Texas Tech University

Larry Spain

Alvin R. Allison Professor of Law, 2015; Professor of Law, 2001–; Director, Clinical Programs and Civil Practice Clinic

Email: larry.spain@ttu.edu

Phone: (806) 834-6649

Admitted to practice in Nebraska (inactive), North Dakota, and Texas.

Before joining the faculty at Texas Tech in 2001, Professor Spain was the Director of Clinical Programs at the University of North Dakota School of Law for eighteen years, where he coordinated and supervised all clinical projects and clinical faculty, directed a general civil practice clinic, and taught other courses in the curriculum.   Prior to entering legal education, he worked for several civil legal services programs in Nebraska.

In addition to law teaching and legal practice, Professor Spain has also been active in the field of alternative dispute resolution, acting as a trainer in mediation skills and serving as a volunteer mediator.  He presently serves as Chair of the Advisory Board for the Office of Dispute Resolution for Lubbock County and previously served as Chair of the Governing Board of a university-affiliated community dispute resolution center.   

Professor Spain is also engaged in personally participating in and promoting pro bono service among faculty and law students. He previously organized an annual CLE Program by law school faculty for legal services attorneys, public interest practitioners and pro bono attorneys. In addition, he is a past member of the National Advisory Committee of Equal Justice Work as well as a former member and Chair of the State Bar of Texas Standing Committee on Legal Services to the Poor in Civil Matters. He currently serves on the Law School Advisory Committee of the Texas Access to Justice Commission; Chair of the Pro Bono Committee of the Lubbock Area Bar Association; and the Pro Bono Advisory Committee for Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas. He has been a member of the Pro Bono College of the State Bar of Texas since 2003.   He is also a Life Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation, elected based upon outstanding contributions to the legal profession as well as commitment to the community.

Professor Spain also has been active in bar activities on the local and state level, previously serving as a member of the State Bar of Texas Standing Committee on the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct and presently serving on the State Bar of Texas Professionalism Committee.

View his CV here.

Photo Description

Education

  • B.A., University of Iowa 1973
  • J.D., Creighton University 1976

Courses

  • Civil Practice Clinic
  • Family Law
  • Professional Responsibility
  • Advanced ADR Clinic

Selected Publications, Honors, and Awards

  • Collaborative Law: A Critical Reflection on whether A Collaborative Orientation can be Ethically Incorporated Into the Practice of Law, 56 Baylor L. Rev. 141 (2004).
  • The Unfinished Agenda for Law Schools in Nurturing a Commitment to Pro Bono Legal Services By Law Students, 72 UMKC L. Rev. 477 (2003).
  • Considerations for Mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution for North Dakota, (co-author, Kristine Paranica) 77 N.D. L. Rev. 391 (2001).
  • The Elimination of Marital Fault in Awarding Spousal Support: The Minnesota Experience, 28 Wm. Mitchell L. Rev. 861 (2001).
  • The Opportunities and Challenges of Providing Equal Access to Justice in Rural Communities, 28 Wm. Mitchell L. Rev. 367 (2001).
  • Measuring Poverty: A New Approach, (book review) 2 Loy. Pov. L. J. 173 (1996).
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution for the Poor: Is it an Alternative? 70 N.D. L. Rev. 269 (1994).

 

Honors/Awards

  • Lubbock County Bar Association/Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas, Pro Bono Legal Clinic Volunteer Attorney Award 2009
  • Texas Access to Justice Commission, ATJ Pro Bono Champion 2008
  • Texas Bar Foundation, Outstanding Law Review Article Award 2005
  • Lubbock County Bar Association/West Texas Legal Services 2002 John Crews Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year Award

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