Leaders

Denise Paul — Chair

Denise Paul of Houston is (i) section chair, (ii) past Nominating Committee Chair, (iii) a past Membership Committee co-chair, (iv) a past Website and Social Media Committee co-chair, (v) a past section council member, (vi) a past vice-chair/membership and (vii) a past African American Lawyers Section secretary.  She primarily practices transactional and energy law as a legal counsel at Orion Engineered Carbons.  More information is available here.

Elizabeth Cantu – Chair-Elect

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

Sarah (“Ellis”) Iverson — Vice-Chair/Membership

Ellis Iverson of Houston is (i) vice-chair/membership, (ii) past vice-chair/newsletter, and (iii) past 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.

Tiffanie Clausewitz – Vice Chair/Newsletter 

Tiffanie Clausewitz of San Antonio is (i) vice chair/newsletter, (ii) a section council member, (iii) Newsletter Committee co-chair, (iv) a newsletter contributor, (v) a Texas Bar Foundation Fellow, and (vi) 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

Natasha Martinez— Secretary

Natasha Martinez of McAllen is (i) secretary, (ii) past vice-chair/membership, (iii) a past treasurer, and (iv) a past chronologist.  She practices criminal law.  More information is available here.

Laura Kugler — Treasurer

Laura Kugler of Dallas is (i) Section treasurer, (ii) Finance Committee co-chair, (iii) a past Chronologist, and (iv) Business Development Workshop Committee co-chair, and (v) 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.

Hon. Maria Salas-Mendoza – Chronologist 

Judge Maria Salas-Mendoza of El Paso is (i) Chronologist, (ii) a past Awards Committee co-chair, (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 120^th Judicial District Court of Texas.  More information is available here.

Leigh Hunt Goodson — Immediate Past Chair

Leigh Hunt Goodson of Tyler is (i) immediate past section chair, (ii) section representative to the State Bar President’s Task Force on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, (iii) a past section secretary (iv) President-elect of the East Texas Estate Planning Council and (v) immediate past President of the Smith County Bar Association. Having earned an LL.M. in taxation, she primarily practices trusts & estates and business law as the owner of The Goodson Firm, P.C. More information is available here.

Judy Ney — Emeritus

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.

Deborah Race — Emeritus

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.

Tanya Bidwell

Tanya Bidwell of Midland is a section council member. She practices tax and criminal defense at Eckman Bidwell PLLC. More information is available here.

Deborah Cordova

Deborah Cordova of McAllen is (i) a section council member, (ii) a past Texas Women Lawyers president, and (iii) representative to the State Bar of Texas Board of Directors for medium-sized sections.  She primarily practices real estate, banking, business, estate planning, and probate law as a member of Walsh McGurk Cordova Nixon.  More information is available here.

Reagan Boyce

Reagan Boyce of Dallas is (i) a section council member and (ii) 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) a section council member, (ii) CLE Committee co-chair, and (iii) a past section chair. She primarily practices intellectual property law as founder and managing partner at Kirby Drake Law, PLLC. More information is available here

Susan Fuertes

Susan Fuertes of Pearland is (i) a section council member and (ii) 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

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.

Gabriella “Gaby” Guerena

Gabriella Guerena of Amarillo is a section council member.

Susan Kelly

Susan Kelly of Waco is (i) a section council member and (iii) past Waco-McLennan County Bar Association president.  Board-certified in criminal law, she primarily practices criminal defense law as the owner of Law Offices of Susan N. Kelly.  More information is available here.

2000-2010

2008-2009 Teri L. Danish
2007-2008 Tonya Carter-Clary
2006-2007 Carmen Samaniego
2005-2006 Mara Asya Blatt
2004-2005 Teresa Oxford
2003-2004 Judy Ney
2002-2003 Misty M. Ventura
2001-2002 Deborah L. Ingraham
2000-2001 Irene Jackson

1990-2000

1999-2000 Ralph H. Brock
1998-1999 Ronnie E. G. Harrison
1997-1998 Suzanne M. Duvall
1996-1997 Malinda Ann Gaul
1995-1996 Judge Guadalupe Rivera
1994-1995 Beatrice Mladenka-Fowler
1993-1994 Jonita Boyd Borchardt
1992-1993 Terese Marie Easter
1991-1992 Carolyn F. Moore
1990-1991 Aida S. Flores

1980-1990

1989-1990 Hon. Barbara E. Rosenberg
1988-1989 Leslie D. Banks
1987-1988 Cynthia O’Bryant Caldwell
1986-1987 Judge Nikki DeShazo
1985-1986 Judge Maxine Darst
1984-1985 Jane H. Macon
1983-1984 Iris Robinson
1982-1983 Mannette Dodge
1981-1982 VaLinda Hathcox
1980-1981 Judge Barbara Culver