Today we’d like to introduce you to Megan Mendez.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Megan. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I am a native of San Antonio, Texas, specifically Alamo Heights—or as locals call it, “the bubble.” I graduated from Saint Mary’s Hall, a private college preparatory school, where I fell in love with photography, film, and digital media. Immediately after graduation, I moved to Austin, Texas, to intern for a family friend and non-profit lobbyist, Suzii Paynter. While working for her, I uncovered an entirely unforeseen passion—a passion for the law.
Upon completing my internship, I packed my bags and moved to Waco, Texas to begin my journey as a Baylor Bear. My freshman year commenced with a fork in the road: deciding which of my dichotomous passions to pursue, film and digital media or law. I remember my mother telling me, “You can pursue your artistic passion in undergrad, then attend law school, but it will be near impossible to pursue pre-law studies, then switch to film and digital media down the road.” As usual, mother knew best. Following her sound advice, I embarked on a journey to satisfy both of my passions, because let’s face it, whoever said you can’t have your cake and eat it too didn’t want the cake bad enough. I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Film and Digital Media from Baylor University, interned for a New York post-production house (NBTV Studios), and freelanced as a film editor and photographer in Austin, Texas. While I enjoyed fully utilizing my right-brain, I knew there was something missing—a law degree.
My close friends and family refer to this pivot as my Legally Brunette moment because I dropped everything, moved to Dallas, signed up for the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT), and began applying to law firms. Leveraging my Baylor education, LSAT score, and intent to attend law school, I secured a full-time position as a Legal Administrative Assistant at Barnes & Thornburg, LLP, and was accepted to UNT Dallas College of Law’s evening program shortly after.
During my first three years, I worked as a full-time Legal Administrative Assistant for the litigation department at Barnes & Thornburg. I was responsible for filings in state and federal courts, creating trial demonstratives, conducting legal research, preparing exhibits for depositions, drafting pleadings for attorney-review, and other trial related tasks.
With the firm’s blessing, I began my circuit of judicial internships in 2019. I had the honor of serving as the William E. Collins Clerk for Justice Guzman of the Supreme Court of Texas and as the Hispanic Law Foundation Judicial Intern for Judge Parker of the 116th Civil District Court, Dallas, Texas. While interning for these phenomenal female trailblazers, I learned the importance of female empowerment, comradery, and hard work. I also interned for Judge Hoffman of the 68th Civil District Court, Dallas, Texas, who taught me the importance of networking. With this newfound appreciation, I made a point of carving out time in my schedule to engage in events hosted by the Dallas Bar Association, Dallas Association of Young Lawyers, and Higginbotham Inn of Court. Through this engagement, I was able to secure my current position as a Law Clerk at Stanton, LLP. I will graduate from UNT Dallas College of Law in May 2020 and look forward to growing my network in the Dallas legal community.
Has it been a smooth road?
Attending law school while maintaining a full-time job presents a myriad of challenges, but as I overcome the struggles along the way, it is clear that each challenge is an opportunity for growth. Through this experience, I learned to:
• acknowledge and prioritize issues;
• develop a plan;
• ask for help, if necessary;
• execute the plan; and
• accept the outcome and move on.
Please tell us about the business.
I work at Stanton, LLP, a litigation boutique based here in Dallas. What I like about the firm is we focus on the most challenging cases. We look at ourselves as special legal forces—clients and other lawyers come to us with their toughest cases. The firm’s culture also aligns with my personal values for client services. We work to build relationships with our clients that are forged by deep understanding, earned trust, and unwavering authenticity.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Where to start? I love Dallas because it is a melting pot of culture, art, music, design, architecture, and culinary arts. Dallas is the home to a wide range of neighborhood gems: Bishop Arts, Trinity Groves, Deep Ellum, Uptown, Oak Lawn, Upper and Lower Greenville, Legacy, Design District, Downtown, Preston Hollow, Knox/Henderson, and Fort Worth. Each neighborhood is unique and offers something different—from impromptu concerts by local legends to culinary pop-ups. It is near impossible to be bored in our city.
Contact Info:
- Address: Comerica Bank Tower
1717 Main Street, Suite 3800
Dallas, Texas 75201 - Website: http://www.stantonllp.com/
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