Former U.S. Attorney General named to new, endowed position at Belmont University
Belmont University College of Law announced today the establishment of the Doyle Rogers Distinguished Chair of Law. The newly established, endowed position will be filled by former U.S. Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales. Judge Gonzales will be the only former U.S. Attorney General teaching full time in legal education and will begin his position at Belmont on Jan. 2, 2012.
Belmont College of Law Founding Dean Jeff Kinsler said, “The insight and experience Alberto Gonzales acquired while serving as the nation’s chief law enforcement officer, Counsel to the President, Justice on the Supreme Court of Texas and Texas Secretary of State will be immeasurable resources for our students and faculty. Since leaving public office, these qualities have helped Judge Gonzales develop into an outstanding professor. We are incredibly fortunate that he has decided to join our charter faculty, and we are extremely grateful for the support provided by Doyle and Barbara Rogers.”
After attending the United States Air Force Academy, Alberto Gonzales graduated from Rice University (B.A.) and Harvard University (J.D.). Gonzales was nominated by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the United States Senate as the 80th Attorney General of the United States on February 3, 2005 and served in that capacity until September 2007. Previously, he served as a partner at a major Houston law firm (Vinson & Elkins) and held positions as Justice on the Supreme Court of Texas, Secretary of State (Texas) and Counsel to the President of the United States (2001-2005) in addition to his consulting and mediation practice. Gonzales currently serves as a Visiting Professor and minority/veteran recruitment consultant at Texas Tech University.
Judge Gonzales said, “I am honored to be named as the Doyle Rogers Distinguished Chair of Law, created in honor of an outstanding lawyer and extraordinary human being. I welcome the opportunity to be associated with the Belmont College of Law, and I look forward to working with an outstanding charter faculty to develop tomorrow’s leaders in the bar, the Nashville community and beyond.”
Among his many professional associations, Gonzales has served as a member of the American Law Institute, the leading independent organization in the United States producing scholarly work to clarify, modernize and otherwise improve the law. For his many accomplishments and years of public service, Gonzales has been recognized as a Distinguished Alumnus of Rice University and received the Harvard Law School Association Award as well as the Central Intelligence Agency’s Director’s Award and the Office of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Public Service. His work in the Hispanic community and his achievements as a role model have also earned him recognition as Hispanic American of the Year by HISPANIC Magazine and one of The 25 Most Influential Hispanics in America by TIME Magazine.
An endowed “distinguished” chair is a permanent tribute to the person whose name it bears and a prestigious honor to the professor who occupies it. Belmont University’s Doyle Rogers Distinguished Chair of Law is named in honor of an attorney whose career reflects accomplishments to which all lawyers aspire. A graduate of the University of Florida and its Levin College of Law, Doyle Rogers is the senior shareholder in the prominent law firm of Alley, Maass, Rogers & Lindsay, P.A., one of the oldest firms in Palm Beach, Florida. He is a member of the Palm Beach County Bar and American Bar Association and formerly a member of the District of Columbia Bar. He has practiced successfully as a lawyer in South Florida for 57 years and has established himself as an expert in the areas of real estate transactions, estate planning, probate, estate administration and business/corporate law.
His dedication to the legal profession has been honorable, unwavering and exceptional. He holds the top (AV) rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the preeminent rating organization for lawyers. He has held many distinguished leadership positions in a variety of civic, social, political, business, community and philanthropic organizations and has also been honored with numerous awards including: the Alexis de Tocqueville Society Award, the Bethesda Vestry Silver Cross Award, the Distinguished Alumni Association Award at the University of Florida and the Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce Community Service Award.
Mrs. Barbara Massey Rogers, wife of Doyle Rogers, said, “I thought it fitting and most appropriate to recognize a man of his stature and accomplishments in the legal profession at the opening of the new law school at Belmont University, a university very close to my heart. The Belmont University College of Law will make its mark on the future law students who attend just as Doyle has made his mark in the legal profession in South Florida. The fine role model that he has provided in the legal profession serves to inspire other lawyers, both new and experienced, by his example. The designation of this chair named for Doyle is an honor he truly deserves.”
Robb Maass, partner at Alley, Maass, Rogers & Lindsay, added, “Doyle began practicing law with my father and grandfather when I was a small boy. He has been part of my family since before I can remember. I joined the firm after graduating from Yale Law School and now have had the pleasure of working with him for 30 years. As all who know him can attest, aside from being a first rate lawyer, he is an incredibly kind, considerate, unselfish man, always anxious to help others and to pitch in with civic and charitable causes. He has been and continues to be a role model not just for me and my partners, but for the community at large.”
