Nina Cortell Named DBA's Outstanding Lawyer of the Year

The Dallas Bar Association has chosen appellate specialist Nina Cortell to receive the Outstanding Lawyer of the Year Award. The award will be presented at the Bench Bar Conference in September at the Horseshoe Bay Resort Marriott.

A first-generation American, Ms. Cortell was born and raised in Dallas, where her parents met after fleeing Germany during World War II. She cites her parents’ experiences in Nazi Germany and the loss of family members in the Holocaust as profoundly influencing her life and as the basis for her deep appreciation of the American justice system.

Ms. Cortell attended Dallas ISD schools and remains a true advocate for public education. She earned undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Texas at Austin.

In 1976, Ms. Cortell became the first female lawyer at Haynes and Boone, which then had only 12 lawyers. George Bramblett, one of her partners, recalls that “even as a young lawyer, she was a brilliant writer and speaker, and her commitment to excellence in her work was unparalleled.”

Ms. Cortell helped pioneer the appellate practice as a specialty in Texas, establishing the Haynes and Boone appellate section in the late 1980s and building that section to 19 full-time practitioners.

“Nina Cortell is not just a well-respected lawyer and a zealous advocate for her clients, but she has been a shining example to many lawyers – including myself,” DBA President Christina Melton Crain said. “She is adept at handling complex matters and always portrays a unique finesse. We admire her commitment to professionalism and involvement in the legal community, but we honor her also for her willingness to mentor young lawyers throughout her career.”

Ms. Cortell’s professional career has been marked by landmark victories and delighted clients. Ms. Cortell helped obtain a ruling from the Texas Supreme Court overhauling the Texas public school finance system, persuaded the trial and appellate courts to allow Continental Airlines to fly out of Love Field, and helped Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway secure a train route in Houston.

Her name regularly appears on local, state and national “top lawyer” lists, and the judiciary looks to Ms. Cortell to help shape evolving policies and procedures. She has chaired a committee overseeing the appointment of a U.S. magistrate judge and a task force studying the efficiency of federal courts. She is also a member of the prestigious Texas Supreme Court Advisory Committee.

Mike Hatchell, an Austin lawyer who works with Ms. Cortell on the Advisory Committee and as co-counsel, says she “has the rare combination of a superb intellect, keen insight, and wise counsel applied in a sure, firm yet mature demeanor that makes a forceful, credible advocate for her clients.”

The bar also benefits from her efforts. She has chaired the State Bar Advanced Appellate Course and the DBA Bench Bar Conference. In 2007, Ms. Cortell chaired the State Bar Task Force on Women and Minorities, which earned her the State Bar of Texas Presidential Citation for leadership. She has also served on the DBA’s Task Force on Racial & Ethnic Bias in the Courts, and as president of the Patrick E. Higginbotham Inn of Court.

Ms. Cortell’s profound commitment to mentoring young lawyers, particularly women lawyers, is one of her greatest legacies. Together with an impressive group of women who graduated from the University of Texas School of Law in the 1970s, She co-founded the UT Center for Women in the Law, which is dedicated to advocating for change and improving the status of all women in law. She explains: “We envision the center serving women in several ways. It will be a resource for women who are law students or who have graduated and are in the profession. We will also work with law firms, businesses, and academia to help assess and encourage the advancement of women in whatever paths they choose.”

No account of Ms. Cortell’s accomplishments would be complete without mentioning her 33-year marriage to Dr. Robert L. Fine (a physician and renowned expert in medical ethics and end-of-life care) and their three amazing daughters. She had her first daughter when she was a fourth-year associate and has had at least one child at home during 28 years of her practice. Lauren is now a second-year emergency room resident and accomplished singer/songwriter, Rachel is a personal trainer (to several DBA members, no less), and Becca is a sophomore at Columbia University.

Ms. Cortell asked that her family be mentioned in this article not so much because of her pride (which is immeasurable), but because she wants women lawyers to know that raising a healthy, happy family and pursuing a legal career are not mutually exclusive.

The message women so often hear is that they can’t do it all, but Ms. Cortell is living proof that they can – and do it well. It comes as no surprise that when Ms. Cortell received the prestigious Louise B. Raggio Award from the Dallas Women Lawyers Association in recognition of her contribution toward the advancement of women in the legal profession, all three of her daughters looked on with just as much pride for their mother as she has for them.

The Outstanding Lawyer of the Year Award will be presented to Nina Cortell on Thursday, September 24 at the DBA Bench Bar Conference in the Hill Country. To register, visit www.dallasbar.org. Space is limited.

Lawyers Rockin' for Access to Justice

The Dallas Bar Association will host Law Jam 2 on Saturday, August 8 at the Granada Theatre to benefit pro bono legal services for low-income residents. The event, emceed by KLUV’s Jody Dean, will feature seven local bands, each comprised mostly of attorneys. This unique battle of the bands event will raise funds for the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program, a joint initiative of the DBA and Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas.

The Dallas Bar Association hosted its first Law Jam three years ago and raised more than $100,000.In addition to great music, Law Jam 2 will feature a silent auction that will include autographed posters, musical instruments, tickets to theater and music venues and restaurant packages.

The following bands will perform at Law Jam 2: The Usuals, The Wrecking Crew, Second Hand Noise, Independent George, The Catdaddies, Blue Collar Crime and FlashCube. Doors open at 5 p.m. Purchase your tickets today at www.dbalawjam.org.