Professor Michael F. Barry
Michael F. Barry is the 11th president and dean of Houston’s oldest law school, South Texas College of Law Houston.
For more than two decades, he has provided confident leadership, innovative strategies, actionable recommendations, and practical management to Fortune 200 clients, in higher education, and in community service.
Barry joined South Texas in fall 2019 after serving as assistant dean and practitioner in residence at St. Mary’s University School of Law in San Antonio, Texas. Among his responsibilities were developing new programs; increasing outreach to partners, donors, employers, and alumni; supporting and fundraising for initiatives that benefited St. Mary’s University and its students and alumni; managing law school operations to support faculty and student needs; and developing and teaching courses and extracurricular programs. Bringing business acumen, budgeting, change management, and leadership skills from his years in legal practice and in business, Barry initially designed St. Mary’s University School of Law’s comprehensive Law Success academic support program, became a leader in using data to support student success, and directed operations and budget for the School of Law. An engaged teacher, Barry excels at bringing real-world experiences into the legal classroom.
Impact
This Award is being established to honor the Donor’s father, CAPT Kevin J. Barry, USCG.
CAPT Barry graduated from William & Mary Law School in 1975 while a member of the United
States Coast Guard. He fulfilled many roles in the Coast Guard, including operations officer,
navigator, trial and defense counsel, staff judge advocate, and trial and appellate judge. An
ardent advocate for military justice reform, Captain Barry was a co-founder of the National
Institute for Military Justice; served tirelessly in leadership roles in the American Bar
Association, the Judge Advocates Association, and the Federal Bar Association; and was a
prolific speaker and writer on military justice issues.
Throughout his career and his life, CAPT Barry was an advocate for the voiceless – one who
would ceaselessly fight to ensure that justice was achieved. He also demonstrated care and
concern for those in need, quietly assisting others in a way that allowed them to maintain their
dignity. And he remained a lifelong learner, working diligently to improve himself and those
around him.