• Texas Supreme Court 1992
• United States Supreme Court 1999

• Board Certified – Family Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization 1997, recertified 2002

• B.B.A., Baylor University 1989
• J.D., Baylor University School of Law 1991
• Basic Mediation Training, Texas Women’s University 2003
• Family Law Mediation Training, Texas Women’s University 2003

• Annette Stewart Inns of Court 2003
• Who’s Who in America, multiple editions
• Who’s Who in American Law, multiple editions
• Best Brief Award, Baylor Law School 1989
• American Jurisprudence Award, Legal Methods II, 1989

Memberships

• CLE Advisory Committee, Family Law Practice Institute, University of Houston Law Foundation, 2002
• Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists, 1997 to present
• State Bar of Texas, Family Law section, member 1992–present, Membership Committee 2004–present; Appellate section, member 1992–present.
  
• American Bar Association, Family Law section 1992 to present
• Dallas Bar Association, Family Law section, member 1998-present, Director 2003-2005, Legislative Committee Chair 2003, 2005, Resource Guide Committee Chair 2004; Appellate section, 1998-present.
  
• Bell County Young Lawyers Association, member 1992-1997, Director 1993-1997, Continuing Education Committee 1994-1997, President 1995-1996, Newsletter Editor 1995-1996.
  
• Newsletter Editor 1995-1996
• Bell/Lampasas/Mills Counties Bar Association, 1992-1997, Director 1995-1997

Published Cases

• In re Dupree, 118 S.W.3d 911 (Tex. App. – Dallas 2003, pet. denied)
• Smith v. Smith, 115 S.W.3d 303 (Tex. App. – Corpus Christi 2003, no pet.)
• Valley Forge Ins. Co. v. Austin, 65 S.W.3d 371 (Tex. App. – Dallas 2002, pet. denied).
• Saenz v. The Insurance Company for the State of Pennsylvania, 66 S.W.3d 444 (Tex. App. – Waco 2001, no pet.).
• Gainesville Mem. Hosp. v. Tomlinson, 48 S.W.3d 511 (Tex. App. – Ft. Worth 2001, pet. denied).
• In re Aramark Corp., 38 S.W.3d 291 (Tex. App. – Tyler 2001, orig. proceeding).
• Dickens v. Willis, 957 S.W.2d 657 (Tex. App. – Austin 1997, no writ).
• Lemley v. Miller, 932 S.W.2d 284 (Tex. App. – Austin 1996, no writ).

Community Service

• Dallas Republican Career Woman, Member 1999-present; Director 2005; Legislative committe chair 2005
• Altrusa International Inc. of Dallas, Texas, member 2002 to present; Membership Development Committee Chair 2003-2004; Assistant Secretary 2003-04; Vice-President 2004-05; District Nine Membership Development Committee 2004-present; District Nine Conference Resolutions Committee Chair 2004

Practice Areas

FAMILY LAW LITIGATION

Family legal matters can be emotionally and financially draining. It is, therefore, imperative that you have legal counsel who can assist in developing a strategy to successfully navigate this difficult time. At The May Firm, we will help you understand the laws that apply to your case, including the various options and potential outcomes. We will assist you in making informed choices when facing some of the most important decisions of your life.

In litigation, we make formidable opponents in the courtroom, presenting your case in the best light for you, with an aggressive stance when necessary. However, there are many times where certain matters may be resolved without litigation. Our attorneys will actively pursue alternative dispute resolution methods, including negotiation and mediation when it will best serve the client’s goals and objectives.

Family law includes the following areas:

MEDIATION

Family law matters can be full of emotion and conflict. In litigation, such conflict can be expensive and destructive to the long-term relationship of the parties. Ms. May serves as a third-party neutral mediator in family law cases where all parties are represented by their own attorneys. Trained in conflict resolution and mediation at Texas Women’s University, she assists parties in resolving their disputes using distributive bargaining and creative problem-solving techniques.

Approximately 90-95% of all lawsuits settle out of court, many using mediation. Court dockets are increasingly crowded – it may take a long time to take a case through the court system to resolution by a judge or jury. Mediation provides an opportunity to resolve the dispute, saving time, money and emotions.

APPEALS

Sometimes trial courts and juries make mistakes. In almost every case, the party that loses thinks the trial court or jury made a mistake. Since there are very short time periods within which to complain about a mistake made at trial, it is imperative to consult an appeallate lawyer before or very soon after the trial is over.

An appellate lawyer's skills are different from those of a trial lawyer. Where good trial lawyers are adept at ferreting out information through discovery, examination of witnesses, and making persuasive oral presentations in court, the appellate lawyer must be talented in persuasive writing. On appeal, the focus shifts from developing facts to mastering the record, researching legal principles, understanding subtle distinctions and emerging legal trends, exploring creative analogies and guiding policy considerations that shape the law, and then assembling everything in a concise, persuasively written brief.

At The May Firm, we will assist the client in understanding the appellate process while providing high quality legal services tempered with sound practical advice and the wisdom of experience. We have handled appellate matters ranging in importance from leading decisions that will affect an entire area of law to narrow procedural issues that affect one client on a single aspect of an individual case. Some areas of appellate practice include: