May 17 was Hooding Day for the Texas Tech University School of Law’s Class of 2025—a moment when dreams took center stage and celebration filled the air at United Supermarkets Arena.
The ceremony opened with a warm welcome from Dean Jack Wade Nowlin, who reflected on the graduates’ journey and the promising futures ahead. “You are about to become graduates! And we are so proud of you!” he declared. With that, there was a wave of cheers from families, proud professors, and excited students—all soaking in the joy of the moment.
Texas Tech University System Regent and Texas Tech Law Distinguished Alumni Award recipient Pat Gordon ’83 reminded graduates that their connection to Texas Tech Law didn’t begin today—it began the moment they said yes. “From the day you accepted your offer of admission, you joined a lifelong community,” he said. “In fact, you joined a family—and like your own family, you will be a member of the Texas Tech Law family for life.” He urged the Class of 2025 to take pride in all they’ve accomplished and to look ahead with confidence. “This is only the beginning,” he said. “Great things await you—because you are a Texas Tech Lawyer.”
Student Bar Association President Niya Williams followed with a heartfelt address celebrating the people her classmates have become and the community they’ve built together. “I have no doubt that you will go into the world and show them that Tech Law does it best,” she said. Reflecting on late night study sessions filled with laughter, she reminded her peers that their law school experience was about more than just statutes and casebooks. “You are now older, wiser, and stronger,” she continued, “but you still have so much time to grow.” She encouraged the Class of 2025 to carry forward the joy, connection, and resilience they experienced here—and to meet the responsibilities of the profession with purpose, heart, and a drive to leave the world better than they found it.
Keynote speaker Scott Summy '90—one of the nation’s top environmental litigators—stood before the graduates and declared, “Ordinary law graduates can accomplish extraordinary things.”
Reflecting on his own path, he shared how 35 years earlier, he felt “incredibly ordinary” as a first-generation college student who didn’t even meet a lawyer until his second year of law school. But his career took off after convincing his firm to take a chance on a case involving contaminated drinking water in a North Carolina trailer park. With no clear leads, he knocked on doors—eventually finding a former gas station manager who revealed a massive spill and a company cover-up. That testimony cracked the case wide open, leading to a six-week trial, a $10.5 million jury verdict, and ultimately a $36 million settlement—the largest in North Carolina at the time.
That case launched Scott into a career that would span decades and recover more than $20 billion for clients across the country. But the heart of his message wasn’t in the numbers—nor are those how he defines success. Instead, he shared four lessons learned from that first case and lived out over a lifetime in law:
- Practice law with no regrets. Take risks. Move forward even when the outcome is uncertain.
- Be curious. Dig deep. Ask the questions others overlook. Unravel what doesn’t make sense.
- Become a subject matter expert in matters outside the law. Learn the language of science, systems, and the industries your clients live in.
- Never forget you are in the life-changing business. Every case is about real people, and serving them gives meaning to your work. “It’s not about you,” he reminded them. “It’s about the people you represent.” In that purpose, he said, you’ll find fulfillment—and joy.
Scott closed with a powerful charge: “Stand tall as graduates of Texas Tech University School of Law.” He reminded the Class of 2025 that greatness doesn’t require a perfect résumé or headline-making verdicts—it requires courage, compassion, grit, and a willingness to pour your heart and soul into protecting your clients.
Following a joyful parade of names, hugs, and proud walks across the stage, class-elected speaker Harlan Burk took the podium with a fun and heartfelt tribute to their three-year journey. Comparing the law school experience to a chaotic family dinner, he celebrated overachieving classmates, beloved professors, and the “Tech Law Familia” that had supported one another every step of the way. “At our dinner table,” he said, “you’ll always have a place to sit, and you’ll never eat alone.”
As the ceremony drew to a close, Dean Nowlin encouraged graduates to stay connected—and to “Wreck. That. Bar Exam.” This group of new Texas Tech Lawyers was ready for anything.
Congratulations, Class of 2025—you’ve earned it. Guns up!