Honors College Law Panel Information
Join us for the TTU Honors College Alumni Law Panel, Monday, April 20, 2026 at 5:00 PM, an engaging conversation with accomplished alumni who are building impactful careers across the legal profession. This event is designed specifically for current Honors students who want to explore career options, gain practical advice, and learn what to expect beyond law school.
Panelists will share their personal career journeys, from navigating law school and early job decisions to developing successful paths in areas such as private practice, public interest law, government, and corporate counsel roles. Students will hear candid perspectives on what employers look for, how to make the most of internships and clerkships, and how to position themselves for long-term success.
The panel will also address timely topics including career flexibility, professional development, and adapting to changes in the legal industry. A dedicated Q&A session will give students the opportunity to ask questions and receive firsthand advice from alumni who were once in their shoes.
Law Panelists
Joseph Kmetz, Associate at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
- Joseph Kmetz is a senior associate in the Houston office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher
LLP, where he advises clients across the energy and infrastructure sectors, with a
focus on mergers and acquisitions and commercial contracts relating to oil and gas
and data centers. Prior to practicing law, Joseph began his career as a petroleum
landman in Denver. Joseph received his JD from the University of Denver Sturm College
of Law and is an alumnus of Texas Tech’s Honors College and the Rawls College of Business.
He has served on the Honors College Advisory Board since 2023.
Riley Rogers, Command Judge Advocate at US Navy
- Information coming soon!
Ryan Gaddis, Partner at Burns Charest LLP
- Ryan Gaddis is a native West-Texan who has spent years on the front lines of high-stakes
litigation in the oil and gas industry. He brings a sharp eye and an experienced mind
to his cases, drawing from his prior work as an in-house landman for a large, Houston-based
independent exploration and production company in the Haynesville Shale, SCOOP, Permian
and Delaware Basins.
Ryan has handled a wide variety of energy-related cases, including title disputes,
royalty underpayments, lease disputes, surface use disputes, JOA disputes, and breach
of contract actions. Ryan’s prior experience gives him a leg up on litigating energy
matters and focusing on his client’s goals.
In line with his experience in energy litigation, Ryan is experience in handling large,
complex matters in multiple jurisdictions. Outside of energy litigation, Ryan is proficient
in toxic torts and commercial cases, including Texas' Deceptive Trade Practice Act
and breach of contract matters involving the sale of goods.
In his downtime, Ryan enjoys traveling with his wife Rachel and going on outings with
their German Shepherd, Raider.
Kaitlyn Schiraldi, Staff Attorney at the New Civil Liberties Alliance
- Kaitlyn Schiraldi is Staff Attorney at the New Civil Liberties Alliance. Prior to
joining NCLA, Kaitlyn worked at Mountain States Legal Foundation where she litigated
to defend citizens from the government’s unwieldy power, filed amicus briefs, drafted
comments on agency regulations, and was a frequent webinar panelist.
Kaitlyn graduated magna cum laude from Texas Tech University School of Law and holds
an undergraduate degree, with honors, from The University of Texas at Austin.
Kaitlyn is licensed to practice law in Tennessee and resides outside of Nashville.
She previously served on the Nashville Federalist Society’s Young Lawyers Committee,
helping plan local events where the brightest legal minds come speak. In her downtime,
you can find her spending time with her husband and infant daughter, searching for
antique treasures, listening to live music, or pretending to be a coffee sommelier.
Lauren Valastro, Assistant Professor of Law and the Frank McDonald Scholar in Business
Law at Texas Tech University School of Law
- Lauren Valastro is an Assistant Professor of Law and the Frank McDonald Scholar in
Business Law at Texas Tech University School of Law. She previously practiced in Big
Law, eventually becoming a partner at a prominent litigation boutique where she litigated
complex financial, healthcare, environmental, and international disputes. Professor
Valastro has served as first chair in both trials and arbitrations representing some
of the world’s largest companies and state governments. Her appellate experience includes
presenting oral argument before the United States Court of Appeals for the Second
Circuit and representing clients in the Fifth Circuit, various Texas appellate courts,
and the Delaware Supreme Court. Valastro later served as Investment Counsel at a Silicon
Valley private equity firm, advising executives on strategy and major transactions.
