A ‘Mad Dog’ immortalized at Baylor Law School

Edd Hayes was a little worried when he was commissioned to create a statue of a lawyer nicknamed “Mad Dog.” Can you blame him?

But his rendering of R. Matt Dawson at the Sheila and Walter Umphrey Law Center certainly captures the “Mad Dog” spirit. As Baylor Law Dean Brad Toben said at the unveiling of the life-size statue on Tuesday, “if you faced Matt in Practice Court, you admire the sculpture … and are a little bit scared at the same time!”

After all, Dawson created the modern Practice Court program that now defines the Baylor Law experience. Former students joke that Mad Dog’s bark was bad, his bite was worse — and the training, priceless. This photo gallery full of smiling people at the statue unveiling shows that all is forgiven!

What’s more, a group of alums have stepped forward to begin the R. Matt Dawson Endowed Professorship in Trial Practice; they hope others will pitch in to honor this Baylor Law School legend.

Sic ’em, Mad Dog, and all the Baylor Law pups you molded into accomplished Baylor lawyers!