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David A. Grenardo

Professor and Associate Director, Holloran Center for Ethical Leadership in the Professions

  • Education

  • J.D., Duke University
    B.A., Rice University

  • Expertise
  • Legal Education, Legal Ethics & Professional Responsibility, Sports and Sports Law

David A. Grenardo is a professor of law and associate director of the Holloran Center for Ethical Leadership in the Professions. He joined St. Thomas Law in 2022. Grenardo was previously a professor at St. Mary's University School of Law (Texas) where he taught Professional Responsibility, Contracts, Sports Law, Business Associations, Civil Procedure, and International Sports Law.

Grenardo earned the prestigious Warren E. Burger Prize awarded by the American Inns of Court for his article, “Debunking the Major Myths Surrounding Mandatory Civility for Lawyers Plus Five Mandatory Civility Rules That Will Work.” He received the national award and made his acceptance speech at the Supreme Court of the United States on October 28, 2023.

He has presented on professionalism and ethics multiple times locally, statewide and nationally, including at the American Bar Association's Annual Meeting and the ABA's Annual National Conference on Professional Responsibility. Grenardo has also been quoted in the ABA Journal on the topic of civility. He practiced law in California and Texas for three large law firms - Jones Day, DLA Piper, and King & Spalding - for nearly a decade before joining the legal academy in 2011.

Grenardo represented clients in a wide variety of complex commercial litigation matters, including contract, tort and product liability cases. He dedicated a significant part of his practice to pro bono work, which included protecting the rights of, among others, domestic violence victims, the developmentally disabled and First Amendment litigants.

Grenardo has received numerous awards for his pro bono efforts, including the Frank J. Scurlock Award, awarded by the State Bar of Texas, the Harriet Buhai Center for Family Law Pro Bono Panel Volunteer of the Year, the Wiley W. Manuel Award bestowed by the State Bar of California, the San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program Distinguished Service Award, and Texas Civil Rights Project Pro Bono Champion.

Grenardo's scholarship focuses on professional responsibility, sports law, legal pedagogy, and the practice of law. He has published or forthcoming articles in the Harvard Journal of Sports & Entertainment Law, the Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics, Pepperdine Law Review, Brooklyn Law Review, Oregon Law Review, the Berkeley Journal of Entertainment & Sports Law, the Journal of Catholic Legal Studies, and the University of North Carolina School of Law's First Amendment Law Review, among others.

Grenardo has been quoted in multiple articles on sports law, including by the New York Times, ESPN and Boston Globe, and he has spoken on the radio multiple times in the area of sports law, including an appearance on Knowledge@Wharton Business Radio on Sirius XM. His op-eds on sports (as they relate to business and society) have appeared in, among other publications, Fortune Magazine (solicited), AP News, Yahoo! Finance, Houston Chronicle, and the San Antonio Express-News.

St. Mary's University School of Law's Phi Delta Phi chapter (which consists of students in the top 20 percent of their class) honored Grenardo as the Faculty Member of the Year in 2017, and he was also selected as the Professor of the Year by the Student Bar Association at St. Mary's Law School in 2014. He was also selected as the recipient for the law school of the 2022 Distinguished Faculty Award bestowed by the St. Mary's Alumni Association. He earned his B.A. from Rice University where he played football and was a four-year letterman. He earned his J.D. from Duke University School of Law.

Selected Articles in a Periodical

Selected Media Highlights

Selected Presentations

Professor Grenardo has given over 90 presentations. Listed below are some of his most notable presentations:

