Generate a tailored SOP for Dr. Elizabeth Chestney. Improve your application with a focused, well-structured draft.
Elizabeth S. Chestney, known as Betsy, is an Adjunct Professor at Texas Law. She co-teaches a course that prepares students for clerkships with federal district judges. Prior to her academic career, she served as a United States Magistrate Judge for the Western District of Texas, San Antonio Division since January 2017. Before taking the bench, Judge Chestney was the managing partner at Cornell Smith Mierl & Brutocao, LLP, a law firm that specializes in representing employers. She also clerked for Hon. Sam Sparks, U.S. District Judge of the Western District of Texas. A graduate with honors from the University of Texas School of Law, Judge Chestney earned her JD in 2002 and an LLM in Judicial Studies from Duke Law School in 2020. While in law school, she was an associate editor for the Texas Law Review. Chestney has a background in Biomedical Ethics, having received her undergraduate degree from Brown University, where she was captain of the Women's Soccer Team. She has been recognized by her peers as a “Super Lawyer” in Labor and Employment Law from 2014 to 2017 and a “Rising Star” from 2012 to 2014. Chestney is also an elected member of the American Law Institute and has served on the boards of various legal associations, including the Austin and San Antonio Chapters of the Federal Bar Association.
University of Texas at Austin • Austin, TX
Co-teaches course preparing students for clerkships with federal district judges.
Western District of Texas • San Antonio, TX
Serves as a United States Magistrate Judge.
Cornell Smith Mierl & Brutocao, LLP • Austin, TX
Managed a boutique law firm representing employers.
Hon. Sam Sparks, U.S. District Judge • Austin, TX
Clerked for Hon. Sam Sparks before entering private practice.
General requirements for the Graduate School at UT Austin apply to all programs unless otherwise specified.