Thanks to a generous gift from Stephen Mosher and his wife Nancy, the Professional Leadership Program (PLP) at Texas A&M University School of Law has wrapped up another successful year of workshops on everything from public speaking and professional presence to mindfulness, resilience, and ethical decision-making.
The Stephen S. and Nancy R. Mosher Gift, initiated in 2014, provides direct financial support for the PLP. The Mosher’s sponsorship has opened doors for workshops that prepare students to succeed in the leadership roles they will quickly take on when they enter practice, said Aric Short, Vice Dean and PLP Director.
In law school, course work prepares students for understanding legal issues and applying the law to resolve matters on behalf of clients. Mosher, a registered patent attorney at Whitaker, Chalk, Swindle & Schwartz PLLC in Fort Worth, says there is more to the practice of law than knowledge of the law and legal research and writing skills.
He said the PLP adds a significant educational dimension by providing workshops, panels, certificate programs and mentoring of students eager to enhance their law school experience and develop their professional identity through training in leadership, service, professional responsibility and relationship skills.
“Nancy and I are proud to have the opportunity to support this important PLP program because we believe it is an essential ingredient in equipping law graduates to be the best they can be as lawyers serving their clients and the communities where they practice,” he said.
A 1995 graduate of Texas Wesleyan University School of Law, seven-year law school Alumni Association Board of Directors member and current Dean’s Advisory Council member, Mosher is very impressed with the changes made to the law school including reduced tuition, wider selection of courses, reduced class sizes and more.
“Dean Morriss has worked hard to assemble one of the finest law faculties in Texas to provide both strong grounding in fundamentals of the law and the benefits of current thinking and trends in the law to their students,” he said.
Short said that Mosher is “the perfect portrayal” of the goals and ideals of the PLP.
“Stephen is deeply committed to professionalism and ethical standards,” he said.
Jack Manhire, Director of Program Development, was a frequent speaker and mentor for the Spring 2016 PLP series “Aggie Lawyers as Leaders: Developing Your Professional Identity.” The innovative series, which explored the opportunities for and responsibilities of leadership as a lawyer, included:
- Core leadership characteristics: Why lawyers eat last
- The secret to professional presence with guest speaker Henry Lescault
- Overcoming self-deception and living authentically as a leader
- Ethical decision-making in the real world
- The 5 dysfunctions of a team and how to overcome them
“Jack has done a fantastic job and has an engaging presence,” Short said. “Students have responded well to him, and he has a real cutting edge feel for this generation.”
1L Callie Dodson agreed.
“He carries the program in a way that demonstrates his commitment to students and the ideas of our law school,” she said.
Manhire said he is very supportive of the PLP because it complements Texas A&M Law’s dual mission: “to make great lawyers and make great Aggies, although the latter is clearly redundant.”
“The PLP program seeks to accomplish this by focusing on how Texas A&M lawyers can live the Aggie core values in both their professional and personal lives,” he said. “We’re very grateful to Stephen and Nancy Mosher for making this possible for our students.”
Dodson has enjoyed attending PLP events because it helped her to step outside of her boundaries and examine her thoughts and actions.
“I believe this self-reflection and awareness allows me to work towards being a better law student, future lawyer, classmate, and friend,” she said.
Learn more about the Professional Leadership Program at Texas A&M School of Law
Learn more about Stephen and Nancy Mosher.
- Article by Jennifer Nassar, Communications Specialist, Texas A&M University School of Law