| UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
JAMES E. ROGERS COLLEGE OF LAW |
AUGUST 12, 2026 | | | |
Greetings,
Next week we move into a new academic year.
As we head into the next season, we will feel the absence of Professor Thomas Mauet, who died recently. As you read the tribute below and see the pictures from over the years, no doubt many of you will recall your own fond memories of Tom.
And before we meet a new class that will soon be making its own indelible mark on the College of Law, we recognize two more members of the Class of 2026: Lucas Miller and Diana Paola Vega German.
| | Remembering Professor Tom Mauet, Valued Mentor and Friend and Leader in Trial Advocacy Education | | |
We were deeply saddened to learn of the death of Milton O. Riepe Professor Emeritus Thomas Mauet on July 28, 2026, at age 81.
Tom was not just a valued member of our faculty since 1980, he was a friend and mentor to many in our community.
Born on January 8, 1945, in Rendsburg, Germany, Tom immigrated to the United States with his family in 1950. He grew up in Ballston Lake, New York, where he attended the Albany Academy and excelled in academics and lettered in wrestling and tennis. He studied history and government at Dartmouth College before earning a law degree from Northwestern University.
Following law school, Tom spent a decade in Chicago as a litigator and prosecutor with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. While practicing law, Tom concluded that law schools did too little to prepare students for the realities of the courtroom.
He began teaching trial advocacy at Chicago law schools, teaching continuing legal education programs for the National Institute for Trial Advocacy and writing the practical textbook he wished he’d had as a student. Published in 1980, “Fundamentals of Trial Techniques” quickly became the leading text in the field. Rather than treating advocacy as abstract theory, it broke litigation into hands-on skills that students could practice. Over his career, he authored seven influential litigation textbooks, which transformed the teaching of trial advocacy by combining legal theory with useful courtroom skills.
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Also in 1980, Tom joined the Arizona Law faculty, where he led its trial advocacy program to national recognition. His classes were rigorous, pragmatic and filled with humor, and he won several teaching awards. Tom remained a beloved professor at Arizona Law for over 40 years, until his retirement in 2023.
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Tom’s sense of humor and rapport with his students was evident in his classroom and in the halls of the College of Law, such as when students dressed in his signature blue shirt and khaki pants for Halloween.
“Professor Tom Mauet was a legend,” said Professor Barbara Bergman, who succeeded Tom in the role of Director of Advocacy when he retired from full-time teaching in 2016. “This is an immeasurable loss to the legal profession. He taught evidence and trial practice to generations of law students and lawyers here at the University of Arizona. His books and materials are the gold standard for law students throughout the country. On a more personal level, Tom was a mentor and always a wealth of wisdom when it came to teaching trial advocacy. Tom was a dear friend. I will miss him.”
In recognition of his lasting impact on legal education, Arizona Law renamed the trial advocacy program he created and led the Thomas Mauet Advocacy Program. During the 2024 ribbon-cutting ceremony for the “A New Day in Court” student courtroom/classroom modernization initiative, including the renaming of the advocacy program, Tom remarked that, “the best thing that ever happened to me was I came to Arizona, and I met lawyers who were willing to devote their time to make the trial advocacy program something special. I’ve not seen that elsewhere, so kudos to all of you: The graduates and supporters of the law school who made this a special place for me. For forty-three years I couldn’t have had a better time.”
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Tom is survived by his beloved wife, Gloria Torres Mauet and his daughters, Sarah Mauet (Chris Richards) of Tucson and Jennifer Mauet Raczkowski (Mark) of Phoenix. Both Sarah and Jennifer followed in their father’s footsteps: Jennifer as an attorney and Sarah to the Arizona Law faculty as a Professor of Practice and UX4Justice Director at Innovation for Justice. He also is survived by his grandchildren, Nathan and Layla Raczkowski; his sister, Anette Mauet-Oberle (Carl Friedrich) of Tübingen, Germany; a nephew and nieces, Ferdinand Oberle, Clara Oberle and Anna Oberle-Brill; and extended family.
