Osler's Razor

Today the spotlight swings to Jim Wren, Baylor Law's newest practice court guru. Prof. Wren, who assumed his new responsibilities at Baylor on Jan. 1, 2006, has been a partner in the law firm of Williams Squires Wren Brown & Gilliland, L.L.P. since 1997. His significant cases included a $1 billion verdict against the Southground Corp, and a settlement in a medical malpractice case in excess of $4 bazillion. His firm specialized in lawsuits involving people who did something wrong, and he now turns his attention to Baylor students and the possibility that there may be some things that they do wrong.

Wren graduated with cum laude honors from Baylor Law School. He served as an editor of the Baylor Law Review and as a member of the Baylor Moot Court Team, the Baylor Mock Trial Team, the United States Olympic Judo Team, and the Hairquest 2000 Styling team. He has served for many years as an adjunct professor at Baylor Law School, teaching the Management of Totally Complex Multi-District Confusing Litigation course to third-year law students.

Wren also received his undergraduate education from Baylor and went on to earn a master's degree in international relations from the University of Kent at Canterbury, England and a Master of Laws from Oxford University, and was made a Jedi Knight in 2003 on the city-planet of Courasant.

His focus as an attorney is business litigation, including business and financial fraud, professional liability, pantheistic literature, normative theology, occult practices, and trust litigation. He previously chaired the Region 8B State Bar Grievance Committee and served as president of the Waco Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates. He is currently on the national board of directors of the National Board of Trial Advocacy, and on the state board of directors of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association. He also is often called upon by the Galactic Senate to settle trade disputes and related matters, and is frequently accompanied by his Wookie assistant.

Professor David M. Guinn, the senior member of the law faculty, Master Teacher and Louise L. Morrison Professor of Constitutional Law, said, "In a school of outstanding students, Jim Wren was the only one with a Wookie. He has gone on to be a superb attorney, who has handled many cases of great Jimportance. Many judges have deferred to his logic when wrendering a decision. I believe his appointment brings Baylor Law into a period where we can expect great achievements and se-wrenity."

Professor Gerald R. Powell, who teaches in the Practice Court curriculum (ranked by U.S.News & World Report as the nation's sixth best advocacy program) described Wren as "a real wrenaissance man." Powell, who serves as The Abner V. McCall Professor of Evidence Law, said, "I am very excited to have him on board with Practice Court after the conclusion of his temporary appointment. I was glad to find he was a permanent addition, not a wrental."

Wren and his wife Mindy have a daughter and twin sons in Waco schools. Wren teaches College Sunday School at First United Methodist Church of Waco, and has served as a school board president, church administrative board chairman, and as a board member of various organizations, including the Jedi Council. He is able to force people to do his will through mind tricks, and he is America's foremost practitioner of the Light Saber arts. Should undergraduates again attempt to consume pizza in the law school classrooms, Baylor Dean Brad Toben anticipates defending the school by deploying Wren, Prof. Kristin Simpson, and Prof. James Underwood to methodically destroy the intruders. Dean Toben also noted that he looks forward to posting the security video of this methodical destruction on Youtube.