On October 23, 2025, the United States Southwest Area of the J. Reuben Clark Law Society hosted its first-ever Area Conference on the campus of Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, Texas. The event drew strong attendance from attorneys, judges, general counsel, academics, and law students.
After welcomes by Dallas Chapter Chair Micah Skidmore (Haynes & Boone) and Dean Jason Nance (SMU Law School and a JRCLS member), the conference opened with an in-house counsel panel on “Leadership in the Law,” featuring Stephanie Byrd (Executive VP & General Counsel, Hall Group), John Smith (SVP, Chief Legal Officer & General Counsel, Ryan), Jared Sine (Chief Strategy & Legal Officer, GoDaddy), and Courtney Carrell (VP & Deputy General Counsel, ModMed), moderated by Andrew Bean (Hilgers Graben). Together, they offered insights into effective leadership within complex corporate environments, emphasizing integrity, innovation, and mentorship.
This was followed by a distinguished federal judicial panel on “Fostering the Rule of Law,” with
Judge Jeremy Kernodle of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Judge Jane J. Boyle of the Northern District of Texas, and Judge Brian McKay, also of the Northern District of Texas. Their discussion, moderated by Billy Marsh (A&O Sherman) highlighted the judiciary’s vital role in maintaining public confidence in legal institutions, the importance of principled decision-making, and the responsibilities attorneys carry in safeguarding the rule of law.
A panel on Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) and the shifting legal landscape of college athletics brought together top university and conference counsel, including Lee Tyner (General Counsel, TCU), Lisa Turner (Associate General Counsel, 
Baylor University), Christian Fox (Deput General Counsel, BYU), and Jessica Presnall (General Counsel, Big 12 Conference), moderated by Natali Wyson (Sidley Austin). They explored the rapid evolution of NIL regulations, the challenges universities face, and how legal professionals are shaping the future of collegiate sports.
The conference concluded with a lunch keynote on Legal Issues for Churches in the United States, delivered by Matt Richards, Associate General Counsel (Domestic) for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, alongside Steve Collis, Director of the Bech-Loughlin First Amendment Center and Law & Religion Clinic at the University of Texas at Austin, moderated by Richard Salgado (McDermott Will & Schulte). Their remarks addressed the increasing complexity of religious liberty issues, compliance considerations, and the role of faith-based organizations in today’s legal climate.
About the Author
Richard is the Head of the Dallas Litigation Practice Group. He is an experienced trial lawyer who has first-chaired dozens of complex cases in state and federal courts, arbitrations and other proceedings—many of which he joined as trial counsel at the 11th hour. His extensive courtroom experience includes cases involving product and environmental liability, trade secrets, breach of fiduciary duty, insurance coverage, False Claims Act allegations, partnership disputes and other business crisis situations.
