Leaders

Elizabeth Cantu — Chair

Elizabeth Cantu of Edinburg is (i) section chair, (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.

Natasha Martinez — Chair-Elect

Natasha Martinez of McAllen is (i) chair-elect, (ii) past secretary, (iii) past vice-chair/membership, (iv) a past treasurer, and (v) a past chronologist.  She practices civil litigation at Orendain & Dominguez Law Office.  More information is available here.

Reagan Boyce — Vice-Chair/Membership 

Reagan Boyce of Dallas is (i) vice-chair/membership and (ii) past 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

Tanya Bidwell — Vice-Chair/Newsletter 

Tanya Bidwell of Midland is vice-chair/newsletter. She practices tax and criminal defense at Eckman Bidwell PLLC. More information is available here.

Deborah Cordova — Secretary 

Deborah Cordova of Edinburg is (i) section secretary, (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.

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.

Kirby Drake — Chronologist 

Kirby Drake of Dallas is (i) section chronologist, (ii) past 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

Gabriella A. ‘Gaby’ Guerena — Website and Social Media Chair 

Gabriella Guerena of Edinburg is the section website and social media chair. She practices criminal law at the Hidalgo County Criminal District Attorney’s Office. 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.

Leigh Hunt Goodson 

Leigh Hunt Goodson of Tyler is (i) a 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.

Carmen Jo “CJ” Rejda- Ponce 

Carmen Jo ‘CJ’ Rejda-Ponce of Houston is a section council member. She defends both private and public sector clients on matters involving employment issues and civil (constitutional) rights. She is Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.  More information is here.  More information is here.

Rebecca “Becky” Walker 

Rebecca “Becky” Walker of Corpus Christi is a section council member.  She is a briefing attorney with the 13th Court of Appeals in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Sylvia Borunda Firth 

Sylvia Borunda Firth of El Paso is (i) a section council member and (ii) past President of the State Bar of Texas.  She specializes in governmental, administrative, real estate and general business law.  More information is available here.

Robin Thorner

Robin Thorner of San Antonio is a section council member. She is the Assistant Dean for Career Strategy and serves as the Director of Professional Identity Formation at the St. Mary’s University School of Law in San Antonio, Texas. More information is available here.

Erin Baker Shank 

Erin Baker Shank of Waco is a section council member. She primarily practices bankruptcy law as the owner of Erin B. Shank PC. More information is available here.

Ana Lisa Figueroa

Ana Lisa Figueroa of Brownsville is a section council member. She practices in the areas of family, insurance, labor-employment, personal injury litigation, real estate and wills-trusts-probate law at the Law Office of Analisa Figueroa, PLLC. More information is available here.

Sarah Nicolas 

Sarah Nicolas of Austin is a section council member. She practices in the areas of ethics-legal malpractice, commercial litigation and personal injury litigation. She is the Managing Member of Ramon Worthington’s Austin office. 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