Terry and Joe Long
The Long Career Launch Program was established in 2008 to help University of Texas School of Law graduates bridge the gap between law school and practice by offering stipends for work in unpaid internships at government agencies and nonprofit public-interest organizations. These can be difficult months-particularly for people interested in public-interest practice-because of the acute shortage of paid positions available to recent graduates who aren't yet licensed to practice law.
Additionally, the Program places young talent in organizations that otherwise would not benefit from their contributions, increasing the reach of those organizations and expanding access to justice. During its pilot year, thirty-eight graduates participated, working in twenty-six different organizations, ranging from the Office of the Attorney General of Texas to the United Nations Assistance to the Khmer Rouge Trials.
"The Long Career Launch Program has proven to be a wonderful opportunity for both graduates and the people of Texas alike," Texas Solicitor General James C. Ho said. "Two UT Law graduates were placed with the Office of the Solicitor General last fall. Both have contributed to a number of our most important cases, including matters before the U.S. Supreme Court and the Texas Supreme Court. Both have confronted a variety of challenging legal issues involving the U.S. Constitution and the administration of Texas government. We were so pleased with their work that both were offered-and, we are glad to say, both accepted-paid, full-time, one-year positions in the office."
Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long
This remarkable program was made possible by a generous $2 million gift from Joe and Teresa Lozano Long.
"Terry and Joe Long are extraordinary people and wonderful friends of the Law School," Dean Larry Sager said. "Their endowment of the Career Launch program is the latest in a long series of remarkably generous gifts. I simply cannot thank Joe and Terry enough for their sustained good counsel, friendship, and support."
Together, Joe and Teresa have contributed so much to the Law School, the University of Texas, and to the state of Texas that it is impossible to count the myriad benefits. The Long Career Launch Program is one among many initiatives they have supported-others include the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio; the Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies; the Long Center for the Performing Arts; as well as numerous scholarships, professorships, and fellowships at the University of Texas at Austin.
Joe's support for the Long Career Launch Program can be traced to his early adult life, during which he held a variety of jobs-from school teacher to chief of the Enforcement Division of the State Securities Board to dairy farmer. This broad experience was a tremendous benefit when he opened his own Austin-based practice that specialized in banking and savings and loan law. Teresa worked for years as an educational consultant to the Texas Education Agency and to Head Start and other federal programs. Both the Longs are believers in the transformative value of education, which is why they direct so much of their philanthropy to higher education. They both serve on numerous boards that benefit education, civic life, and the arts.
"When Dean Sager approached me with the idea for this program it really resonated," Joe said. "I could see how it would serve recent graduates and the larger community. I had some struggles as a young lawyer. I wasn't in the top ten percent of my class. But people reached out and helped me. So I discussed the idea with Terry, and since she liked it, too, we decided to invest in it. We hope others will join us in contributing to this program, as well. It would be wonderful to make this opportunity available to more graduates and organizations."
