Alum Carving Path in Legal Field
Grace Braun was born in听China and adopted from a听Chinese orphanage when she听was a year old. Her parents听raised her and her sister with听Christian faith and values and听always encouraged them to听share their gifts and talents听with others. As a child, when听asked 鈥榃hat do you want to听be when you grow up?鈥� she听would answer, 鈥楢 mighty听woman of God.鈥� In high school,听her natural love for reading,听writing, and research ignited her interest in pursuing a听career in the legal field.
A member of HCU鈥檚 Honors College, President of the听Pre-Law Society, and member of the Alpha Chi National听Honor Society, Braun graduated summa cum laude听with a 4.0-grade point average in 2020 with a degree in听Legal Studies.
Led by her faith and her desire to help others, Braun听traveled to Vietnam and visited orphanages with Grace听& Hope for Children board members to investigate the听possibility of starting foster care programs in Vietnamese听orphanages, an issue close to her heart. She is currently听pursuing a Juris Doctor degree at the University of Texas听(UT) School of Law and serves as Managing Editor of the听Texas Review of Law and Politics and Associate Editor of听the Texas Law Review. She is also a member of the Texas听Federalist Society. Braun was designated by the UT听School of Law as one of the top 16 students in her class.听She also applied for and accepted two clerkships (one听for a federal district judge and a second with a judge on听the Circuit Court of Appeals) which means that she will听have the qualifications to potentially clerk on the U.S.听Supreme Court.
In this special Q & A, Braun shares a personal account听of her journey at HBU and the foundation the University听provided in her pursuit of a legal career, her thoughts on听the Morris Family Center for Law and Liberty, and her听desire to activate her faith to help others.
Q. What led you to enroll at HCU and how was the听University pivotal in preparing you for a career in听the legal field?
A. I chose to attend HCU because of its Legal Studies听program, which Dr. Tyler described as teaching听students how to become lawyers. The Legal Studies听program taught me the history, principles, and ideals听of the Anglo-American legal system, and Dr. Tyler鈥檚听classes were foundational to my belief in originalist听and textualist methods of interpretation. I also was听an Honors College student, which prepared me well听for the heavy reading loads and Socratic method of听law school.
Q. What are your thoughts on the Morris Family听Center for Law & Liberty complex?
A. I love the idea of studying the law in a building听modeled after Independence Hall. As an originalist, I听believe that the correct meaning of the Constitution听is the meaning that the words had at the time听they were written and ratified. Learning about the听American Constitution and laws in an environment听that pays homage to the Founding era is perfect to get听into that mindset. I hope the new Center will draw听students interested in the history of the Declaration of听Independence, the Constitution, and our great legal听system to HCU and encourage them in their studies.
Q. What would you say to a prospective student听about attending your alma mater and pursuing a听degree in the Legal Studies program?
A. I would highly recommend pursuing a Legal Studies听degree at HBU [recently renamed Houston Christian听University]. It was incredibly beneficial to me to learn听about the foundational values and history of the legal听system, and I think very highly of all the professors听in the program. Dr. Tyler, in particular, has been an听incredible mentor to me, and I am so grateful that he听encouraged me to come to HCU.
Q. Where do you envision yourself in 5 years?
A. I am currently in my third and final year in law school,听and then I will spend a year clerking for Judge Hendrix听and a year clerking for Judge Elrod. After that, I plan听on practicing in Big Law in Houston as a trial or听appellate litigator.
Q. What impact would you like to have in your future听legal career and what issues do you hold close to听your heart?
A. I certainly don鈥檛 know what the future will hold, but I听do know that I want to be the best attorney I can be for听clients and for the less fortunate. I am very interested听to see how the jurisprudence around abortion and听substantive due process changes after Dobbs v. Jackson听Women鈥檚 Health Organization, although I鈥檓 not sure听what role I might play there. Whatever I do, I hope to听live up to the ideals and values that my parents and听mentors have instilled in me and will trust God to lead听me on the way.