A dream fulfilled
by Catherine Deyarmond
When she was in elementary school in Beaumont, Texas, Jordyn Roberts remembers the class goldfish dying. In an effort to turn the fish’s passing into an educational lesson, her teacher decided to hold a mock trial about its untimely demise.
Roberts quickly volunteered to serve as the prosecuting attorney in the pretend murder trial. She recalled being the only student who took the proceedings seriously.
“After the mock trial was over, my teacher pulled me aside and told me I was so good that I should think about being a lawyer,” Roberts recalled. “With her stamp of approval, I decided that being an attorney was what I would do with my life.”
Throughout high school, she considered other career paths but always came back to her dream of pursuing a legal career, she said. As an undergraduate student at the University of Houston, Roberts decided to head straight to law school after graduation.
“In my last semester of my undergraduate studies, I went home for spring break in 2020 and never went back,” she said. “The pandemic changed my plans about starting law school that fall. I decided to hit pause.”
The pause lasted three years.
“That time allowed me the opportunity to reevaluate what I really wanted,” Roberts said. “Looking back, it was the best decision to take that time off. I was able to mature a bit and really understand myself. I don’t think I would have done as well in law school if I had started earlier.”
When researching law schools in Texas, Roberts found the St. Mary’s University School of Law website.
“I read the mission statement, and I found myself resonating with the Marianist value of serving others,” she said.
Growing up with parents who believe in the Golden Rule of “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” — her father recently retired as a firefighter, and her mother works as a nurse — Roberts said service is a foundation of her life.
“Everything at St. Mary’s Law aligned with my values,” she said. “There is something very unique about the St. Mary’s community and how tight-knit it is.”
Roberts graduates on Saturday, May 16, with more than 220 fellow classmates earning their Doctor of Jurisprudence during the Spring 2026 Law Commencement on campus.
She believes being at St. Mary’s Law gave her opportunities outside of the classroom that she may not have found elsewhere. Roberts serves as president of the Hattie Ruth Briscoe Legal Society (Black Law Students Association) and vice president of the Student Bar Association.
“When I was a first-year J.D. student living in a new city, I felt it was important to establish a good group of friends. That is what really drove my early involvement in student organizations,” she said. “I wanted to find mentors and be a mentor myself. Plus, being a student leader helped me pay it forward and pay it back.”
“Everything at St. Mary’s Law aligned with my values. There is something very unique about the St. Mary’s community and how tight-knit it is.”
— Jordyn Roberts, J.D Class of 2026
Another highlight of her legal education has been participating as a member and, most recently, as co-captain of the St. Mary’s Law Trial Team. Earlier this spring, the team competed in the 16th Budapest Pre-Moot in Hungary, before heading on to the 33rd Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot in Vienna.
Jena Martin, J.D., LL.M., Professor of Law and Katherine A. Ryan Chair for Global, Comparative and International Law, said Roberts has been active in student organizations, student mentorship, recruitment events and advocacy competition as well as her legal studies.
“I had the privilege of working with Ms. Roberts when she served as my research assistant,” Martin said. “She was always responsive and showed a genuine interest in the topics at hand. Despite a grueling schedule, Ms. Roberts managed to show up each week and perform her work with grace.”
Roberts is looking forward to using her legal education after graduation at Guerra LLP Trial Attorneys in San Antonio.
“After passing the bar exam, I am excited to start there as an associate with their appellate attorneys,” she said. “I’ve learned that I enjoy writing and researching to support appellate work.”
Roberts said her upcoming graduation has the feeling of coming full circle.
“Being a lawyer is something that I have wanted since I was a kid,” she said. “When my elementary teacher told me she could see me becoming a lawyer, I saw it too. St. Mary’s was the right place to fulfill my dream.”