  • Speaker, “Mandating Civility—Yes or No?”, American Inns of Court 2021 National Conversation on Civility, October 21, 2021 (virtual) (solicited)
  • Speaker, “The Phantom Menace to Professional Identity Formation and Law Success: Imposter Syndrome,” Professional Identity Formation and Bias in Legal Education, AALS Balance Section Professional Identity, October 15, 2021 (virtual)
  • Panelist, “Effective Advocate or Just a Jerk? The Ongoing Discussion of Lawyer Incivility,” American Bar Association's 46th Annual National Conference on Professional Responsibility, June 2, 2021 (virtual) (solicited)
  • Panelist, “First Generation Lawyer Challenges and Tools,” Texas Lawyers' Assistance Program's Remote Well-Being Wednesday Speaker Series, February 24, 2021 (via Zoom) (solicited)
  • Panelist, “The Dignity of Persons and Divine Presence: The Aim of Education as the Growth of the Soul,” 30th Annual Lilly Fellows National Conference, October 9, 2020 (via Zoom) (solicited)
  • Speaker, “A Lesson in Civility: How to Teach Law Students a Critical Aspect of Lawyering,” Institute for Law Teaching & Learning Summer Conference, Washburn University School of Law, Topeka, Kansas, June 4, 2019
  • Host and Creator, “Ethics Gameshow,” 3rd National Young Energy Professionals' Law Conference, San Antonio, TX, April 12, 2019 (solicited)
  • Panelist, “Teaching the Contracts Course: Strategies, Techniques, and Ideas for Consideration,” 13th Annual International Conference on Contracts (KCON), Orlando, FL, February 24, 2018
    2017 Mart Vogel Lecturer on Professionalism and Legal Ethics and Panelist, “You're Not Alone,” North Dakota State Bar Annual Meeting, June 16, 2017
  • Panelist, “Implementing Ethical Formation & Professional Identity in Law School,” 2016 Conference of Religiously Affiliated Law Schools, Virginia Beach, VA, September 30, 2016
  • Panelist, “The Duke Model: A Performance-Based Solution for Compensating College Athletes,” Southeastern Association of Law Schools New Scholars Panel, Amelia Island, FL, August 6, 2016
  • Moderator, “Public Policy Considerations in Contract Law,” 11th International Conference on Contracts (KCON XI), San Antonio, TX, Feb. 27, 2016
  • Speaker, “The Continued Exploitation of the College Student-Athlete: Confessions of a Former Student-Athlete Turned Law Professor,” Junior Faculty Workshop, Michigan State University School of Law, Lansing, MI, Oct. 23, 2015
  • Speaker, “The Continued Exploitation of the College Student-Athlete: Confessions of a Former Student-Athlete Turned Law Professor,” Faculty Workshop, Marquette University School of Law, Milwaukee, WI, Oct. 22, 2015
  • Panelist, “Policing Lawyer Manners: The Complicated Question of Civility Compliance,” 2015 American Bar Association Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL, Aug. 2, 2015
  • Panelist, “Ethics & Music Law: Face the Music,” The Entertainment and Sports Law Section of the State Bar of Texas, Texas State Bar Convention, San Antonio, TX, June 18, 2015
  • Panelist, “Ethics & Film: It's Only a Movie,” The Entertainment and Sports Law Section of the State Bar of Texas, Texas State Bar Convention, San Antonio, TX, June 18, 2015
  • Panelist, “Ethics & Sports Law: The Sporting Life,” The Entertainment and Sports Law Section of the State Bar of Texas, Texas State Bar Convention, San Antonio, TX, June 18, 2015
  • Moderator and Panel Creator, “The Legal Profession Has Had One Too Many: What Law Schools and State Bars Can Do To Identify and Help Law Students Who Have Substance Abuse or Mental Health Issues,” American Bar Association's 41st Annual National Conference on Professional Responsibility, Denver, CO, May 29, 2015
  • Speaker, “Making Civility Mandatory: Moving From Aspired to Required,” American Association of Law Libraries 107th Annual Meeting & Conference, Academic Law Library Directors' Breakfast Speech, San Antonio, TX, July 13, 2014
  • Panelist, “Ethics for Healthcare Attorneys,” American Bar Association Health Law Section, Young Lawyers' Division, and the Center For Professional Development, National Webinar, Dec. 5, 2013
  • Lead Panelist, “Making Civility Mandatory: Holding Attorneys to a Higher Standard of Conduct,” American Bar Association's 39th Annual National Conference on Professional Responsibility, San Antonio, TX, May 31, 2013
  • Speaker, “Do You Have What It Takes to Win? 'Jeopardy!' Style Ethics Review,” American Bar Association 2013 Environmental, Mass Torts and Products Liability Litigation Committees' Joint CLE Seminar, Steamboat Springs, CO, Feb. 1, 2013
  • Speaker, “Final Jeopardy Ethics Question: How Much Are You Willing To Bet On The Answer…Your License?” American Bar Association 2012 Environmental, Mass Torts and Products Liability Litigation Committees' Joint CLE Seminar, Hollywood, FL, Jan. 20, 2012
  • Guest Lecturer, “A Lesson in Civility,” Legal Profession Class attended by all 1L's of Mercer Law School, Mercer University School of Law, Macon, GA, Feb. 13, 2015
  • Speaker, “Can Good Lawyers Finish First? - Civility & Success in Big Law,” Duke University School of Law's Christian Legal Society and Black Law Students' Association, Duke University School of Law, Durham, NC, February 6, 2014