Valastro earned her B.A. from Texas Tech University, graduating first in her college
class. She received a full-tuition Chancellor’s Scholarship to attend Texas Tech University
School of Law, where she served as a Comment Editor on the Law Review and clerked
for the Honorable Ruben G. Reyes.
Her scholarship focuses on U.S. retirement policy and law. It has been cited by federal
courts of appeal and parties before the United States Supreme Court.
Joseph Kmetz, Associate at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
- Joseph Kmetz is a senior associate in the Houston office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, where he advises clients across the energy and infrastructure sectors, with a focus on mergers and acquisitions and commercial contracts relating to oil and gas and data centers. Prior to practicing law, Joseph began his career as a petroleum landman in Denver. Joseph received his JD from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and is an alumnus of Texas Tech’s Honors College and the Rawls College of Business. He has served on the Honors College Advisory Board since 2023.
Riley Rogers, Command Judge Advocate at US Navy
- Information coming soon!
Ryan Gaddis, Partner at Burns Charest LLP
- Ryan Gaddis is a native West-Texan who has spent years on the front lines of high-stakes
litigation in the oil and gas industry. He brings a sharp eye and an experienced mind
to his cases, drawing from his prior work as an in-house landman for a large, Houston-based
independent exploration and production company in the Haynesville Shale, SCOOP, Permian
and Delaware Basins.
Ryan has handled a wide variety of energy-related cases, including title disputes, royalty underpayments, lease disputes, surface use disputes, JOA disputes, and breach of contract actions. Ryan’s prior experience gives him a leg up on litigating energy matters and focusing on his client’s goals.
In line with his experience in energy litigation, Ryan is experience in handling large, complex matters in multiple jurisdictions. Outside of energy litigation, Ryan is proficient in toxic torts and commercial cases, including Texas' Deceptive Trade Practice Act and breach of contract matters involving the sale of goods.
In his downtime, Ryan enjoys traveling with his wife Rachel and going on outings with their German Shepherd, Raider.
Kaitlyn Schiraldi, Staff Attorney at the New Civil Liberties Alliance
- Kaitlyn Schiraldi is Staff Attorney at the New Civil Liberties Alliance. Prior to
joining NCLA, Kaitlyn worked at Mountain States Legal Foundation where she litigated
to defend citizens from the government’s unwieldy power, filed amicus briefs, drafted
comments on agency regulations, and was a frequent webinar panelist.
Kaitlyn graduated magna cum laude from Texas Tech University School of Law and holds an undergraduate degree, with honors, from The University of Texas at Austin.
Kaitlyn is licensed to practice law in Tennessee and resides outside of Nashville. She previously served on the Nashville Federalist Society’s Young Lawyers Committee, helping plan local events where the brightest legal minds come speak. In her downtime, you can find her spending time with her husband and infant daughter, searching for antique treasures, listening to live music, or pretending to be a coffee sommelier.
Lauren Valastro, Assistant Professor of Law and the Frank McDonald Scholar in Business Law at Texas Tech University School of Law
- Lauren Valastro is an Assistant Professor of Law and the Frank McDonald Scholar in
Business Law at Texas Tech University School of Law. She previously practiced in Big
Law, eventually becoming a partner at a prominent litigation boutique where she litigated
complex financial, healthcare, environmental, and international disputes. Professor
Valastro has served as first chair in both trials and arbitrations representing some
of the world’s largest companies and state governments. Her appellate experience includes
presenting oral argument before the United States Court of Appeals for the Second
Circuit and representing clients in the Fifth Circuit, various Texas appellate courts,
and the Delaware Supreme Court. Valastro later served as Investment Counsel at a Silicon
Valley private equity firm, advising executives on strategy and major transactions.
Valastro earned her B.A. from Texas Tech University, graduating first in her college class. She received a full-tuition Chancellor’s Scholarship to attend Texas Tech University School of Law, where she served as a Comment Editor on the Law Review and clerked for the Honorable Ruben G. Reyes.
Her scholarship focuses on U.S. retirement policy and law. It has been cited by federal courts of appeal and parties before the United States Supreme Court.
QUESTIONS?
honors@ttu.edu
806-742-1828
Honors College
-
Address
McClellan Hall, Box 41017 Lubbock, TX 79409-1017 -
Phone
806.742.1828 -
Email
honors@ttu.edu