The Law School Preparation Institute team is young, dynamic, and made up of extremely capable people. Our faculty and staff are committed, possess outstanding credentials, and work very hard to help our students achieve their goals. Feel free to contact the LSPI staff and faculty through our main office at 915.747.8866 or our Central Email
William G. Weaver, J.D., Ph.D. – Co-Founder and Director
Bill Weaver served in U.S. Army signals intelligence for eight years in Berlin and Augsburg, Germany. He subsequently received his law degree and Ph.D. in politics from the University of Virginia, where he was on the editorial board of the Virginia Law Review. He is presently Director of the Law School Preparation Institute and Deputy Director of the Institute for Policy and Economic Development. Professor Weaver teaches the torts session during Phase I of the Institute and the applications process during Phase II.
Professor Weaver’s research focuses on executive branch secrecy policy, governmental abuse, and law and bureaucracy. His articles have appeared in American Political Science Review, Political Science Quarterly, Virginia Law Review, Presidential Studies Quarterly, Journal of Business Ethics, Organization and other journals. He has co-authored several books on law and political theory, including Presidential Secrecy and the Law (with Robert Pallitto) (Johns Hopkins U.P., 2007).
Curriculum Vita
108F Miners Hall - wweaver@utep.edu - 915.747.8867
Charles Gaunce, J.D., M.L.I.S. – Library and Legal Research Instruction
Charles Gaunce provides legal research instruction to the LSPI and the Law Camp students, with attention to incorporating their research into their writing.
While Mr. Gaunce was born in Columbus, Ohio, he was primarily raised in Williston, North Dakota and received his Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in Geography and Political Science from the University of Minnesota. He then earned a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from the University of Tulsa. After working for many years, he returned to higher education by earning a Master of Library and Information Studies degree from the University of Oklahoma.
Mr. Gaunce has practiced law with a number of employers over the years. His first job after law school was with the Silvey Insurance Companies in Tulsa Oklahoma. He then went to work for Judges Fred Daugherty and H. Dale Cook as the sole law clerk for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma in Muskogee, Oklahoma. He was then employed by Judge Ralph G. Thompson as a law clerk for the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, a position he occupied for 5 years. Mr. Gaunce then worked as a litigator for the firm of Stipe, Gossett, Stipe, Harper, Estes, McCune and Parks in Oklahoma City for five years before establishing his own practice as a sole practitioner in Norman, Oklahoma, where he worked for over 11 years handling a variety of cases ranging from divorce to environmental condemnation. He has been employed by the University for over 5 years as a reference librarian specializing in the maintenance of the legal collection and teaching legal research.
Curriculum Vita
214 Library - cgaunce@utep.edu - 915.747.8939
Lisa Soto Hernandez, J.D. – Writing and Statements Instructor
Lisa Soto Hernandez teams up with Carlos Salinas to teach the persuasive legal writing component of the writing classes for both phases of the LSPI in the summer undergraduate program. She also guides students in the law school application process, primarily focusing on the development of personal statements and other writing samples.
Ms. Soto Hernandez was born and raised in El Paso. First attending public schools and ultimately graduating from Loretto Academy, she went on to obtain her Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Policy with Honors in Education from Stanford University. She then earned a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from the University of Texas School of Law, where she was on the editorial board of the Hispanic Law Journal and a summer intern for the Honorable Raul A. Gonzalez of the Texas Supreme Court, the first statewide elected Mexican American. Ms. Soto Hernandez was an active student recruiter at Stanford and at UT Law, where she served as the minority student recruitment chairperson. She continued to recruit for UT Law and serve as a mentor to law school-bound college students in California for years after graduating from law school.
Ms. Soto Hernandez has practiced employment law since 1997. First, she practiced in Austin, primarily representing public employees, then in the San Francisco bay area primarily representing public school and college districts in a wide array of matters and fora. She represented several school districts in collective bargaining negotiations and is a CTA-certified Interest-Based Bargaining negotiations trainer. Ms. Soto Hernandez also provided continual employee and board member training regarding topics such as open meeting laws, sexual harassment, employment discrimination, and employee discipline. She also presented several continuing legal education seminars for other attorneys in California and was active in the leadership of the California La Raza Lawyers Association. She returned to El Paso in late 2005 and continues to practice employment law with a firm based in Austin.
Curriculum Vita
107 Miners Hall - lisasotohernanzed@utep.edu - 915.747.8581
Brent McCune, J.D. – Principle Prelaw Advisor and Internship & Clerkship Manager
Brent McCune is the principal prelaw advisor for the LSPI, manager of the summer high school camp, and manages the LSPI internship and clerkship programs. He also serves as a primary point of connection to the El Paso legal community and engages in grant writing for the LSPI.
Mr. McCune earned a Bachelor of Science degree in economics from the University of Utah. He then obtained a Master of Science degree in economics from the University of Texas at El Paso. Mr. McCune was a James Foundation Scholar and received the 2004 Outstanding Thesis Award for his thesis entitled: Comparative Analysis of Regional Economic Modeling. He then received a law degree, graduating with honors from the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah.
Curriculum Vita
108C Miners Hall - bgmccune@utep.edu - 915.747.8842
Carlos Salinas, Ph.D. – Writing Instructor
Carlos Salinas was born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He received his B. A. in History and Philosophy from Grand Valley State University in 1991, his M. A. in American Studies at Notre Dame in 1994, and his Ph. D. in English (Rhetoric and Composition, with emphases in Technical & Professional Communication and Cultural Studies) from Purdue University in December 2000. He spent 2000-2005 as Assistant Professor in the Communication Dept. at the University of Texas-San Antonio, teaching Rhetorical and Technical Communication courses. In the fall of 2006, he began teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in Rhetoric, Computers 7 Writing, and Technical Writing here at UTEP. His current research interests focus on Visual Rhetoric, Online Instruction and Multimedia Studies (he’s revising a manuscript on Visual Rhetoric). He is currently interested in the many ways that the global marketplace influences technical communication practices and pedagogies. This past summer he was a visiting scholar at the Educational Testing Service, and consulted part-time with Scientists and Engineers in Juarez. He lives with his wife, Jayme, and 2 young sons (Matthew & Alex), His other interests include hiking, chess, and fishing.
Curriculum Vita
118 Hudspeth Hall - cdsalinas@utep.edu - 915.747.6257
Rachel Serrano – Administrative Assistant
Ms. Serrano makes the LSPI work. She handles everything from student and clerkship appointments to arranging for travel to purchasing the necessities to keeping track of the LSPI budget. She is usually the first point of contact for people communicating with the LSPI.
108 Miners Hall - rserrano5@utep.edu - 915.747.8866
Felix Valenzuela, J.D., ABD – LSAT Instructor and Prelaw Advisor
Felix Valenzuela was born and raised in El Paso. He graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso, cum laude, and the Law School Preparation Institute. He received his law degree from Yale University, where he was an editor for the Yale Journal of Law and the Humanities. Mr. Valenzuela is now completing a doctorate in Political Science at the University of Notre Dame. He is an expert in teaching students how to prepare for the Law School Admissions Test, and he teaches the morning sessions in both summer phases of the LSPI.
Curriculum Vita
