Harriet Miers is a member of our Litigation and Public Policy sections and a former managing partner of Locke Liddell & Sapp. She returned to the Firm in May 2007 after serving in the administration of President George W. Bush from 2001-2007 as Staff Secretary, Deputy Chief of Staff, and Counsel to the President. Prior to joining the White House, Ms. Miers had a distinguished career in her commercial litigation practice, representing a broad range of clients in varied industries. She is well-known throughout the United States, and has offices in Dallas, Austin and Washington, D.C.
In 1972, after clerking for U.S. District Court Judge Joe E. Estes, Ms. Miers was the first woman hired at the Dallas Firm of Locke Purnell Boren Laney & Neely. Ms. Miers became the first woman to lead the Firm, then known as Locke Purnell Rain Harrell, when she was elected Firm President in 1996. In 1999, when Locke Purnell merged with Houston-based Liddell, Sapp, Zivley, Hill & LaBoon, she became Co-Managing Partner, a position she held until she left to join the Bush Administration.
Throughout her career, Ms. Miers has been committed to public service. She has been an elected official and has served as an appointed official at the state and national levels. Well respected as a leader in the legal community, she has served in many professional and community volunteer positions, and is a strong advocate of pro bono work and the advancement of minorities in the profession. In 1985, Ms. Miers was selected as the first woman to become President of the Dallas Bar Association. In 1989, Ms. Miers was elected to a two-year term as an at-large member of the Dallas City Council. After serving on the Dallas City Council, she ran for President of the State Bar of Texas, and was elected to serve in 1992 as the first woman President of the State Bar. From 1995 until 2000, Ms. Miers also served as Chairwoman of the Texas Lottery Commission.
Over the years, Ms. Miers also served in many leadership roles in the American Bar Association, including Chair of the Board of Editors of the American Bar Journal and the Texas State Delegate. She was appointed Assistant to the President and Staff Secretary on January 20, 2001. In 2003, she was named Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff. In that position, her responsibilities included assisting in the coordination of policy formulation within the White House. Appointed Counsel to the President in February 2005, she served as the top lawyer to the President and the White House until she resigned in February 2007.
Among her many recognitions and awards: in 2005, Ms. Miers received the Sandra Day O’Connor award from the Texas Center for Legal Ethics and Professionalism and the Robert G. Storey Award for Distinguished Achievement from the SMU Dedman School of Law. She also has received Distinguished Alumni Awards from both SMU and the SMU Dedman School of Law. In 1979, she was honored as the Outstanding Young Lawyer by the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers.
For her work as Counsel to the President, Ms. Miers received the Department of Justice Edmund J. Randolph Award in January of 2007 for her "dedicated service to justice, the President, and the United States of America." She also received the Agency Seal Medal awarded by the Central Intelligence Agency, an award given by the CIA to people outside the Agency who have made significant contributions to the work of the Agency.
Education
- J.D., Southern Methodist University School of Law, 1970
Barristers
Comments Editor, Southwestern Law Journal
Moot Court Board
Kappa Beta Pi - B.S., Southern Methodist University, 1967
Bar Admissions
- Texas
- District of Columbia
Publications & Presentations
Professional History
- Partner, Locke Lord LLP (2007 - Present)
- Counsel to the President (2005 - 2007)
- Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff, President George W. Bush’s Administration (2003 - 2005)
- Assistant to the President and Staff Secretary, President George W. Bush’s Administration (2001 - 2003)
- Locke Liddell & Sapp LLP, Co-Managing Partner (1999 - 2001)
- Locke Purnell Rain Harrell (formerly Locke, Purnell, Boren, Laney & Neely)
- Associate (1972 - 1978)
- Shareholder (1978 - 1998)
- Management Committee
- Former Trial Advocacy Instructor, Southern Methodist University School of Law
- Former National Institute of Trial Advocacy Program Instructor
- Law Clerk, Hon. Joe E. Estes, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas (1970 - 1972)
- Law Clerk, Belli, Ashe, Ellison, Choulos & Lieff (Summer 1969)
Professional Affiliations & Achievements
- Member, American Bar Association
- Life Fellow, American Bar Foundation
- Former President and Member, State Bar of Texas
- Life Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation
- Former President and Member, Dallas Bar Association
- Charter Fellow, Dallas Bar Foundation
- Member, LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell Advisory Board
Awards
- Recipient, Dallas Legends of Service Award (2013)
- Named, The Best Lawyers in America (2013)
- Dallas Bar Association and the Texas Center for Legal Ethics and Professionalism's Morris Harrell Professionalism Award (2012)
- Named to D Magazine's Best Women Lawyers in Dallas (2010)
- YWCA Centennial Award (2008)
- Department of Justice Edmund J. Randolph Award (2007)
- Agency Seal Medal awarded by the Central Intelligence Agency (2007)
- Spirit of Thanks-Giving Award from Thanks-Giving Square (2006)
- Sandra Day O’Connor Award, Texas Center for Legal Ethics and Professionalism (2005)
- Honorary Doctorate, Pepperdine University School of Law Outstanding Alumni Award
- Southern Methodist University Robert C. Storey Award for Distinguished Achievement (2005)
- Named, 100 Most Influential Lawyers in America, National Law Journal (2000)
- Named, 50 Most Influential Women Lawyers in America, National Law Journal (1998)
- Named, 100 Most Powerful Attorneys, National Law Journal (1997)
- Woman of the Year, Today's Dallas Woman (1997)
- Women of Excellence Award, Women's Enterprise Magazine (1997)
- Louise B. Raggio Award, Dallas Women's Lawyers Association (1996)
- Anti-Defamation League Jurisprudence Award (1996)
- Legal Services of North Texas Merrill Hartman Award (1996)
- Sarah T. Hughes Award, Women In The Law Section, State Bar of Texas (1993)
- American Jewish Committee, Human Relations Award (1992)
- Justinian Award for Community Service (1992)
- National Award for Leadership and Commitment from Girls Clubs (1987)
- Outstanding Young Lawyer, Dallas Association of Young Lawyers (1979)
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