What drew you to the law?

I started college actually as an accounting major, but soon realized it wasn’t my life calling. A friend’s father advised me during this time of soul-searching that law and business were a powerful combination and that there was a great need for people with expertise in both areas. After exploring law school and discovering that the law involves thinking and writing and problem-solving in order to serve others, I realized I had found my path.

What do you enjoy most about teaching?

I enjoy breaking down complex legal subjects and getting the students to understand them. This is especially rewarding when I have to overcome their reticence to engage in the subject matter. One of the cases in my books describes my subject areas as a “dry-as-dust” area of the law, but they are important for students to learn nevertheless (and not quite as dry as they thought after going through my class, hopefully).

What do you hope students gain from your courses?

I hope that students understand the basic knowledge in the courses I teach, and that they will be able to call upon it in representing their clients in the future. Hopefully they feel confident that they can help their clients later by building upon the knowledge and skills learned in my classes.

What did you do prior to entering academia?

I practiced law for eight years in commercial litigation, creditors’ rights and bankruptcy, first at a law firm in Amarillo, Texas, and later at a large Dallas law firm.

What are you passionate about outside of the law?

My family, and especially watching my children perform. My oldest daughter is an aspiring professional violinist, and my son has performed in professional musical theatre shows (my youngest daughter can sing as well). They learned their skills in part by growing up hearing me attempting to perform Beatles songs.

What are your research interests?

My scholarship is primarily focused on contract law, including the implications of contract theory for ascertaining assent by consumers to standard form contracts. I am especially focusing on such assent to form contracts in the online Internet context, and the implications of the online environment for the contracting process.