PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

Justice, Court of Appeals, December, 2009 – Present

Appointed by Gov. Rick Perry

 

Judge, 203^rd Judicial District Court, January 1,1995 – Present

Presided over all felony cases, including capital murder, murder, 

aggravated robbery, child abuse, drug offenses, and identity theft.

Elected by the district judges in Dallas County to serve as

Local Administrative District Judge for Dallas County for a two-year term,

 2002 – 2004.

Elected by the criminal district judges in Dallas County to serve as

Administrative Presiding Judge of the Dallas County criminal district courtsfor a three-year term, 1997 – 2000.

Presided over a special court to more closely monitor technical violators of probation, 2006.  After observing the court in action, Dallas Morning

News columnist Steve Blow in his July 2, 2006 column entitled “Special Court A Test In Second Chances” wrote:  “Watching the probationers interact with the judge, something slowly became clear.  For many of them, for the first time in their lives, they were dealing with a genuine authority figure -- someone fair, firm, supportive and demanding.”

Serves as the district judge for the First Administrative Judicial Region authorized

to issue search warrants for the interception and use of wire, oral or

electronic communications under Article 18.20 of the Texas Code of            Criminal Procedure, 2007 to present.

Member, Texas Supreme Court Task Force to Ensure Judicial Readiness

in Times of Emergency, 2007 to present.

Appointed by Governor Rick Perry to the Crime Victims’ Institute Advisory Council, 2008 to present.

Presiding Judge of “S.T.A.R. Court” (Strengthening Transition And Recovery),

a specialty court designed to reduce recidivism among female offenders charged with prostitution, June 2008 to present.

Faculty member, Texas Center for the Judiciary’s College for New Judges, 2008

Discussion leader, ”Justice for All? Perceptions of Racial and Ethnic Bias in Our Courts” conference sponsored jointly by the ABA Judicial Division and SMU’s Dedman School of Law, April 7, 2009.

Member, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Education Committee recommending educational  requirements and course content, credit, and standards for judges and court personnel of appellate courts, district courts, statutory county courts, county courts performing judicial functions, May, 2009 to present.

Member, Steering Committee, New Life Opportunities Prostitution Diversion Initiative, 2009

Speaker, Panel Discussion sponsored by the Dallas Association Young Lawyers:

           “Everything a Young Lawyer Needs to Know About Criminal Law,” July 9, 2009.

In every Dallas Bar Association poll in which she has been evaluated, she has consistently received high marks from the attorneys who practice before her.

 

Attorney in Private Practice, 1994 – 1995

Emphasis on representation of indigent defendants.

Assistant District Attorney, Dallas County District Attorney’s Office, 1982 – 1994

Trial Prosecutor. Chief Felony Prosecutor, 1987 – 1994.

Member, Female Offender Task Force, 1993.

Junior High Art Teacher, 1976 – 1978

Arlington ISD, Arlington, Texas

 

 

EDUCATION:

Baylor University School of Law, 1978 -1981

Juris Doctor, 1981

Member:  Student Bar Association; Delta Theta Phi Legal Fraternity

Baylor University, 1972 -1976

Bachelor of Fine Arts, 1976, Magna Cum Laude

Member:  Alpha Lambda Delta (National Freshman Women Honor Society);

           Spanish Club; Alpha Chi (National College Honor Society); Kappa Pi (National Honorary Art Society); Kappa Delta Pi (an international honor society in education).

Irving High School, 1968 - 1972

           Honor Graduate

 

 

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS, ACTIVITIES, AND AWARDS:

State Bar of Texas

           Member, 1982 to present

           Member, Judicial Section, 1995 to present

Dallas Bar Association

           Member, 1995 to present

           Judge for Texas High School Mock Trial Competition, Region 10, and DISD                       high school mock trial competitions sponsored by the Dallas Bar                        Association and Dallas Bar Foundation for over twenty years.

Co-vice Chair, Mock Trial Committee, 2000 - 2002

Co-chair and Chair, Mock Trial Committee, June 2003 to present

Co-chair/Judge, National High School Mock Trial Competition in Dallas, 2006 – 2007.  (Dallas Bar Association Mock Trial Committee received the Nancy L. Garms Memorial Award for outstanding contribution to law-focused education in 2006.  In 2008, the State Bar of Texas honored the Dallas Bar Association with the “Star of Achievement” award for sponsoring the 2007 National High School Mock Trial Competition.)

Judge, National High School Mock Trial Competitions in Florida, South Carolina, and Oklahoma      

Co-recipient of the Dallas Bar Association’s Jo Anna Moreland Outstanding Committee Chair Award, 2007

Panelist, discussion on legal ethics sponsored by the Dallas Bar Association Legal Ethics Committee, 2000, 2006

Moderator and Panelist, Criminal Law Breakout Sessions, Dallas Bar Association Bench/Bar Conference, 2000, 2008

Member, Task Force that drafted the Dallas Bar Association’s Creeds for Integrity and Professionalism in Judicial Elections adopted by the Dallas Bar Association in August, 2003     

Member, Judiciary Committee

Volunteer, Dallas Bar Association’s Habitat for Humanity Project and Law Day Committee’s Mock Voir Dire demonstration for Dallas public school students.

Dallas Bar Foundation

             Life Fellow since 2001

Dallas Association of Young Lawyers

Presenter, Orientation for Judicial Intern Program, 2001, 2002 Sponsored many law student interns through DAYL Judicial Intern Program Founding Fellow since 2002

Texas Association of District Judges

             Secretary-Treasurer, 2000; President-Elect, 2001; President, 2002

Member, State Technical Violations Committee chaired by the

Director, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Community Assistance Division, 2000

Member, Dallas County Juvenile Board, 2002 – 2004

Recipient of the Arthur Neu Award presented jointly by the National Association of Probation Executives and the Community Improvement Assn. of Iowa for exceptional policy development, 2004

Panelist, criminal law seminar on judicial/legal ethics sponsored by the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, 2006

Judge for Southern Methodist University Law School’s mock trial and moot court programs

Master, Patrick E. Higginbotham Inn of Court, 2008 to present

 

OTHER ASSOCIATIONS, ACTIVITIES, AND AWARDS:

Recipient, Irving Independent School District’s “Outstanding Irving High School Graduate” award, 1989

Volunteer Center of Dallas County

             Member, Board of Directors, 1994 - 2003

             Chair, Community Service Restitution Committee, 1998 - 2003

Member, Baylor University Women’s Council of Dallas

Southwest Dallas County Republican Club

             Second Vice-President, 1995 - 1996

Dallas Republican Career Women, Founding Charter Member

Coppell Republican Club

             Vice-President, 1997; President, 1998 - 2000. Member of many other Republican organizations since 1995

Member, Oak Cliff Lions Club, 2009

 

 

PERSONAL:

Born August 14, 1954

Member of a pioneer Dallas family

Married to David Myers, a biology teacher and former head

             basketball coach at MacArthur High School in Irving, Texas. 

             He is the sponsor of a spirit/leadership group of twelve seniors

             called the “Fire Truck Crew.”  Lana and David have a

             unique “How We Met” story.  Classmates from elementary

             school through high school, they became re-acquainted when

             he served on a jury panel in her court.

Member, First Baptist Church Dallas

             Since 2008, my husband and I have served as Sunday School Class

             Community Group Leaders.

 

Judge Lana Myers

For

Justice, Court of Appeals