Sarah R. Guidry, Executive Director, is a graduate of the University of Texas School of Law. Ms. Guidry has worked in the public interest arena most of her career. She has served as an adjunct professor in Trial Simulation and Appellate Litigation. She was previously the East Texas Regional Managing Attorney for Disability Rights Texas where she represented disabled persons in various discrimination matters. In her position there she also provided representation to persons denied health care in the Harris County Jail, TYC facilities, and other facilities housing persons with mental disabilities. Ms. Guidry previously held positions with the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS). At DFPS, Ms. Guidry was the supervising attorney of the statewide Special Litigation Unit which handled the most complex cases in the agency, both in jury trials and on appeal. She was also a Special Projects Attorney and in that role created statewide standardized training and best practice materials for social workers, prosecutors and judges, as well as providing legislative analysis to bills that would potentially impact agency litigation. Ms. Guidry began her work in the public interest arena as a legal aid staff attorney and subsequently Supervising Attorney at Coastal Bend Legal Services. She has authored numerous CLE articles as well as authored several chapters for SBOT Family Law Expert Witness Manual.
Phone: 713.313.1321
Email: Sarah.Guidry@tmslaw.tsu.edu
Kelley L. Austin currently serves as the Associate Director of the Center for Civil Advocacy at the Earl Carl Institute for Legal & Social Policy. In this capacity, Mrs. Austin supervises the Opal Mitchell Lee Property Preservation Project which provides free legal services to low-income Texans who are facing potential land loss by helping economically disadvantaged communities to retain and grow wealth and to ensure housing stability. She earned a Bachelor of Art from Southwest Texas State University where she majored in Political Science/Pre-Law with a minor in Spanish and then went on to graduate, Cum Laude, from Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University. Mrs. Austin has served as an Adjunct Professor in First Year Property, Real Estate Transactions, Property Preservation and Lawyering Process. Prior to joining ECI, Mrs. Austin worked extensively on matters involving toxic torts, product liability, property disputes, bankruptcy and debt reorganization, and various other areas of civil litigation. She has served as court appointed counsel for the Harris County Tax and Probate courts, Fort Bend County Criminal Courts and Texas Board of Pardons and Parole. Mrs. Austin was a member of the City of Sugar Land’s Land Use Advisory Council which was responsible for the creation of the City of Sugar Land’s current land use plan. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and the Sugar Land Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc.
Phone: 713.313.1185
Email: Kelley.Austin@tmslaw.tsu.edu
Andreience Fields serves as the Division Business Administrator. Andreience is from the small town of Brazoria, Texas who received a degree in paralegal studies in 2002. Since then, she has worked as an administrative professional for over 20 years in the legal field. Her tenure at Texas Southern University, Thurgood Marshall School of Law, started in 2009 as a contract paralegal working with staff attorneys in the Opal Mitchell Lee Property Preservation Project. Later, she became the admin for the entire Earl Carl Institute department. Andreience managed the offices of the Urban Research and Resource Center, a policy-based research department created by Professor Marcia Johnson in partnership with the School of Public Affairs. In March of 2019, Andreience began working with the Office of Admission at the law school and became the Interim Assistant Director in 2020. During her time as assistant director, she spoke on many recruiting panels and worked with the other five HBCU law schools to create a collective called HBCUs which helped educate African American and other minority students on how to navigate the application process and properly prepare for law school.
Outside of assisting with legal files and documents, Andreience used her proofreading and editing knowledge to help produce law school textbooks for two law school courses, articles, publications, training manuals, and employee procedure booklets for other Houston area organizations.
The law school’s motto of “Protect it… Improve it… Pass it on” is more than just words to her; they are words to live by.
