Kathryn McCauley: Fighting for UNT students' rights

	Kathryn McCauley, student legal advisor, uses the court system to help UNT students protect their rights.

Kathryn McCauley is a very busy woman. McCauley is a fully licensed attorney and the full-time student legal advisor at UNT. She counsels numerous students every day and has a month-long waiting list of appointments.

"I mostly deal with landlord/tenant problems, consumer law cases or car towing issues," she says. "If students have been unfairly towed or haven't been rightfully paid by an employer, they come to our office for help."

Born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., McCauley found her calling while attending a class at St. John's University of New York.

"I took a constitutional law class and just became really enthralled with it," she says.

Following her dream, she applied to a number of law schools in the early '90s.

"I applied to Boston, Fordham, Case Western, SMU and a few others," says McCauley. After the acceptance letters came in, she decided on SMU. "I wanted to go somewhere really new — start a whole new period in my life."

When she came down to Texas, McCauley decided to live outside of Dallas.

"When I first moved from New York [to Texas], I decided to live in Plano," she says. "It was so secluded. I thought I was way out in the country — there's been so much change since then."

While she attended law school, McCauley served as business editor for the SMU Law Review.

"It's basically a lot of editing. We had to learn about different cases and the rigid way to document them," she says.

McCauley received her law degree in 1993 and has held her position in UNT Student Legal Services since September 2000.

"In private practice, attorneys don't see their clients very often," she says. "With my job, I get to see a lot of different people every day. That makes it more interesting."

Since she began working at the university, McCauley has been a part of many high-profile cases, including current litigation involving a Denton towing company accused of mischarging UNT students.

In addition to her work in Student Legal Services, she's teaching a psychology class.

"I'm teaching PSYC 1000. It's a basic psychology course, but it's been a lot of fun. I enjoy the interaction with students," she says. She hopes she can teach law classes in the near future.

Away from the university, McCauley is just as busy. She is part of the Texas Outdoor Women's Network, a group organized by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Recently, she traveled with the group to Costa Rica, where she kayaked in tropical waters.

As for the load of work that seems to constantly be in front of McCauley, there is hope.

"We just hired a second attorney, who will come into the office two days a week and help out," she says.

Despite the pressure, McCauley and her expanding office will continue to defend UNT students.

BY PETER HOFSTAD paiswri2@unt.edu

Other featured articles in this issue:

• Multimillion-dollar bequest creates new behavior analysis research program at UNT
• UNT reaches all-time enrollment high for Fall 2003
• Legislative actions advance UNT Dallas project
• UNT celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month
• Poet and essayist to speak at UNT Sept. 25
• Staff Council elects officers for 2003-04 year
• Families to share in Mean Green spirit Sept. 26-28
• Music industry supports musicians' health initiatives
• Interpretational change to holiday pay entitlement

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