Texas Lawyer's No. 1 top story of 2019 explained how Haley Taylor Schlitz, 16, planned to enroll at Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law in the fall of 2019. (Courtesy photo)

Stories of a 16-year-old girl attending law school, an attorney charged in a marriage fraud sting, and counsel who slapped another lawyer before a deposition got top billing among avid legal news readers this year.

Other articles about misbehaving judges, a jurist making a political statement, affordable law schools, interesting law students and attorneys charged with crimes also received top readership on Texas Lawyer in 2019.

In case you missed it, here's a look at the most popular articles on our website during the past 12 months.

No. 10

Brennan's of Houston. (Photo: Flickr Creative Commons/Ed Schipul)

Big Law Partner Seeks $20M from Houston Restaurant After Alleged Rape

A partner in the Houston office of a large international firm in February filed a $20 million lawsuit against Brennan's of Houston, alleging her career was damaged after she was raped by a Brennan's bartender in 2015 who "slipped a drug" into her drink and overserved her alcohol. The Jane Doe plaintiff told Texas Lawyer that she had to take leave from her firm in the summer of 2018 because of nightmares and insomnia from the rape.

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No. 9

402nd District Judge Jeffrey Fletcher of Wood County. (Courtesy photo)

Sanction: Texas Judge Interfered in Cases to Help His Ex-Court Coordinator, Who's Now District Clerk

In a series of investigative stories, Texas Lawyer discovered that 402nd District Judge Jeffrey Fletcher of Wood County had been sanctioned for judicial misconduct for interfering in another judge's court in two cases involving Fletcher's then-court coordinator's family members. In a probate matter, Fletcher tried to get the other judge to expedite a hearing. In a criminal case, Fletcher wanted the case transferred to his own court.

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No. 8

(Photo: Tawan Jz/Shutterstock.com)

Texas Law Schools Ranked by Affordability

Back in 2018, Texas Lawyers crunched numbers to analyze the affordability of Texas law schools. We explained the calculations applicants must make to get the most bang for their buck. We then provided readers with each school's graduate debt load, tuition and living costs, bar passage and employment rates, so they could pick and choose affordable schools.

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No. 7

Atticus Finch, a student at University of Texas School of Law in Austin. (Courtesy photo)

Yes, Its True. Atticus Finch Is a First-Year at the University of Texas School of Law

When he was only 8 years old, his parents gave permission for Angus Finch to change his name legally to Atticus Finch. That moniker from Harper Lee's bestseller, "To Kill a Mockingbird," set the youngster up for becoming a first-year student at the University of Texas School of Law. The fictional Atticus Finch inspired him, and it also helped that both of Finch's parents were lawyers.

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No. 6

Elsa Alcala, former judge of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. (Courtesy photo)

Former Texas Judge Denounces Trump for Racism, Leaves Republican Party

Elsa Alcala, a former judge of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, denounced President Donald Trump for racism, and announced she was leaving the Republican Party. Her announcement came in the wake of Trump's tweets that said a group of Democratic lawmakers, all women of color, should go back to the countries from which they came.

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No. 5

(Photo: sfam_photo/Shutterstock.com)

My Wife Is Dying: Lawyer's Complaint Claims Judge Demanded Court Appearance

Waco solo practitioner Doug Froneberger filed a judicial conduct complaint against Bell County Justice of the Peace Pct. 4, Place 1 Judge Daryl Peters for demanded his appearance in court on an agreed motion to continue a trial in a creditor-debtor case. At the time, Froneberger had told the judge he couldn't come because he was in the hospital with his wife, who has terminal cancer. Froneberger later told Texas Lawyer that the Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct dismissed his complaint against Peters.

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No. 4

Judge Tammy Kemp gives Amber Guyger her personal Bible and a hug. (Photo: YouTube)

Ethics Complaint Filed Against Judge Who Gave Bible to Amber Guyger After Murder Trial In October, 204th District Judge Tammy Kemp of Dallas was hit with a judicial misconduct complaint over a religious gesture in a murder trial that gripped the nation. Former Dallas Police Officer Amber Guyger had been convicted and sentenced for murdering her neighbor, Botham Jean. After a touching victim impact statement by Jean's brother, the judge came down from the bench, embraced Guyger, gave her a copy of the Bible and said God could forgive her.

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No. 3

Screenshot of YouTube video of Ronald "Ronny" Krist slapping plaintiff's attorney Greg Enos. (Photo: YouTube)

Houston Lawyer Ronny Krist Charged for Slapping Plaintiffs Attorney Before Deposition

Houston litigator Ronny Krist was being sued over attorney fees by a former client's daughter, and he was attending the plaintiff's deposition with his attorneys. He confronted plaintiffs lawyer Greg Enos about allegedly being disrespectful to him, and then Krist slapped Enos across the face—which was caught on security cameras. Krist was charged with misdemeanor assault for the slap.

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No. 2

(Photo: Leon Rafael/Shutterstock)

Houston Immigration Lawyer Charged in Massive Marriage Fraud Sting

In May, Trang Le Nguyen, managing partner in Pham & Nguyen Law Group in Houston, was arrested in a massive marriage fraud sting in which the feds alleged that nearly 100 defendants participated in a scheme to arrange fake marriages between U.S. citizens and Vietnamese immigrants, for the sole purpose of skirting federal immigration law. Le Nguyen pleaded not guilty to four charges.

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No. 1

SMU Dedman School of Law. (Courtesy photo)

Forget Prom. This 16-Year-Old Is Headed to Law School

While other teens dreamed of summer camp or hanging with their pals over summer break, Dallas 16-year-old Haley Taylor Schlitz was preparing to start law school. Having graduated both high school and college early, Schlitz was accepted into all five law schools to which she applied. She picked Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law partly so she could keep living with her parents.