Email: Andreience.Fields@tsu.edu
Belen Argueta serves as the Legal Assistant at the Thurgood Marshall School of Law Innocence Project to provide administrative and clerical support. Ms. Argueta is a native Houstonian who grew up in Magnolia Park in the East End. In 2007, Ms. Argueta earned her Bachelor of Science from the University of Houston-Downtown where she majored in Political Science. Ms. Argueta is an experienced legal assistant with extensive knowledge in criminal law and criminal appellate law in state, appellate and federal courts. Ms. Argueta has previously worked as a legal assistant/paralegal for highly awarded criminal defense lawyers Dick DeGuerin, Dan Cogdell, and Stanley G. Schneider. Ms. Argueta has been a Texas licensed notary since 1999. Ms. Argueta is an active paralegal member of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association and Harris County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. Ms. Argueta is a proud mother of four who values spending quality time with her family. Ms. Argueta also enjoys playing soccer and fishing.
Email: Belen.Arguenta@tsu.edu
Stanley G. Schneider serves as Associate Director for Criminal Justice. He became Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in 1980 and Board Certified in Criminal Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in 2011. Stanley graduated from Alfred University in 1971. He attended St. Mary's University Law School and graduated in 1974. He also attended Gerry Spence’s Trial Lawyer’s College in 2000. Stanley became licensed to practice law in October 1974 by the State Bar of Texas. He is currently licensed to practice law in the United States District Courts for the Northern Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of Texas; United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee; United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas; the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth, Tenth and Eleventh Circuits; and the United States Supreme Court. He is the named partner of Schneider & McKinney P.C., which was formed in 1980. He is currently the Associate Director for Criminal Justice at the Earl Carl Institute for Legal and Social Policy, Thurgood Marshall Law School.
During his career, he has received the following awards: Outstanding Criminal Defense Lawyer ‑State Bar of Texas, Criminal Justice Section, 1997; “Best Criminal Defense and White Collar Defense”, Best Lawyers in America, 2004 – present; “Super Lawyer”, Texas Lawyer, 2004‑present; “Top Notch ‑ Criminal Defense Lawyer”, Texas Lawyer, 2007; “Go to Criminal Defense Lawyer”, Texas Lawyer, 2012; “Twenty Five Greatest Lawyers in Texas over the past Twenty Five Years”, Texas Lawyer, 2010;“Top 100 Lawyers in Houston”, Texas Monthly Magazine, 2012; Schneider & McKinney, P.C. is listed as Tier 1 Houston law firm by U.S. News and World Report in Criminal Defense: non‑white collar; white collar and DWI Defense; “Order of Merit” 2007, Presented by The Republic of Argentina; Texas Criminal Defense Lawyer’s Hall of Fame – 2014;Lifetime Achievement Award ‑ Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association – 2015; Honorary Doctor of Law from Alfred University – 2015; Best Lawyer - Criminal Defense Lawyer of the Year - 2016, 2021.
During his career, he was President, Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, 2009 ‑2010; President, Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association 2004‑2005; a member of the State Bar of Texas, 4E Grievance Committee, six years; Member, Texas Board of Legal Specialization, 2011 – 2016; a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers; State Bar of Texas Pattern Criminal Jury Charge Committee 2017 – 2019; Advisory Commission for Criminal Appellate Specialization, Texas Board of Legal Specialization. 2024 – present.
His publications included: Schneider, Stanley G., Botsford David L., The “Law Game”: Why Prosecutors Should be Prevented from A Rematch; Double Jeopardy Concerns Stemming From Prosecutorial Misconduct, 47 S.Tex.L.Rev 729, (2006); Schneider, Stanley G., With Forensics, You Are Limited Only By Your Imagination, Utilizing Forensic Science in Criminal Cases, Aspatore (2011)
Email: Stanley.Schneider@tsu.edu
Gloria Suarez serves as Community Engagement Specialist for the Institute. Ms. Suarez’s role is to promote the Institute’s profile through public relations and community outreach. Ms. Suarez is a native Houstonian. She graduated from Channelview High School in 2004. She attended San Jacinto College Central Campus and the Center for Advanced Legal Studies where she graduated with her Associates of Applied Science and Paralegal Certificate. Ms. Suarez’s passion has always been to help others in her community. She previously worked at the NAACP Houston Branch as a legal program paralegal/coordinator. Ms. Suarez enjoys working to help communities of color and other traditionally disenfranchised populations. It is her passion to help people who need assistance with their legal problems.
Phone: 713.313.4874
Email: Gloria.Suarez@tmslaw.tsu.edu
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