Subject: Judge Joe Spurlock II '60, professor of law, director of the Asian Judicial Institute.
Education: LL.M. Judicial Process, University of Virginia Law School (1992); J.D., University of Texas School of Law (1962); B.A. Economics, Texas A&M University (1960).
Research Interests: Discovering how government systems based on diverse political, cultural and religious ideologies interpret the rule of law.

What is the hallmark of the Asian Judicial Institute?

"We assist countries transitioning from communism or socialism toward a democratic system of justice. Under my direction, and with the involvement of law students and other faculty, the institute was instrumental in helping reform the judicial system in Mongolia beginning in 1999. The institute started when I had a rare opportunity to meet the first president of Mongolia to be elected by popular vote, Punsalmaagiin Ochirbat, in Houston. Since then, we’ve consulted for Mongolian, Chinese and Russian officials, at home and abroad, on judicial transformation."

Why is the U.S. judiciary a model system for the world?

"In many countries, particularly emerging democracies, the judiciary system is missing an adversarial component. All human beings are searching for truth, but the methodology we use to discover that truth is fundamental. In our system, the opposing parties present evidence to a court, which allows a judge or jury to determine the truth about a conflict. It’s adversarial by nature. Other countries, such as Mongolia, still struggle with this concept. It is common belief that judges and prosecutors work as a team for the government’s purpose. It’s not a genuine search for truth. Democracy does not work well without an independent judiciary in an adversarial system."    

How do you define democracy?

"Democracy is the freedom to participate in society’s decision-making under the rule of law, which should guarantee basic human rights. One of those is freedom of religion; that is, to believe in any deity or none. Whether it’s Catholicism, Hinduism, Judaism or Islam, a country ruled by a theism of any kind can’t have democracy. If you don’t have the essential, basic freedom to choose whether you believe in any deity or not, or how and where you worship that deity, true democracy does not exist. That choice must also be governed by a constitution. It takes hard work to create and maintain a democracy."

What is your teaching passion?

"Family law and contracts. I’m intrigued by how people interpret contracts, and I often remind my students that we’re not like Mr. Spock or his fellow Vulcans: We’ve not invented a mind meld, so we’re stuck with the imperfections of words and language. Rarely is one party 100 percent right or wrong in a family law or contracts case. Texas A&M offers 11 hours of family law; I teach eight hours of those courses and love every minute." 

Why are you still teaching?

"Because I love the law. Truly, I get a kick out of it. I will be 78 by the time this is in print, which means I was in my 50s before most of my students were born. So when I talk to them about Vietnam, it’s like someone talking to me about the Spanish-American War when I was their age. But they must understand American history—where we come from and where we’re going. History is not dead. It’s being replicated as we go along. Teaching the law from a historical perspective adds great value to their education."