You kicked off the new year by launching Murphy Ball Stratton LLP with Land Murphy and Dane Ball. We’ll discuss some of your experiences leading up to launching MBS, but can you describe what makes your firm unique?
I won’t go so far as to say we are “unique,” but I do think we’re special!
We are a civil and white-collar trial and appellate boutique comprised of lawyers with deep and wide experience in those areas: it’s the rare day when we encounter something we’ve never seen before, but when we do, we’re ready to take it on. That’s why we insist upon top credentials, excellent written and oral advocacy skills, and a healthy dose of moxie and initiative in any attorney who joins our team.
Client concerns and goals are always top of mind, so we think creatively and strategically. We won’t be outworked, yet we are efficient and nimble. And we recognize that our personal character and our relationships with each other are critical to our collective success and ability to deliver superior client service. We have fun and laugh a lot, and that makes us better.
Before founding Murphy Ball Stratton LLP, you practiced at Smyser Kaplan & Veselka LLP and at Baker Botts LLP. Can you describe some of the work you did?
My practice has always focused on federal and state appeals and on writing and arguing dispositive motions and responses in trial courts. I’ve briefed and argued appeals on both sides of the “v” in the Fifth Circuit, the Texas Supreme Court, and Houston’s courts of appeals. I’ve written amicus briefs in those courts and in the U.S. Supreme Court. And I’ve handled critical motions practice in federal and state district courts. Substantively, my work has run the gamut, from commercial disputes and white-collar criminal defense to constitutional and statutory issues.
What inspired you to start your own law firm?
I really appreciated my time in Big Law, but I’ve particularly enjoyed the advantages (to lawyers and clients) of a litigation boutique: earlier and more frequent courtroom opportunities, fewer conflicts, more flexible billing arrangements, and leaner client teams.
When Smyser Kaplan & Veselka became the Houston office of Washington, D.C.-based Steptoe LLP, I wanted to stay in a boutique setting and keep practicing law with former SKV lawyers who are among the best in the business at what they do. So, MBS was born!
We recently met with you and Ben Aguiñaga at an all-alumni event held in Houston to welcome LSU Law Dean Alena Allen. You shared how 
the LSU Law faculty provided guidance and support as you applied for the clerkship with Justice Clarence Thomas. How has their mentorship continued to impact your career thus far?
Because I deeply benefitted from the generous mentorship of others, I’ve tried to pay that forward. When I entered law school, I had no connections in the legal community. I had no real sense of the different types of career paths that were available. And I had no idea what I needed to do to position myself for future opportunities.
I attribute much of my career path to friends and mentors in the law—including at LSU Law—who sacrificed their time to give me information and guidance. So when younger lawyers or law students reach out to me with career questions, I try to be as generous with my time and advice as others were with me.
You clerked for Justice Thomas from 2011-2012, and, prior to that, Judge Edith H. Jones of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Have you kept in touch with the people you met during your clerkships?
Yes, and it’s one of the great joys of my life! My co-clerks are spread all over the country, but we connect periodically and continue to cheer each other on. They are now successful law firm partners, law school professors, and federal judges. And I was blessed to work for two judges who do an excellent job of maintaining relationships with their former clerks.
We looked through the LSU Law archives and discovered a profile you completed as a law student! In it, you described your future goals after clerking for Judge Jones, “After that, I’m open to private practice-doing trial and appellate work-but I’m also interested in working for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the American Center for Law and Justice, and maybe one day becoming a federal judge.” Would you say your career thus far has aligned with the goals you set as a law student?
I’ve spent 12 years in private practice doing trial and appellate work, and I love it! I love a diverse mix of cases: I enjoy learning different industries and exploring different areas of law. And I love advocacy—telling my client’s story in a compelling way and seeking a just outcome under the law.
In that profile, you also described your volunteer work coaching little league basketball and singing at various churches and events. Do you still play and/or sing?
Nowadays, I attend the little league games for my children that my husband or friends coach—my job is to bring the sideline encouragement and the snacks (so. many. snacks.). I do still sing! I occasionally help lead worship at my church, and our family regularly sings hymns each evening during family devotions. And on those days when we all need a little pick-me-up, we have some family dance parties while we belt out ‘90’s country or Whitney Houston in the kitchen.
You have an established family life and career in Texas, but is there anything you miss about Louisiana?
Classic Cajun and creole food. Houston has an incredible and diverse food scene, but if you want the best gumbo, boudin, red beans and rice, crawfish etouffee, or shrimp po-boy, you can only find that in Louisiana!
