Section Representative to State Bar of Texas Task Force on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Leigh Goodson
Leigh Goodson of Tyler is (i) section chair-elect, (ii) section representative to the State Bar Task Force on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and (iii) a past section secretary. Having earned an LL.M. in taxation, she primarily practices trusts & estates and business law as the owner of Goodson Firm, P.C. More information is available here.
Section Liaison to State Bar of Texas Pro Bono Workgroup
Summer Olmos
Summer Olmos of McAllen has served as a section council member for the past year. She primarily practices insurance defense and civil litigation at Chavez Legal Group. More information is available here.
Annual Meeting Committee
Elizabeth Cantu
Elizabeth Cantu of Edinburg is (i) Annual Meeting Committee co-chair, (ii) a section council member, and (iii) a past Scholarship Committee co-chair. She primarily practices civil litigation at Ramon Worthington, P.L.L.C. More information is available here.
Nicondra (“Nikki”) Chargois-Allen
Nikki Chargois-Allen of San Antonio is (i) Annual Meeting Committee co-chair, and (ii) a past section chair. She primarily practices civil litigation at Davidson Troilo Ream & Garza. More information is available here.
Awards Committee
Patricia Chapman
Patricia Chapman of The Woodlands is (i) Awards Committee co-chair, and (ii) a past president of the Montgomery County Bar Association. She primarily practices business law as the owner of Patricia Chapman, Attorney at Law. More information is available here.
Deborah Race
Deborah Race of Tyler is (i) Awards Committee co-chair, (ii) a section emeritus council member, (iii) a past section chair, (iv) a Barbara Culver Clack Award recipient, and (v) a past Smith County Bar Association president. Board-certified in civil appellate law, she primarily practices appellate law as the owner of Deborah Race, Attorney at Law. More information is available here.
Hon. Maria Salas-Mendoza
Judge Maria Salas-Mendoza of El Paso is (i) Awards Committee co-chair, (ii) a section council member, (iii) Hispanic Issues Section treasurer, (iv) a Judicial Section council member, (v) a Texas Women Lawyers board member, and (vi) District 11 Director for the National Association of Women Judges. She presides over the 120th Judicial District Court of Texas. More information is available here.
Business Development Workshop Committee
Cynthia (“Cindi”) Barela Graham
Cindi Barela Graham of Amarillo is (i) Business Development Workshop Committee co-chair, (i) a section council member, (iii) a Texas Board of Legal Specialization board member, and (iv) a past Family Law Section council member. She primarily practices family law as the owner of Law Office of Cynthia Barela Graham, PLLC. More information is available here.
Laura Kugler
Laura Kugler of Dallas is (i) chronologist, (ii) Business Development Workshop Committee co-chair, and (iii) a National Association of Women Lawyers member. She primarily practices products, premises, employment, and professional liability litigation as a partner at Hawkins, Parnell & Young, LLP. More information is available here.
Lindsay Owens
Lindsay Owens of Midland is (i) Business Development Workshop Committee co-chair, and (ii) a section council member. She primarily practices estate planning and probate law at Lynch Chappell & Alsup. More information is available here.
CLE Committee
Reagan Boyce
Reagan Boyce of Dallas is CLE Committee co-chair. She primarily practices medical malpractice law, product and premises liability law, intellectual property law, and bankruptcy litigation. More information is available here.
Kirby Drake
Kirby Drake of Dallas is (i) CLE Committee co-chair, and (ii) a past section chair. She primarily practices intellectual property law as a partner at Klemchuk LLP. More information is available here.
Finance Committee
Natasha Martinez
Natasha Martinez of McAllen is (i) treasurer, and (ii) a past chronologist. She practices criminal law as a prosecutor at Hidalgo County District Attorney’s Office. More information is available here.
Judy Ney
Judy Ney of Houston is (i) Finance Committee co-chair, (ii) a section emeritus council member, (iii) a past section chair, (iv) a Barbara Culver Clack Award recipient, (v) a past treasurer, and (vi) a past representative to the State Bar of Texas Board of Directors for medium-sized sections. She practices workers’ compensation law as an administrative law judge at Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers Compensation. More information is available here.
Membership Committee
Denise Alex
Denise Alex of Houston is (i) vice-chair/membership, (ii) Membership Committee co-chair, (iii) Website and Social Media Committee co-chair, (iv) a past section council member, and (v) a past African American Lawyers Section secretary. She primarily practices transactional and energy law as a legal counsel at Sasol North America. More information is available here.
Dori Kornfeld Goldman
Dori Kornfeld Goldman of Houston is (i) Membership Committee co-chair, (ii) Appellate Section Membership Committee co-chair, and (iii) a continuing legal education presenter. She practices business trial and appellate litigation as a partner at Yetter Coleman LLP. More information is available here.
Newsletter Committee
Tiffanie Clausewitz
Tiffanie Clausewitz of San Antonio is (i) Newsletter Committee co-chair, (ii) a newsletter contributor, (iii) a Texas Bar Foundation Fellow, and (iv) founding director of the Bexar County Women’s Bar Foundation’s LEAD Academy for women attorneys. She primarily practices business, labor and employment law, and estate planning and probate law as the owner of Clausewitz Law Firm in San Antonio. More information is available here.
Susan Fuertes
Susan Fuertes of Pearland is Newsletter Committee co-chair. She primarily practices bankruptcy law, real estate law, trusts and estates law, litigation, and family law as the owner of Fuertes Law Firm. More information is available here.
Sarah (“Ellis”) Iverson
Ellis Iverson of Houston is (i) vice-chair/newsletter, and (ii) Newsletter Committee co-chair. She primarily practices child protective services, criminal, adoption, and amicus-related law as the owner of Ellis Iverson, Attorney at Law. More information is available here.
Website and Social Media Committee
Denise Alex
Denise Alex of Houston is (i) vice-chair/membership, (ii) Membership Committee co-chair, (iii) Website and Social Media Committee co-chair, (iv) a past section council member, and (v) a past African American Lawyers Section secretary. She primarily practices transactional and energy law as a legal counsel at Sasol North America. More information is available here.
Alyson Martinez
Alyson Martinez of Laredo is (i) Website and Social Media Committee co-chair, and (ii) a past president of the Laredo-Webb County Bar Association. She primarily practices criminal law as an assistant public defender for Webb County Public Defender’s Office. More information is available here.
Jessica Mendez
Jessica Mendez of El Paso is (i) Website and Social Media Committee co-chair, and (i) a Texas Women Lawyers member. She primarily practices employment law as the owner of Law Office of Jessica Mendez, P.C. More information is available here.