HONORS ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Trying to Tip the Scale

By Lauren K. Valastro, Jackson Gilmour & Dobbs, PC, Honors College Class of 2008

Texas eminent domain law is a balancing act. Balancing justice to one with fairness to 
all. Balancing the fundamental, constitutional right of individuals to own property with the 
essential, necessary act of providing energy to the public. It is also an area of particular 
interest to me because my work may affect which way the scale tips.

Since the Texas Supreme Court’s 2012 issuance of Texas Rice Land Partners v. Denbury 
Green Pipeline-Texas, a vital question to all Texans—regardless of whether they are aware 
of it—has arisen:  What is required for a private company seeking to ship oil or gas to market 
to obtain the power to condemn, or forcibly take for “adequate compensation,” an individual’s 
private property? Before Denbury, a company only needed to check a box on a one-page Texas 
Railroad Commission form to condemn property in Texas. By checking the box, the company 
obtained the government’s “awesome power” of eminent domain, which, for example, could be used 
to force a farmer to sell portions of her family farm against her will. The Court in Denbury criticized this 
inadequacy in Texas jurisprudence and held that landowner’s rights were sacrosanct and thus deserving 
of greater protection. But, the quandary of “how much protection?” remains unanswered.

I am privileged to advocate for a client facing these weighty questions and their very real consequences. And, 
whether it is one of my client’s cases or that of another, I, like many, believe that this issue is ripe to be heard by the 
highest courts of appeals in Texas and the United States. Working on the frontlines of this issue, which could significantly 
affect every Texan as well as some of the world’s largest businesses, compels me to find ways to push farther and dig deeper in 
every angle I research and argument I craft. The knowledge that my own words may be echoed by the highest courts of the land makes 
me keenly aware that each day is an opportunity to fight to further my client’s goals and, I hope, to tip the scale toward what I consider to be the 
best balance of these conflicting interests.

HONORS SNAPSHOT

What is your favorite Honors 
College memory?  

Living in Gordon Hall my First-year student year. Getting 
to know and learn from the brilliant, intriguing 
Honors students and professors—many of 
whom I remain in contact with—was an 
unforgettable experience.             

What was your favorite book you read for 
an Honors College class? 

I really enjoyed The New Spaniards by John 
Hooper. I read it as part of my Honors research 
while studying abroad in Spain.  As my majors 
were in Spanish and Political Science, I found 
it to be a fascinating look into how Spanish 
culture and politics intersect.

What do you miss most about Tech or the 
Honors College? 

Having the time (and resources) to learn 
anything I could imagine

Lauren K. Valastro

 is a commercial litigation attorney 

in Houston. A native Texan, Lauren graduated summa 

cum laude, with honors, as the highest ranking graduate 

from the College of Arts and Sciences.  Lauren served 

as an Honors College ambassador and continues to 

represent Honors during recruiting trips in Houston.  

She earned her J.D., magna cum laude, from 

Texas Tech University School of Law. Lauren 

enjoys reading historical fiction, adding 

stamps to her passport, and attending 

Red Raider football games. Her 

proudest accomplishment is 

becoming fluent in multiple 

foreign languages.