice at St. Mary’s University School of Law. Jacqueline assists clients with eviction defense and advises clients on remedies for tenant’s issues. She also assists the supervising attorney with seminars, trainings, and other community outreach events on behalf of the Housing Rights Project.

Prior to her role at St. Mary’s, Jacqueline practiced family law, probate law, and estate planning in San Antonio. She continues representing children as an ad litem in Child Protective Services cases. She still assists with estate planning through her non-profit, Cindy’s Angels. Jacqueline is a St. Mary’s University School of Law graduate and was a staff writer on The Scholar: St. Mary’s Law Review on Race & Social Justice.

Jacqueline grew up in San Antonio, Texas. She attended Incarnate Word High School and graduated from The University of Texas at San Antonio in 2013. She has been published locally and nationally in The San Antonio Report (formerly The Rivard Report), San Antonio Magazine, and the Indiana Journal of Law and Social Equality.


Publications

Articles in a Periodical

  • State Bar of Texas Poverty Law Conference Presenter 2023; Defending Tenants in Justice Court from A-Z
  • Indiana Journal of Law and Social Equality (2020)
  • Battle of the Sexes: A History of Social Change and a Solution for Maintaining a Child’s Best Interest in Light of the #MeToo Movement

Jacqueline Calvert

Staff Attorney

Education

  • J.D. St. Mary’s University School of Law, 2020
  • B.A. University of Texas at San Antonio, 2013

License to Practice

  • Texas

Specialties and Courses

  • Consumer Protection Law
  • Landlord-Tenant Law

Honors and Awards

  • Scene in S.A. 2022 Best Family Law Attorney
  • Scene in S.A. 2022 Best Women in Law Attorney (Family Law, Estate Planning, and Probate)
  • Scene in S.A. 2023 Outstanding Women in Law Attorney (Consumer Protection)

Bruce Anderson

Adjunct Professor

Biography

Since February 2022, Bruce Anderson, J.D., has first chaired 11 medical malpractice trials in Bexar, Nueces, Travis and Val Verde County, Texas. Having been “grounded” during the COVID-19 pandemic, he has enjoyed returning to the courtroom and looks forward to trying many more cases with is partner, Brett Pattillo.

Anderson is a Diplomate with the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), having tried over 100 cases to verdict in virtually every part of Texas. His practice focuses predominantly in the area of medical malpractice litigation; however, he has also tried many cases involving personal injury and handles commercial litigation. Since 2003, he has served as an adjunct professor at the St. Mary’s University School of Law, teaching the Medical Malpractice Litigation course. Over the last 30 years, Anderson has practiced primarily in Central and South Texas and has tried a number of dangerous medical malpractice cases in Laredo, winning almost all of them.He also had the unique experience of receiving two unanimous defense verdicts in the same week.

After completing his undergraduate degree in Political Science at the University of Missouri at Columbia, and a brief stint in the United States Navy, Bruce earned his J.D. from the University of Missouri, Columbia School of Law. He served on the school’s Law Review and was awarded the American Jurisprudence Prize in Constitutional Law, the Judge Roy W. Harper Prize for Best Work in Federal Courts, and the Russell Castile Scholarship.

Anderson was admitted to the Missouri Bar in 1975 and clerked for a judge on the Missouri Court of Appeals from 1975-1976. Thereafter, he served as an Assistant Attorney General in the Criminal, Anti-Trust and Administrative Law Divisions of the Office of the Missouri Attorney General. When his wife, Cheryl, completed her Ph.D. and was offered a position at the University of Texas in Austin, Anderson moved his practice to support her career. She reciprocated in 1990 when he was offered a position in San Antonio to work alongside George Brin. Cheryl Anderson, Ph.D., then joined the University of the Incarnate Word, where she served as a Professor and as Dean of the School of Media and Design and Dean of the UIW Library.  

They met at the University of Missouri and have been married for 56 years. They both enjoy traveling and spending as much time as they can with their grandson. 


Honors and Awards

  • Top Texas Lawyer, Texas Monthly Super Lawyer Medical Malpractice, 2013-2025
  • Martindale Hubble AV Preeminent Attorney Rating, 2025
  • Martindale Hubble Judicial Edition AV Preeminent Attorney Rating, 2025
  • American Jurisprudence Prize in Constitutional Law, 1975
  • Judge Roy W. Harper Prize for Best Work in Federal Courts, 1975
  • Russell Castile Scholarship, 1974-1975

