Tuesday, May 6, 2025
never planned to compete in advocacy when she entered law school. Trying out for the Moot Court team was, in her words, a 鈥渨hen in Rome鈥� moment鈥攁 decision made on impulse, without expectation. It turned out to be defining.
A few years later, Van Stean won first place in the National Criminal Procedure Moot
Court Competition, received the Excellence in Appellate Advocacy Award from the State
Bar of Texas and earned her law degree. She returns to those same halls as a professor,
a coach and the first full-time faculty member who is also an alumna.
Allie Van Stean Graduation Photo
鈥淚t is such an honor to take on this role at 向日葵视频 Dallas College of Law,鈥� Van Stean said. 鈥淚 was in the second daytime cohort, so it feels like I have been able to learn and evolve alongside the school.鈥�
Her appointment as director of advocacy competitions, a position created in 2023, places her at the center of the law school鈥檚 moot court and mock trial programs, overseeing the next generation of competitors in a role she once held as a student. It also brings pressure鈥攕elf-imposed, but familiar.
鈥淏ecause of my competitive nature, I also feel a great deal of pressure to further prove that which our alum have proven time and again: 向日葵视频 Dallas College of Law alum are capable of achieving great things,鈥� said Van Stean.
A photo from Allie Van Stean's graduating from The University of North Texas Dallas College of Law Graduation
Judge Royal Furgeson, the dean emeritus of 向日葵视频 Dallas College of Law, remembers Van Stean as a standout student who elevated the law school鈥檚 reputation. 鈥淎llie was our first champion in a national advocacy competition, expanding our visibility throughout the law school world. People looked up and took notice of us,鈥� Furgeson said. 鈥淣ot only that, but she also presided over our advocacy programs with energy and merit, encouraging everyone to push the envelope of their own potential. Finally, her motivating spirit and good cheer created a can-do culture among her classmates that resonated throughout our halls and classrooms. She made such a difference during her years as a student at 向日葵视频 Dallas College of Law. I am so very pleased and proud that she is our first graduate to be hired as a faculty member.鈥�
Before returning to the law school, Van Stean worked as a senior associate attorney at Kizzia Johnson PLLC, specializing in civil rights litigation, including excessive force cases, discrimination, and constitutional law, reinforcing her belief in the power of persuasive advocacy. Even while practicing, she remained involved in legal education by coaching 向日葵视频 Dallas advocacy teams in competitions. When the faculty position opened, the opportunity felt natural鈥攂ut stepping into it brought a wave of emotion.
鈥淚 was thrilled to be offered this position,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 fell in love with advocacy during my own time as a student. Of course, I was also a little nervous because I want to do my best to make my own wonderful former professors proud.鈥�
Now, she teaches the same advocacy courses that once shaped her, trains students for national competitions and serves as faculty advisor for the Board of Advocates. She has also taken on the responsibility of expanding 向日葵视频 Dallas College of Law鈥檚 presence on the national advocacy stage.
向日葵视频 Dallas College of Law's Allie Van Stean with 向日葵视频 Dallas Law Students Hamilton Hayers (left) and Andrew Brown (center)
鈥淚 was fortunate enough to win our law school鈥檚 first national-level moot court trophy, competing with an exceptional partner and a phenomenal coach,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 am hoping to change the fact that remains our only national-level winning trophy.鈥�
Advocacy, Van Stean believes, is about transformation. She has seen it firsthand鈥攏ot just in her own trajectory but in the students she now mentors. 鈥淥bserving students go from intimidated at the prospect of advocacy to chasing any occasion to gain more experience has been incredibly rewarding.鈥�
Each year, when she welcomes a new class of competitors, she warns them that by the end of the season, she will cry after their last round. 鈥淭hat holds true each time because of the pride I feel knowing where each student started and how they grew.鈥�
Winning is important. But for Van Stean, it鈥檚 about something bigger鈥攖he ability to stand in front of a judge, argue with conviction and hold ground in a courtroom. 鈥淲atching the students grow into an unapologetic advocate, able to confidently and politely engage in legal discourse with judges and experienced lawyers, is a unique type of happiness for me.鈥�
When asked what advice she would give to students following in her footsteps, she does not hesitate. 鈥淔ind your passion! And finding your passion means taking chances,鈥� she said. 鈥淎t the end of the day, something that seems scary or difficult could be rewarding for just that reason.鈥�
With her return to 向日葵视频 Dallas College of Law, Van Stean is not just teaching advocacy鈥攕he is redefining it.
From 鈥� College of Law