(DALLAS) March 29, 2021 – Harriet Miers, former Managing Partner of a Locke Lord predecessor firm and former Counsel to the President of the United States, has been honored with the Texas Bar Foundation’s prestigious Outstanding 50 Year Lawyer Award, commemorating her trailblazing accomplishments as a consummate legal professional and public servant. She will accept the award during the Texas Bar Foundation’s annual dinner on June 18.
“As a remarkable lawyer deeply ingrained in public service, tireless advocate for women and diverse lawyers, champion for access to justice, tremendous mentor and an unfailingly kind person, Harriet’s embodiment of the spirit of this award cannot be overstated,” said Locke Lord Chair David Taylor. “Harriet has served as a distinguished Firm and community leader for many years, and we are immensely proud to call her our colleague.”
Miers was the first woman hired at the Dallas firm of Locke Purnell Boren Laney & Neely in 1972 and became the first woman to lead the Firm, then known as Locke Purnell Rain Harrell, in 1996. In 1999, when Locke Purnell merged with Houston-based Liddell Sapp Zivley Hill & LaBoon, Miers was integral to the merger and became Co-Managing Partner of the combined firm. She held that position until she left to serve in the administration of President George W. Bush from 2001-2007 as Staff Secretary, Deputy Chief of Staff and Counsel to the President. After her service in the White House, she returned to Locke Lord as a Partner in 2007. She is a member of the Firm’s Litigation Department and Public Law and Policy Practice Group.
Among her many civic and professional accomplishments, Miers was the first woman to lead the Dallas Bar Association and the State Bar of Texas as President. She also served as an At-Large Member of the Dallas City Council (elected citywide) and as the appointed Chairwoman of the Texas Lottery Commission. Miers has held several American Bar Association leadership roles, including Chair of the Board of Editors of the American Bar Journal and the Texas State Delegate to the ABA House of Delegates. Miers is also Chair of the Center for American and International Law Board of Trustees and an Executive Board Member of the SMU Dedman School of Law.
Miers has been widely recognized for her efforts to create a more diverse, fair and equitable legal profession and applies these same values in service to the broader community. She is a past Chair and current member of the Board of Directors of the Dallas Breakfast Group, an organization focused on improving the quality of local governmental institutions, and sits on the board of Big Brothers Big Sisters Lone Star. She currently serves as a Commissioner of the Texas Access to Justice Commission, chairing its Legislative Committee, and as Co-Chair of the Legal Services Corporation Leaders Council.
Among Miers’ many accolades, she was selected for induction into the Texas Legal Legends, the highest award bestowed by the State Bar of Texas, for her lasting impact and extraordinary contributions to the legal profession. She was also named by The Texas Lawbook as one of 50 Lions of the Texas Bar and received the Sandra Day O'Connor Award from the Texas Center for Legal Ethics and Professionalism. Miers received the Texas Appleseed Good Apple Award, Legal Services of North Texas’ Merrill Hartman Award, Anti-Defamation League’s Jurisprudence Award and American Jewish Committee’s Human Relations Award. She has been honored with Distinguished Alumni Awards from both SMU and the SMU Dedman School of Law, which also presented her with the Robert G. Storey Award for Distinguished Achievement. She holds an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Pepperdine University.
For her work as Counsel to the President, Miers received the Department of Justice Edmund J. Randolph Award for her “dedicated service to justice, the President, and the United States of America.” She also received the Agency Seal Medal from the Central Intelligence Agency, an award given to people outside of the Agency who have made significant contributions to its work.
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About Locke Lord LLP
Locke Lord is a full-service law firm with global reach and 20 offices designed to meet clients’ needs in the United States and around the world. The Firm has a history that spans more than 130 years and is a leader in the middle market arena. Locke Lord focuses on providing the highest levels of commitment, quality and service to clients across its five Key Sectors: Energy and Infrastructure; Finance and Financial Services; Insurance and Reinsurance; Pharmaceutical; and Private Equity. In addition, the Firm advises clients across a broad spectrum of other industries, including fund formation, venture capital, health care, public finance, real estate, technology, cybersecurity and white collar, while providing a wealth of experience through its complex litigation, intellectual property, tax, regulatory and transactional teams.
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