ABOUT THE ESTATE LAW SOCIETY

The Estate Law Society is the first organization of its kind at any law school in the state of Texas.  The organization was formed in the fall of 2007 by a group of students interested in the practice of estate law.  The founders saw a strong interest in estate law at Texas Tech School of Law (the law school offers several advanced estate law courses as well as a joint J.D./Masters in Financial Planning degree), but realized that there was no student organization to promote that interest.  It was out of that realization that the Estate Law Society was born.

The Estate Law Society is dedicated to providing career opportunities, assistance, and support for students pursuing a career in estate law.  Our focus is on exposing our members to the many resources at Texas Tech that pertain to estate law.  The Estate Law Society is committed to hosting educational speakers and discussions and informing members about research publication and experience opportunities in the field of estate law.

Advisors 

The Estate Law Society is advised by Professors Gerry Beyer and Professor Michael Hatfield.

Governor Preston E. Smith Regents Professor of Law Gerry Beyer came to Texas Tech in 2005 from St. Mary's University School of Law, where he taught from 1981 to 2005.  Professor Beyer has authored, co-authored, and contributed to numerous books and scholarly articles focusing on the area of estate planning.  At Texas Tech, he teaches courses in Wills & Trusts, Estate Planning, Texas Estate Administration, as well as one section of the first-year Property course.  For more information about Professor Beyer, please visit his faculty biography at the School of Law's webpage, as well as his personal website.

Associate Professor of Law Michael Hatfield joined the Texas Tech faculty in 2005.  Prior to joining the law school faculty, he was a shareholder at Schoenbaum, Curphy & Scanlan, P.C., in San Antonio and an associate at two New York City law firms: Debevoise & Plimpton and Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett.  At Texas Tech, Professor Hatfield teaches courses in Wills & Trusts, Federal Income Taxation, and Marital Property.  For more information about Professor Hatfield, please visit his faculty biography.

Outside Affiliations

The Estate Law Society is affiliated with Texas Tech's Personal Financial Planning Graduate Program, as well as the South Plains Trust & Estate Council.