Susan Kidwell is board certified in civil appellate law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. She has handled nearly 50 state and federal appeals, including cases she has argued before the United States Courts of Appeals for the Fifth and Tenth Circuits, the Supreme Court of Texas, the Supreme Court of Tennessee, the Mississippi Court of Appeals, and multiple state intermediate courts of appeals in Texas. She began her appellate career as a law clerk for the Supreme Court of Texas. For the past six years, she has been recognized in Texas Super Lawyers as a “Rising Star.”
Education
- J.D., with honors, The University of Texas School of Law, 2001
Texas Law Review - Associate Editor (Volume 79); Member (Volume 78)
Order of the Coif
Dean’s Achievement Awards in Jurisprudence and Texas Administrative Law
1999 Best Brief Award
1999 Outstanding Memorandum Award
Legal Research Board: Officer
Endowed Presidential Scholarship in Law (1998-2001) - Ph.D., Musicology, The University of Texas at Austin, 1993
- M.M., Music History, Northwestern University, 1984
- B.A., Music and Economics, with high honors, Wesleyan University, 1982
Bar Admissions
- Texas, 2001
- U.S. Supreme Court
Admitted To Practice
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
- The Supreme Court of Texas
Representative Experience
- Handled multiple appeals involving arbitration matters, including appeals of orders confirming and denying multi-million dollar arbitration awards, original proceedings to compel arbitration against non-signatories to the arbitration agreement, and original proceedings and appeals to enforce arbitrator selection provisions.
- Handled multiple appeals challenging the power of Texas courts to exercise personal jurisdiction over out-of-state defendants.
- Handled multiple appeals involving statutory construction matters, including first-impression questions on insurance, workers’ compensation, and tax issues.
- Handled multiple appeals involving breach-of-fiduciary duty issues.
- Prepared amicus briefs in significant matters before the Supreme Court of Texas involving jury selection and health care liability issues.
- Resolved numerous cases by dispositive motions filed in state and federal district courts.
Reported Decisions
- Southwestern Bell Tel. Co., L.P. v. Mitchell, 276 S.W.3d 443 (Tex. 2007)
- Waldschmidt v. Reassure America Life Ins. Co., 271 S.W.3d 173 (Tenn. 2008)
- Moore v. Pulmosan Safety Equip. Corp., 278 S.W.3d 27 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2008, no pet.)
- Pulmosan Safety Equip. Corp. v. Lamb, 273 S.W.3d 824 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2008, pet. denied)
- Amigo Broadcasting, LP v. Spanish Broadcasting Sys., Inc., 521 F.3d 472 (5th Cir. 2008)
- Lexington Ins. Co. v. Autobuses Lucano, Inc., 256 Fed. Appx. 682 (5th Cir. 2007)
- Myer v. Americo Life, Inc., 232 S.W.3d 401 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2007, no pet.)
- Jim Wells County Appraisal Dist. v. Cameron Village, Ltd., 238 S.W.3d 769 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 2007, pet. denied)
- Cluck v. Comm’n for Lawyer Discipline, 214 S.W.3d 736 (Tex. App.—Austin 2007, no pet.)
- Myer v. Americo Life, Inc., 469 F.3d 731 (8th Cir. 2006)
- In re A.D. & V.G.D., 203 S.W.3d 407 (Tex. App.—El Paso 2006, no pet.)
- In re Weekley Homes, L.P., 180 S.W.3d 127 (Tex. 2005)
- Anderson-Clayton Bros. Funeral Home, Inc. v. Strayhorn, 149 S.W.3d 166 (Tex. App.—Austin 2004, pet. denied)
Publications & Presentations
Professional History
- Partner, Locke Lord LLP
- Briefing Attorney, The Honorable James A. Baker, Texas Supreme Court (2001-2002)
- Legal Intern, The Honorable John K. Dietz, 250th District Court, Travis County (1999)
Professional Affiliations & Achievements
- Member, State Bar of Texas
- Member, Austin Bar Association
- Named, Texas Rising Star, Texas Monthly (2006-2011)
Community Leadership
- Member, Adult and Evensong Choirs of the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd
- Member, Executive Committee for Boy Scout Troop 399
- Member, The Sustainability Society for Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas
- Member, United Way Women's Giving Network
- Member, IMPACT Austin
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Related Practice Areas
Board Certifications
Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization
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