Returning the Gift of Eliminating Financial Barriers

William Moye '00

Growing up in a small Texas town - population under 8,000 - William Moye '00 had dreams of either being a doctor or a lawyer. Coming from a family of modest means and a community subject to the ups and downs of the gas and oil industry, however, he had little resources for making that a reality. That is until he obtained scholarships first to attend Marquette University and then Seton Hall Law.

"I had dreams once too and they came true," he says. "Now I look at it as my obligation to help others realize their dreams."

Toward that end, Moye, partner at Thompson Coe in Houston, has created a scholarship at Seton Hall Law to help other first-generation law students.

His first scholarship, says Moye, gave him "the opportunity to experience something besides east Texas," and the second scholarship offered him the chance "to see how another part of the country lives." Even more than that, Seton Hall Law provided him with the training to become a successful trial attorney, named among the Best Lawyers in America on its 2022 list.

To be a successful attorney, Moye says requires aggression, empathy; ambition, humility; judgment, and tolerance. Words that may seem to contradict one another, but he explains. "You have to be able to tell clients they are wrong, and that is where the confidence takes place. After you tell them that is when the empathy takes place."

While at Marquette, he initially was focused on becoming a doctor. He came to realize, however, that his abilities and interests were better suited for a career in law. He decided to attend Seton Hall Law "sight, unseen" because of the scholarship. As a young man from a small Texas town with everything he owned in a small travel bag, he suspected he might feel out of his element. But that is not what he found.

"It was fabulous. At Seton Hall Law, you have a diverse community of people from all walks of life, and I felt welcomed as someone who could bring some uniqueness."

Along with a welcoming environment, Seton Hall Law taught him how to succeed as a lawyer. "Seton Hall's strength is its focus on making good lawyers rather than just good law students. I was not a good law student, but I learned how to be a good lawyer."

He adds, "I went to Seton Hall Law because someone funded a scholarship for me. I get to do what I love because I was given the skills set to do it and do it well. Now it's my turn to give the opportunity to those who believe they can't reach for their dreams because of financial barriers."