    Publications

    Presentations

    • Thota v. Young: The Casteel Problem and Contributory Negligence Instructions (2012)
    • “Update on ‘Paid or Incurred’ – Haygood v. Escobedo (2011) Texas Medical Liability Trust Biannual Seminar
    • Update on Suing Governmental Employees (2011) Advocate MD seminar
    • An exception to the Physician – Patient Relationship (2010)
    • Winning the Causation Defense with Foreseeability (2009) Texas Medical Liability Trust Seminar
    • “Paid or Incurred” Practice and Problems in Limiting Damages for Medical Expenses (2008) Texas Medical Liability Trust Biannual Seminar.
    • Analysis of Damage Caps before and After Tort Reform (2006) Medical Malpractice Tort Law Seminar-Sponsored by Brin & Brin for our Insurance Clients, Certified for Continuing Education Credits by the State Board of Insurance.
    • Preservation of Harm – A New Approach To An Old Problem (2005) Medical Malpractice Tort Law Seminar-Sponsored by Brin & Brin for our Insurance Clients, Certified for Continuing Education Credits by the State Board of Insurance.
    • Recent Significant Cases (2004) Medical Malpractice Tort Law Seminar-Sponsored by Brin & Brin for our Insurance Clients, Certified for Continuing Education Credits by the State Board of Insurance; Certified by the State Bar of Texas for CLE Credits.
    • Standards of Care — Issues, Proof (2003) Medical Malpractice Tort Law Seminar-Sponsored by Brin & Brin for our Insurance Clients, Certified for Continuing Education Credits by the State Board of Insurance.
    • Voir Dire in Healthcare Liability Cases (2002) Medical Malpractice Tort Law Seminar-Sponsored by Brin & Brin for our Insurance Clients, Certified for Continuing Education Credits by the State Board of Insurance.
    • The Physician/Patient Relationship (2000) Medical Malpractice Tort Law Seminar-Sponsored by Brin & Brin for our Insurance Clients, Certified for Continuing Education Credits by the State Board of Insurance.
    • Res Ipsa Loquitur (1998) Medical Malpractice Tort Law Seminar-Sponsored by Brin & Brin for our Insurance Clients, Certified for Continuing Education Credits by the State Board of Insurance.
    • The Implications of Managed Care in Medical Malpractice Litigation (1997) Medical Malpractice Tort Law Seminar-Sponsored by Brin & Brin for our Insurance Clients, Certified for Continuing Education Credits by the State Board of Insurance.

    Bruce Anderson

    Adjunct Professor

    Education

    • J.D., University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law, 1975
    • B.A. in Political Science, University of Missouri-Columbia, 1970

    License to Practice

    • Texas

    Specialties and Courses

    • Litigation
    • Medical Malpractice
    • Medical Board Administrative Law

    Nicole Monsibais

    Director of Law Career Strategy

    Biography

    Nicole Monsibais (M.P.A. ’11, J.D. ’12) is the Director of Law Career Strategy in the Office of Career Strategy (OCS). In this role, she advises and encourages law students and alumni as they explore career opportunities, including preparing them for potential challenges. As a first-generation law graduate, Monsibais understands the transformative impact that staff can have on a student’s career trajectory. With a passion for individualized student support, she is eager to be part of their career development journey.

    Prior to attending law school, Monsibais worked in the public sector, serving as a Luna Scholar at the Texas State Capitol, an Archer Fellow in Washington, D.C., and as staff at nonprofit organizations. As a law student, Nicole served as a Senator on the Student Bar Association, as Vice President of the Women’s Law Association, as a Staff Writer on The Scholar: St. Mary’s Law Review on Race & Social Justice, and as a Teaching Assistant for the Civil Justice Clinic.

    Upon graduation, Monsibais was a Clinical Administration Fellow at the St. Mary’s University Center for Legal and Social Justice. This unique role allowed her to spearhead initiatives, develop partnerships, manage external grants, and coordinate outreach programs that provided opportunities for law students to engage in legal services while serving the community.

    Subsequently at other institutions of higher education, she oversaw compliance, specifically regarding university policy and laws related to campus security, equal opportunity, disability access, anti-harassment, non-discrimination, sexual misconduct, and sexual violence. Monsibais led the investigation, adjudication, and resolution of complaints, and provided training and consultation regarding compliance, regulations, and best practices.

    She has presented at numerous local and national conferences on topics ranging from student services to contract management. Monsibais also chaired a university-wide inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility council, and served as the president of staff assembly.


    Nicole Monsibais

    Director of Law Career Strategy

    Professional portrait of Nicole Monsibais

    Contact Information

    Education

    • J.D., St. Mary’s University School of Law, 2012
    • M.P.A., St. Mary’s University, 2011
    • B.S., The University of Texas at Austin, 2007

    Awards

    • Sr. Jane Anne Slater Leadership Award for Staff, Our Lady of the Lake University, 2021
    • Key to Success Award, Our Lady of the Lake University, 2016 and 2018
    • Educating for Justice Award, St. Mary’s University School of Law, 2012
    • Adele Advocate for the Poor Award, St. Mary’s University School of Law, 2011
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