Jennifer is a lawyer and advocate with over 25 years of leadership in state and federal government relations and deep expertise in policy and advocacy matters.

Valerie Esparza joined The Center for Women in Law in 2020.  Prior to CWIL, Ms.

Sofia Urcuyo is the Professional Development Program Coordinator for the Center for Women in Law. Born in Nicaragua, Sofia moved to the United States when she was seven years old.

Cisselon Nichols Hurd currently serves as Senior Litigation Counsel for Shell Oil Company in Houston, Texas, where she handles environmental litigation.

Hilda Galvan is Partner-in-Charge of Jones Day, Dallas.  Hilda, a nationally recognized trial lawyer, has represented plaintiffs and defendants in intellectual litigation in courts across the country for more than 25 years.

Nadira Clarke manages complex, high-stakes criminal and civil environmental matters for companies and individuals.

In 1983, I became the first judge of the newly created 240th District Court, sitting in Tom Green County. In 1986, I was appointed by the Governor to the Court of Appeals for the Third District of Texas, sitting in Austin, the first woman justice of the Court since its creation in 1892.

Deb Coldwell is a litigation partner at Haynes and Boone, LLP, and represents franchisors, distributors, joint ventures, limited liability companies, partnerships, and the individuals who run those companies in jury trials, bench trials and arbitrations.

Samantha Hale Crispin is a seasoned M&A lawyer with over 20 years of experience helping publicly traded and privately held corporate clients and private equity funds in complex M&A, capital markets and strategic business transactions.

Prior to joining Hunt Utility Services, Doré spent eight years as in-house counsel at Energy Future Holdings Corp. (EFH), including serving as executive vice president and general counsel of EFH for the last four years.

Melanie Gray was Chair of the Bankruptcy Litigation Practice and partner in the Houston office of Winston & Strawn LLP before she retired in early 2020.  Prior to joining Winston & Strawn in 2013, Melanie enjoyed almost three decades with Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP.

Beth Hecht is a Managing Director and Chief Legal and Administrative Officer and a member of the Investment Committee for Auven Therapeutics, a global private equity firm focused on the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries with offices in the United States, Switzerland, U.K., Bermuda and t

Ms. Puig has a substantial commercial litigation practice in both state and federal courts. She represents large health systems, medical schools, institutional health care providers, for profit educational companies, and managed care organizations across the US. 

Gina Shishima is the U.S. Chief Strategy and Operations Partner for Norton Rose Fulbright, where she also serves on the US and Global management committees. She was previously the U.S. Head of Intellectual Property and the U.S. Chief Diversity Officer.

Amy has expertise in dealing with contract, business torts, breaches of fiduciary duty, products liability, employment, labor, and defending personal injury matters.