Breaking New Ground: Allie Van Stean Becomes UNT Dallas College of Law's First Full-Time Faculty Alumna

Allie Van Stean never planned to compete in advocacy when she entered law school. Trying out for the UNT Dallas College of Law Moot Court team was, in her words, a “when in Rome” moment—a decision made on impulse, without expectation. It turned out to be defining.

A few years later, Van Stean won first place in the National Criminal Procedure Moot Court Competition, received the Excellence in Appellate Advocacy Award from the State Bar of Texas and earned her law degree. Today, she returns to those same halls as a professor, a coach and the first full-time faculty member who is also an alumna.

“It is such an honor to take on this role at UNT Dallas College of Law,” Van Stean said. “I was in the second daytime cohort, so it feels like I have been able to learn and evolve alongside the school.”

Her appointment as director of advocacy competitions, a position created in 2023, places her at the center of the law school’s moot court and mock trial programs, overseeing the next generation of competitors in a role she once held as a student. It also brings pressure—self-imposed, but familiar.

“Because of my competitive nature, I also feel a great deal of pressure to further prove that which our alum have proven time and again: UNT Dallas College of Law alum are capable of achieving great things,” said Van Stean.

Judge Royal Furgeson, the dean emeritus of UNT Dallas College of Law, remembers Van Stean as a standout student who elevated the law school’s reputation. “Allie was our first champion in a national advocacy competition, expanding our visibility throughout the law school world. People looked up and took notice of us,” Furgeson said. “Not only that, but she also presided over our advocacy programs with energy and merit, encouraging everyone to push the envelope of their own potential. Finally, her motivating spirit and good cheer created a can-do culture among her classmates that resonated throughout our halls and classrooms. She made such a difference during her years as a student at UNT Dallas College of Law. I am so very pleased and proud that she is our first graduate to be hired as a faculty member.”

Before returning to the law school, Van Stean worked as a senior associate attorney at Kizzia Johnson PLLC, specializing in civil rights litigation, including excessive force cases, discrimination, and constitutional law, reinforcing her belief in the power of persuasive advocacy. Even while practicing, she remained involved in legal education by coaching UNT Dallas advocacy teams in competitions. When the faculty position opened, the opportunity felt natural—but stepping into it brought a wave of emotion.

“I was thrilled to be offered this position,” she said. “I fell in love with advocacy during my own time as a student. Of course, I was also a little nervous because I want to do my best to make my own wonderful former professors proud.”

Now, she teaches the same advocacy courses that once shaped her, trains students for national competitions and serves as faculty advisor for the Board of Advocates. She has also taken on the responsibility of expanding UNT Dallas College of Law’s presence on the national advocacy stage.

“I was fortunate enough to win our law school’s first national-level moot court trophy, competing with an exceptional partner and a phenomenal coach,” she said. “I am hoping to change the fact that remains our only national-level winning trophy.”

Advocacy, Van Stean believes, is about transformation. She has seen it firsthand—not just in her own trajectory but in the students she now mentors. “Observing students go from intimidated at the prospect of advocacy to chasing any occasion to gain more experience has been incredibly rewarding.”

Each year, when she welcomes a new class of competitors, she warns them that by the end of the season, she will cry after their last round. “That holds true each time because of the pride I feel knowing where each student started and how they grew.”

Winning is important. But for Van Stean, it’s about something bigger—the ability to stand in front of a judge, argue with conviction and hold ground in a courtroom. “Watching the students grow into an unapologetic advocate, able to confidently and politely engage in legal discourse with judges and experienced lawyers, is a unique type of happiness for me.”

When asked what advice she would give to students following in her footsteps, she does not hesitate. “Find your passion! And finding your passion means taking chances,” she said. “At the end of the day, something that seems scary or difficult could be rewarding for just that reason.”

With her return to UNT Dallas College of Law, Van Stean is not just teaching advocacy—she is redefining it.