Texas Tech Law Celebrates the Class of 2026 at Hooding Ceremony

TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW | JUNE 2, 2026

The Texas Tech University School of Law celebrated the Class of 2026 on May 16 during its Hooding Ceremony at United Supermarkets Arena. This event marked the culmination of years of hard work, perseverance, and achievement for the 141 members of the graduating class.

Dean Jack Wade Nowlin welcomed the graduates, their families, and friends to the ceremony, celebrating the Class of 2026's achievement and reminding graduates that they will always remain part of the Texas Tech Law family.

Texas Tech University System Regent Clay Cash and Texas Tech University President Lawrence Schovanec congratulated the graduates on their achievements and encouraged them to carry forward the values of integrity, character, and service as they begin their legal careers.

Student Bar Association President Ariana Marin reflected on the shared experiences that defined the class's three years together—from cold calls and late nights to moments of personal growth and resilience. She reminded graduates that the legal profession is essential, calling on her classmates to embrace both the responsibility and privilege of serving others through the law.

The evening's keynote address was delivered by Jerry Dixon '81, founding shareholder of Dixon•Scholl•Carrillo in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and a longtime leader in the legal profession and member of the Texas Tech Law School Foundation. Speaking on the 45th anniversary of his own graduation from the Law School, Dixon reflected on a poem shared by his good friend and law school class speaker in 1981, which described life as a "bag of tools, an hourglass, and a book of rules." Using this metaphor as a foundation, Dixon challenged the graduates to think beyond legal doctrine and consider the personal qualities necessary for a successful and meaningful career.

Drawing from over four decades of legal practice, Dixon identified four essential tools for the graduate's journey ahead: a level to maintain integrity and balance, binoculars to understand different perspectives and look toward the future, a Mother Goose book to encourage lifelong curiosity and learning, and a frisbee to symbolize the importance of relationships, joy, and maintaining a life beyond work. He encouraged graduates to build careers grounded in character, empathy, continuous growth, and meaningful connections with others. As a reminder of this final lesson, each graduate received a commemorative frisbee following the ceremony.

After the hooding, the class-elected speaker, Jonathon Gabehart, encouraged his classmates to think carefully about where they place their identity and how they define success. He emphasized the importance of faith, family, community, and service, challenging the graduates to build lives that prioritize what matters most while continuing the legal profession's mission to advance justice and strengthen society.

As the Class of 2026 begins the next chapter of their journey, graduates leave Texas Tech Law equipped not only with legal knowledge and professional training, but also with the relationships, values, and sense of purpose that will guide them throughout their careers.

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