HOUSTON, July 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Houston Law Center has appointed Joshua Lake as the director of its Criminal Justice Clinic and professor of practice, effective July 1, 2025. Lake brings more than a decade of experience in criminal justice and legal defense to the clinic.

His appointment to the clinic is funded by a gift from the BeyGOOD Foundation, a charity funded by singer Beyoncé Knowles-Carter. The endowment will also go towards the enhancement of the clinic's community outreach efforts that educate and assist the underserved communities neighboring the University.

Knowles-Carter, a native Houstonian, originally started the public charity in 2013 to support organizations serving under-resourced communities. The foundation helps institutions transform their neighborhoods into places of well-being, economic prosperity, generosity, and justice.

"This very generous grant empowers the Law Center to provide superior legal services to members of our community who may need those services because they are unjustly charged with a crime or wrongly convicted," said UH Law Dean Leonard M. Baynes. "The grant enabled the Law Center to hire Joshua Lake, a very talented lawyer, who will work to seek justice for his clients as well as teach the students how to be successful advocates when they graduate." 

Baynes added that UHLC's Criminal Justice Clinic ties in with the University's strategic plan. "The University of Houston's strategic plan emphasizes social responsibility as a key goal.  To that end, we pledge 'to serve as an exemplar for community engagement,' and strengthen our partnership with the historic Third Ward and the City of Houston," he shared. "I find the University and the Law Center's missions are on the same plane as BeyGOOD's mission — to create a society where everyone has an opportunity to prosper."

The Criminal Justice Clinic is one of nine in-house clinics at UHLC. Students obtain real-world experience by working on cases such as assaults, thefts, driving while intoxicated and drug possession. The clinic format is designed to allow students to explore the intersection of criminal laws and social issues while receiving one-on-one supervision.

Lake has spent his career focused on criminal defense at both the state and federal levels. He most recently served as a white-collar and appellate attorney at Khalil & Lake, a Houston-based law firm that handled government and corporate investigations, federal trials and appeals, and criminal law matters. Before that, Lake was a federal public defender, where he represented over 300 clients in federal prosecutions.

Throughout his career, Lake has appeared in court hundreds of times and served as the lead counsel in numerous cases. He has also argued multiple cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, where he has secured dismissal of one federal criminal case and persuaded the court to vacate convictions in other cases.

Previously, Lake served as a training director for the Federal Public Defender's Office, where he planned and organized 26 presentations on the Criminal Justice Act to the Southern District of Texas. He has also created many continuing legal education (CLE) presentations and has authored various motions and briefs in federal court.  Prior to that, Lake served as a state public defender in Colorado for more than two years.

Lake holds a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center, where he served on the Georgetown Journal of Law and Public Policy, and a B.A. in Philosophy from Texas A&M University.

"Joshua Lake brings extensive experience, insight and passion to the position and I am excited to see how the Criminal Justice Clinic grows under his leadership," said J. Anna Cabot, assistant dean of clinical programs at UHLC.  "This will further our joint mission to nurture the next generation of criminal justice attorneys with practical, real-world experience and to serve our community."

If you are interested in interviewing Director Lake, please contact Carrie Anna Criado, UH Law Center Assistant Dean of Communications and Marketing, 713-743-2184, cacriado@central.uh.edu or Rashda Khan, Communications Director, 325-656-2824, rkhan20@uh.edu. 

About the University of Houston Law Center

The University of Houston Law Center (UHLC) is a dynamic, top-tier law school located in the nation's 4th largest city. UHLC's Health Law and Part-time programs rank in the U.S. News Top 10. It awards Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) and Master of Laws (LL.M.) degrees, through its academic branch, the College of Law. The Law Center is more than just a law school. It is a powerful hub of intellectual activity with more than 12 centers and institutes that fuel its educational mission and national reputation. UHLC is fully accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools.

About the University of Houston

The University of Houston is a Carnegie-designated Tier One public research university recognized with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter for excellence in undergraduate education. UH serves the globally competitive Houston and Gulf Coast Region by providing world-class faculty, experiential learning and strategic industry partnerships. Located in the nation's fourth-largest city and one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse regions in the country, UH is a federally designated Hispanic- and Asian American-Serving institution with an enrollment of more than 47,000 students.

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SOURCE University of Houston Law Center