My Background

This is a family law court. I do not practice anything but family law. I am the ONLY candidate that has exclusively focused my entire career on practicing the types of cases that this court will hear.  

In the courtroom, I represent children and parents on a daily basis who need a voice in children’s court.  This isn’t two parents getting a divorce and helping to decide which of two loving parents get custody. These are children and parents who have been ripped from each other. Children in foster homes. Parents in treatment facilities.  I represent families during most heartbreaking moment we could possibly imagine as parents. 

​I am the only candidate with the unique perspective of understanding the heartbreaking impact that Courts can have on children. 

I have done this for 20 years because I can’t imagine any work that is more important that giving the voiceless ... a voice. 

I have been in solo practice for 20 years with a focus on complex high conflict family law cases and child abuse cases.

I received my BA from the University of Michigan and my Juris Doctorate from the University of Texas School of Law. I am one of the first attorney’s in Texas to be licensed as a Child Welfare Law Specialist (CWLS) and remain one of a handful in El Paso.

I currently serve on the Supreme Court of Texas Children’s Commission as an advisory Attorney. In addition, I am one of the founders, former Vice-President and current member of Child Welfare Defense Bar as well as a former Vice-President of the El Paso Family Bar. 

I am licensed in the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in addition to the State of Texas. I have been an expert presenter, writer and speaker in family law for CLE conferences.
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I have successfully litigated multiple jury trials and complex international cases involving child abduction affected by Hague Convention rules; conducted extensive research and worked with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, international kidnapping agencies, and Spanish and Mexican consulates. .

Prior to being in private practice I worked as an Assistant County Attorney under the now Senator Jose Rodriguez and represented State of Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services in hearings for child abuse and neglect cases.  I also represented applicants in Protective orders and the State in Juvenile proceedings. In that capacity, I contributed to committees advocating for children’s rights and focused on improving judicial and social policies.
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During law school I was a law clerk for the Travis County District Attorney’s Office in Austin, working under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys representing the State of Texas in child abuse cases where the State sought termination of parental rights.

I also clerked as a student attorney at the Public Defender’s Office of Travis County providing representation for juveniles in criminal trials, working under the supervision of public defender. In addition, I was a student attorney ad litem for the Children’s Rights Clinic at UT Law representing children under the supervision of a Professor in cases in which the state sought custody or termination of parental rights.

During this time I volunteered at the Women’s Advocacy Project in Austin advocating for efforts to support women in need through compilation of database with legal procedures and resources available to victims of domestic violence.