Houston Law Professor Honored As “Texas Primera”

The first Latina tenured law professor in Texas, Sandra Guerra Thompson, was honored last month by the Hispanic National Bar Association.  Thompson is a University of Houston Law Foundation Professor of Law and Director of the Criminal Justice Institute at the Law Center.  Upon hearing about the recognition by the HNBA, Thompson was quoted in the University of Houston’s Daily Cougar saying:

“It was actually a shock, and I didn’t realize until the HNBA started digging around that I was the first,” Thompson said.

“It’s an honor, but at the same time it’s a little disconcerting, because where are the people who are supposed to be my predecessors? And where are the followers?”

Along with her efforts trying to get the UH law school to recruit and hire more Latino faculty members, The Daily Cougar also reports that Thompson has devoted much of her work to helping prevent wrongful convictions, and recently released a book she co-edited with law students from the school entitled, “American Justice in the Age of Innocence.”

According to Thompson’s page at the University of Houston Law Center, Hispanic Business magazine named her one of the top 25 Women of Vision for 2009.  Hopefully she can use her influence and intellect to get more Latinos on board with her.