Honors and Awards
• Named by National Law Journal as one of the "Top Fifty Women Litigators in the United States" in December 2001.
• Named by National Law Journal as one of the "Top Forty Litigators Under Forty," in the United States, in September 2002.
• Named by Texas Lawyer in the Texas Lawyer "Go To Guide" as one of the " Texas Top Notch Lawyers," in October 2002 and 2007.
• Profiled by National Law Journal in June 2, 2003 issue in "Obsessive Preparation Pays Off" as part of feature, "Ten of the Nation's Top Litigators Tell How They Prevailed in the Big Case"; also the only woman featured.
• Named by Texas Monthly magazine as a Criminal Prosecution "Super Lawyer", 2003, 2004.
• Awarded Girls Inc.'s "Strong, Smart and Bold" Award in June 2005.
• Awarded the NCDA's Homerun Hitter's bat in April 2006.
• Tried case of State v. John Ernest Christ, profiled in book, "Under the Knife", written by Karen Roebuck.
• Tried case of State v. Robert Alan Fratta, profiled in book, "No Safe Place", written by Bill G. Cox.
• Tried case of State v. Anthony Allen Shore, profiled in book, "Strangler", written by Corey Mitchell.
• Tried case of State v. Susan Lucille Wright, profiled in book, "A Wife's Revenge", written by Eric Francis.
• Tried case of David Mark Temple, profiled in book currently being written by Kathryn Casey.
• Profiled in "People" magazine article entitled, "Drama Queen", December 13, 2004.
Professional Organizations
• Texas District and County Attorney's Association
Education
• South Texas College of Law, Houston, Texas, J.D. Degree; May 1987
• University of Texas at Austin, B.B.A. International Business; May 1984
• Tidehaven High School, El Maton, Texas; Valedictorian, 1981
Professional Experience
• State Bar of Texas, Licensed November, 1987
• Harris County District Attorney's Office (1986-2008)
• Bureau Chief, Special Crimes Bureau (2006-2008) Responsible for the prosecution of capital murder cases and most egregious felonies along with advising and assisting police officers in all areas of the law on a round-the-clock basis; responsible for supervising approximately seventy employees including lawyers, investigators, secretaries, fraud examiners and interns.
• Hiring/Screening Committee member (1991-2006) Responsible for the screening of candidates for Assistant District Attorney positions.
• Major Offenders Chief (2000-2006) Responsible for handling more complicated and serious cases including all old, unsolved (cold case) murders, as well as advising law enforcement on a round-the-clock basis; also supervised approximately ten employees.
• District Court Chief (1992-1999) Responsible for handling all capital murder cases and most egregious felonies along with supervising two junior prosecutors and handling the court's docket.
• Deputy Chief of Misdemeanor Division (1991) Responsible for the supervision, training evaluation and promotion of all misdemeanor prosecutors and investigators, approximately ninety employees.
• Instructor (1991-Present) Taught many in-house and statewide Texas State Bar approved Continuing Legal Education (CLE) courses as well as in other states regarding various aspects of jury trial.
Trial Experience
• Tried approximately 150 first chair jury trials.
• Tried twenty death penalty capital murder cases. - Includes being appointed as a special prosecutor to a death capital in Wharton County, Texas in 2008.
• Tried approximately twelve cold case murders.
• Texas District and County Attorney's Association (1991-Present)
• Taught as a faculty advisor as well as a speaker to prosecutors from all over the State on topics covering various aspects of jury trials.
• National College of District Attorneys - Taught as a faculty advisor at capital murder seminars across the country on topics of capital jury selection/punishment in death penalty trials and on the subject of Final Argument.