Tom’s influence extends far beyond the books he wrote and the awards he received. It lives on in the generations of lawyers and judges whose lives and careers were enriched by his teaching and mentorship. Friends and former students are welcome to visit www.thomasamauet.com, where they can share memories and learn more about a memorial service to be scheduled for a later date. We know many of you will also want to honor Tom and all that he meant to Arizona Law, and we will share more as plans take shape.
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| Class of 2026: JD Grad Lucas Muller on Problem Solving (Without Math) and Embracing New Perspectives | | | | |
Name: Lucas E. Muller
Degree: Juris Doctor
Hometown: Independence, Oregon
Undergraduate: Pacific University
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What inspired you to pursue a law degree?
Problem solving. Since childhood, I have been fascinated with solving problems and puzzles. I originally thought that would take me down an engineering path, but I hit a major roadblock: math. Now, I am here with a chance to solve the legal issues lawyers face every day!
Which class, professor or experience most changed the way you think, not just about the law, but about life?
This is like asking me to pick between children. If I had to choose one, it would be Arizona Law Review. As Editor-in-Chief, I was responsible for overseeing the selection of Articles to publish. This exposed me to hundreds of papers, all written about novel topics from novel views. I was able to sit down and chew on these pieces, which exposed me to new perspectives that I would not have otherwise experienced.
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What area of the law are you most interested in practicing, and why?
I am going into appellate litigation and hope to do some administrative and political work as well. Besides loving the legal deep dives this work entails, I also look forward to the chance to make a difference and uphold the rule of law.
What are your plans after graduation?
Immediately after graduation, I will be clerking for Judge Roopali Desai (’05) of the Ninth Circuit (an inspiring alumna of this law school). And then I will be joining Perkins Coie’s Phoenix office in the litigation department.
This Q&A has been edited for length. Read more here.
| | Class of 2026: JD Grad Diana Paola Vega German on the Arizona Law Community and Helping the Vulnerable | | | | |
Name: Diana Paola Vega German
Degree: Juris Doctor
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona (born in Cumpas, Sonora, Mexico)
Undergraduate: University of Arizona
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Why did you choose Arizona Law?
As an immigrant born in Sonora and raised in Sonora and Tucson, it is important to me to stay close to my roots and help those in my community. The University of Arizona is home. Arizona Law is home.
I always believed I could accomplish whatever I set out to do. I needed a law school that would also encourage and support that outlook. Arizona Law has been amazing, offering me great opportunities through certificate programs, clinics and organizations that have allowed me to pursue my passions and interests. The variety of things I can do, study and learn is a great asset. More than that, Arizona Law understands that a well-rounded attorney requires experience in the classroom, in court, in networking situations and in dealing with issues we may not like or feel comfortable with.
Which class, professor or experience most changed the way you think, not just about the law, but about life?
Professors Judge Chuck Harrington, Sylvia Lett, Eunice Lee, Bryan Schwartz, Lynn Marcus, Shefali Milczarek-Desai and Diana Newmark, to name a few, have added to my growth and to whom I want to be as an advocate. I not only learned trial, writing and client-attorney advocacy skills, but also how each interacts with students, colleagues, peers, attorneys and clients.
I have also received personal and professional nurturing from administrators like Ruben Fierros and Chris Gast. The support and dedication they both bring to the law school and the student population are admirable and appreciated.
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There are extremely interesting intersections among them, and each area of the law has vulnerable clients who need the help and advocacy of someone who hears, understands and supports them.
What are your plans after graduation?
As I have already passed the bar exam, after graduation I plan to work as an associate attorney in Tucson.
This Q&A has been edited for length. Read more here.
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Do You Have News?
Your success is the college’s success and we want to celebrate with you! If you have landed a new job, received an award or recognition, stepped into a leadership role or have good news in general, let us know.
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We remember Tom Mauet not only as an exceptional teacher, but more importantly as a person whose integrity and humanity leave a mark on our college.
And in celebrating some of our newest graduates, we see that the most meaningful measure of any educator’s impact is found in those who carry those lessons forward.
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