I have had an eclectic career. My father was in the U.S. Navy when I was a child, so my fantasy when I left home was to find a home town. Austin, Texas, qualified as that home town, and I have been here since 1970, with a few years off to make certain that this is where I wanted to call home.

My career has had a certain circuitous flavor to it. I graduated in 1970 from a Jesuit High School in Dallas, and in 1974 from Richland Community College in the Dallas area, after attending Tyler Jr. College for a semester while I did tree work outside Frankston, Texas. I returned to Austin in 1975, finally graduating in 1978, with a degree in Humanities, and a concentration in Journalism courses. Matter of fact, I won some national awards for economic stories (taxing and bank-holding companies) that I wrote for the Texas Observer (under then editor Jim Hightower). I also wrote articles for the Dallas Morning News and other publications, including KUT-FM’s Listen magazine.

Figuring that I needed to know more about how people thought the world worked, I attended the LBJ School of Public Affairs from 1979 to 1982, when I received my Master’s degree. My Master’s thesis was entitled A Case Study of Decentralized Power Systems and Municipal Politics, Austin, Texas; 1979 to 1981. I guess you could say that I know something about this town.

I entered the South Texas College of Law in 1989, from which I received my degree in 1991, with course work at the University of Texas School of Law. I was licensed to practice law in Texas in 1992.

I'm a trained attorney, mediator, and counselor at law. My mediation training includes the course authorized by the Texas Dispute Resolution Act for 40-hours of classroom time; this particular course was taught at the Center for Public Policy Dispute Resolution at the University of Texas School of Law.

• Authorized to practice law in Texas State and Federal Courts
• Member of Bar, State of Texas, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, New Orleans, La., and United States Supreme Court, Washington, D.C.
• Member of Bar, all Federal District Courts in Texas
• Certified as an Attorney Ad Litem by the State of Texas
• Certified to be on the Travis County Juvenile Attorney Appointment list since 2002, and other Travis County lists regarding family law.