Section Representative to State Bar of Texas Task Force on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Leigh Goodson
Leigh Goodson of Tyler is section chair-elect and a past secretary for the section. 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.

Annual Meeting Committee

Nicondra ("Nikki") Chargois-Allen
Nicondra ("Nikki") Chargois-Allen of San Antonio is (i) past section chair, and (ii) co-chair of the Annual Meeting Committee. She primarily practices civil litigation at Davidson Troilo Ream & Garza. More information is available here.

Elizabeth Cantu

Elizabeth Cantu of Edinburg is (i) a section council member, (ii) returning co-chair of the Annual Meeting Committee, and (iii) past co-chair of the Scholarship Committee.  She primarily practices civil litigation at Ramon Worthington, P.L.L.C.  More information is available here.

Awards Committee

Patricia Chapman

Patricia Chapman of The Woodlands is a section member and 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.

Hon. Maria Salas-Mendoza

Hon. Maria Salas-Mendoza of El Paso is a (i) section member, (ii) past member of the Judicial Section Council, and (iii) member of the Texas Women Lawyers.  She presides over the 120th Judicial District Court of Texas.  More information is available here.

Deborah Race

Deborah Race of Tyler is (i) a past chair of the section, (ii) chair of the section’s Awards Committee, and (iii) past president of the Smith County Bar Association.  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.

Business Development Workshop Committee

Laura Kugler

Laura Kugler of Dallas is a section member and a member of the National Association of Women Lawyers.  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 a section member, along with other lawyers at her firm.  She primarily practices estate planning and probate law as an associate attorney at Lynch Chappell & Alsup.  More information is available here.

Cynthia Graham

Cynthia Graham of Amarillo is a (i) section member, (ii) past member of the Family Law Section Council, and (iii) member of the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.  She primarily practices family law as the owner of Law Office of Cynthia Barela Graham, PLLC.  More information is available here.

CLE Committee

Kirby Drake

Kirby Drake of Dallas is a past chair of the section.  She primarily practices intellectual property law as a partner at Klemchuk LLP.  More information is available here.

Reagan Boyce

Reagan Boyce of Dallas is a section member who has practiced law in both Texas and California.  A senior associate at Chamblee Ryan, her practice includes litigation, bankruptcy law, and intellectual property law.  More information is available here.

Finance Committee

Natasha Martinez
Natasha Martinez of McAllen is (i) section treasurer and (ii) past chronologist for the section. 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) a past chair of the section, (ii) past section treasurer, and (iii) a past section 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) co-chair of the Membership Committee, (iii) a past section council member, and (iv) past secretary of the African American Lawyers Section.  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) co-chair of the Membership Committee, and (ii) a continuing legal education program presenter for the section.  She practices litigation as a partner at Yetter Coleman LLP.  More information is available here.

Newsletter Committee

Sarah ("Ellis") Iverson

Sarah “Ellis” Iverson of Houston is (i) vice-chair/newsletter, and (ii) co-chair of the Newsletter Committee.  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.

Susan Fuertes

Susan Fuertes of Pearland is co-chair of the Newsletter Committee.  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.

Tiffanie Clausewitz

Tiffanie Clausewitz of San Antonio is (i) co-chair of the Newsletter Committee, (ii) a contributor to the section newsletter, WALS Lawyers Now, (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 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

Jessica Mendez

Jessica Mendez of El Paso is co-chair of the Website and Social Media Committee.  She primarily practices employment law as the owner of Law Office of Jessica Mendez, P.C.  More information is available here.

Alyson Martinez

Alyson Martinez of Laredo is (i) co-chair of the Website and Social Media Committee, and (ii) 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.