Biography
Jill is an appellate lawyer who is Board Certified in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. She has served as counsel of record in the Supreme Court of the United States, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, the Supreme Court of Texas and intermediate courts of appeals throughout Texas. She has won local and state-wide awards for her advocacy. Jill was recently named the 2021-2022 Outstanding Young Lawyer of Houston by the Houston Young Lawyers Association and the 2021-2022 Outstanding Young Lawyer of Texas by the Texas Young Lawyers Association.
Before joining Daniels & Tredennick, Jill spent more than half a decade in public service as a judicial law clerk on two different appellate courts. She is involved in numerous community and bar activities. Notably, Jill currently serves as Chair-Elect of the Houston Bar Association’s Appellate Section. In addition to serving on the Appellate Council, Jill is the former Editor-in-Chief of the Appellate Lawyer. Jill contributes to the continuing legal education of appellate lawyers by speaking and writing about a variety of different appellate topics. Her work has been presented to other lawyers, including at the Texas State Bar’s Advanced Civil Appellate Practice Course.
Jill earned her law degree cum laude from Duke University School of Law where she served as the Research Editor for the Duke Journal of Gender Law and Policy. Before law school, she graduated summa cum laude from Washington University in St. Louis where she earned the Helen Stenner Memorial Prize for her writing in philosophy.
Education
J.D., Duke University School of Law, cum laude, 2012
B.S., Washington University in St. Louis, summa cum laude, 2009
Judicial Clerkships
Fourteenth Court of Appeals in Texas, Chief Justice Kem Thompson Frost, 2013-2018
Nebraska Court of Appeals, Judge Francie Riedmann, 2012-2013
Internships
The United States District Court, District of Nebraska, Richard G. Kopf
Recent Articles and Presentations
RBG’s Last Argument as a Supreme Court Advocate: A Reenactment of Duren v. Missouri, 439 U.S. 357 (1979), and Reflections on Its Role in RBG’s Legacy of Building Gender Equality in the Law, HBA Law Week Committee & Houston Holocaust Museum, July 2022 (CLE Course No. 174159365).
Texas and Federal Appeals: Compare, Contrast, and Cautionary Tales, Houston Bar Association Appellate Practice Section, February 2022 (CLE Course No.174148401)
The Appellate Ascent: Advice and Answers for Aspiring Lawyers, Houston Bar Association Appellate Practice Section, July 2020.
Preservation of Error: Strategies to Shape and Salvage Your Appeal, Presented at State Bar of Texas Advanced Civil Appellate Practice Course, Sept. 2019 (coauthor).
An Interview with Justice Julie Coutiss, APPELLATE LAWYER, Mar. 2019, Read Now
An Interview with Justice Richard Hightower, APPELLATE LAWYER, Mar. 2019, Read Now
Defending Against Evolved E-mail Phishing Attack, APPELLATE LAWYER, Nov. 2018, Read Now (coauthor).
Cybersecurity Risk Assessments: The First Step in Securing Your Practice APPELLATE LAWYER, Jul. 2018, Read Now (coauthor).
Review of The ABA Cybersecurity Handbook: A Resource for Attorneys, Law Firms, and Business Professionals, Second Edition, THE HOUSTON LAWYER, May/June 2018 (coauthor).
Case Update, APPELLATE LAWYER, Jan. 2018, Read Now
Case Update, APPELLATE LAWYER, Oct. 2017, Read Now
Should Lawyers be Cybersecurity Experts Too? APPELLATE LAWYER, Mar. 2018, Read Now (coauthor).
Honors & Awards
Outstanding Young Lawyer of Texas, Texas Lawyers Association (2022)
Woodrow B. Seals Outstanding Young Lawyer of Houston, Houston Young Lawyers Association (2022)
Super Lawyers Rising Star Award, Thomson Reuters (2022)
Houston’s Top Lawyers, Appeals, Houstonia Magazine (2021)
Courageous Defender of Life Award, Texas Right to Life (November 2020)
Helen Stenner Memorial Prize in Philosophy, Washington University in St. Louis (May 2009)
Court Admissions
Supreme Court of the United States
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
United States District Court for the Western District of Texas
United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas
United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia
Texas
Colorado
Nebraska
Professional & Community Involvement
Houston Bar Association, Appellate Section, Chair-Elect, 2022-2023
Houston Bar Association Appellate Section, Secretary, 2021-2022
Houston Bar Association Appellate Section, Treasurer, 2020-2021
Houston Bar Association Appellate Section Council, 2017-2020
Editor-in-Chief, Appellate Lawyer, 2018-2020
Previous Affiliations
Caldwell Boudreaux Lefler, PLLC