Austin, Texas Metropolitan Area
Experienced Staff Attorney with a demonstrated history of working in both Criminal Defense and Family Law. Skilled in Family Violence/Sexual Assault Protective Orders, Criminal Law, Alternative Dispute Resolution, and Hearings. Strong legal professional with a J.D. from South Texas College of Law.
▪ Provide high quality legal assistance to victims of crime, especially elder abuse ▪ Assist with leading and promoting education efforts statewide and in local programs ▪ Comply with all regulations, grant requirements, and internal operating and personnel policies ▪ Ensure that all client, project, and computer files are maintained in an orderly manner ▪ Maintain the highest ethical standards as a member of the State Bar ▪ Stay current with updates and changes to the law ▪ Adhere to the ABA Standards for Civil Legal Services Providers ▪ Maintain the highest level of professionalism when working with other TLSC staff, other Legal ▪ Aid programs, governmental and funding entities, and the public ▪ Ensure that all appointments and deadlines are calendared and timely executed with sufficient time dedicated for management approval of legal documents
▪ Write appellate briefs for Social Security Disability claim denials for both adults and children in several different federal circuits ▪ Provide medical summaries of claims transcripts ▪ Research new disability case law.
▪ Won every facet of criminal case alone and alongside owner/attorney, including preventing clients from losing drivers’ licenses in administrative license revocation hearings, consistently lowering the cost of bail in numerous bond reduction hearings, resolving the case and halting further prosecution or receiving preeminent outcome by winning suppression hearings, and producing favorable verdicts at trial ▪ Effectively researched and wrote motions and briefs on a variety of complex legal issues, investigated the rapidly changing area of DWI law and recent Supreme Court decisions as they pertain to the seizure of blood from accused offenders, educated myself on the very complex area of sex crime psychiatric assessments, and consistently used Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendment Supreme Court precedent to preclude the admission prosecution’s evidence ▪ Calmed, educated, interviewed, listened, represented and communicated with clients on a dependable basis regarding everything they were experiencing, how we were addressing each issue, and what was happening at the court level with regard to each case ▪ Achieved great rapport with all county and district judges by observing local rules and protocols, and unwritten preferences for each of the twelve counties in our practicing area (Kerr, Bandera, Gillespie, Kimble, Kendall, Menard, McCullough, Real, Uvalde, Medina, Blanco and Edwards Counties) ▪ Succeeded in accomplishing best possible outcome for children as court-appointed ad litem through court and mediation to resolution of CPS court hearings and eventual placement in permanent home ▪ Mastered operation of every aspect of boutique criminal defense firm including answering phones, recording and managing payments, organizing complex client files, filling out court-appointment vouchers, writing motions and briefs, calendaring appointments and court appearances, driving long-distance to appear and litigate for firm, interviewing clients, and visiting incarcerated clients
▪ Built firm by creating PLLC through Texas Secretary of State, writing by-laws, and creating and adhering to strict budget ▪ Devoted the kind of attention to detail, long hours, work ethic, money, organization and consideration of my clients that comes with being a small business owner and self-employed ▪ Dedicated myself to building a client base by forming relationships with the community through service as the President of the Kerr County Bar Association for 2013 and 2014, through membership in the Texas Hill Country Chapter of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, and membership in the Kerrville Chamber of Commerce, by partnering with other local attorneys, and by word-of-mouth advertising through successful litigation and the delivery of positive outcomes ▪ Researched to the last detail every aspect of each case in Lexis Nexis, by accessing our local law library, taking advantage of the advice and direction of other attorneys, by developing relationships in the county and district clerk offices, and in hours of observation or seated second-chair in many different types of hearings and at trial ▪ Composed, absent any legal writing software or tools, all pleadings, motions, briefs, and orders with auspicious results ▪ Achieved exceptional outcomes by implementing alternative dispute resolution methods, settling differences, and supervising agreements