Jeanne Cezanne "Cezy" Collins901 Robinson

El Paso, Texas 79902(915)26e-8479

August 22,2018

Mr. G. Thomas Vick, Jr. and Mr. Rehan AlimohammadCo-Chairs, Nominations and Elections SubcommitteeMembers, Subcommittee of Nominations and ElectionsState Bar of Texas

Statement of Interest and Resume

Dear Mr. Vick and Mr. Alimohammad:

Thank you for the opportunity to interview for the potential candidacy for the position ofPresident-Elect of the State Bar of Texas. I am proud to be part of this profession, proudto be part of the best state bar in the nation, and would be honored to serve our members.I believe some of the critical issues facing the State Bar are those that have continued forseveral years. That is, relevance, effective communication, and lawyer well-being,professionally and personally.

Relevance

I believe the State Bar needs to re-examine, refine, and perhaps even redefine itsrelevancy to our members. Because the State of Texas is so diverse, the relevance of theBar varies based on numerous factors such as geographic location, practice area, age orexperience of the practitioner, the race, gender and ethnicity of our members, and thetype of practice, whether solo or small firm, legal service or govemment service, judicial,or mid to large size firm. In that regard, at each stage of my career, I have experiencedthe relevance of the Bar in different ways and settings.

Beginning as a legal aid lawyer serving the indigent in El Paso, lrcalizedthe importanceof the Bar's advocacy for legal services funding to provide such desperately neededresources to underserved communities. I understand the passion these practitioners have,in spite of the low salaries afforded to them, and for marLy, mounting student loan debt. Iwould advocate for the continued commitment of the Bar to the loan forgiveness programand advocate that law schools to do the same. Later in my career I experienced first handadditional access to justice efforts of the Bar as a Commissioner on the Texas Access toJustice Commission and Chair of the Supreme Court Task Force to Expand LegalServices Delivery. Going forward, I'd like to work with the Bar to expand and buildupon the great work of the Texas Opportunity and Justice lncubator, which addresses thejustice gap, and has the potential to do so exponentially, while providing opportunity toyoung lawyers to build a practice and serve the underrepresented.

Re:

While working as an Assistant El Paso County Attorney, I understood the challenges thatgovernment lawyers face. I empathize with the difficulty of keeping lawyers in thatservice when competitive salaries sometimes cannot be af;lorded by the governmentalentities and enough to tackle student loan debt. I applaud those that are dedicated to thatservice and would like to see the Bar increase its relevance to those that serve our federal,state, and local governments.

As a partner in a law firm, I understood the pressure and difficulty of building andsustaining a book of business, and the diffrculty being a female attomey and partner in amale dominated arena. Fortunately, I leamed of the Texas Minority Counsel Program,created to increase opportunities for minorities and women by providing networkingopportunities, client development, and CLE. My service on the steering committee of theTMCP reinforced the importance of this program and I would advocate that the Barincrease those efforts to create more opportunity for those minorities.

Currently, as General Counsel to a school district I understand the difficulties in buildingan in-house government law office from ground zero, while trying to impart high qualitylegal services to the entity. Here, involvement in the School Law Section has beeninstrumental. The important work of sections and divisions to our members cannot beoverlooked. In additiorl I understand the importance of, and struggle for, transparencyand many of the issues associated with it. Yet, transparency helps build community andbuy-in to solutions.

My experience working with voluntary bar associations, such as the El Paso Women'sBar Association, Texas Women Lawyers, the National Conference of Women's BarAssociations, and the El Paso Bar Association, all of which constantly struggle withfinding their relevance to allract and keep members, will provide unique insight to theBar in the quest for relevance.

I'd like to draw on all of these experiences and perspectives to help the Bar to re-examine, refine, and perhaps even redefine its relevancy to our members. Our membersneed to feel and be relevant to increase participation and to take ownership in the Bar.

Effective Communication

The Bar communicates in a variety of ways to our members. Unforhrnately, I think theBar still struggles in finding the best methods of effective communication. I would liketo work with the Bar to create a tool kit for local, specialty, and minority bar associationsto effectively communicate the benefits of membership and to listen to lawyer concerns.In this way, the Bar could enlist its own members to communicate membership benefitsand learn our members' perspectives on the Bar's relevance to them, while reinforcingthat the Bar is a service and not just an obligation.

Lawver Well-Being. Professionally and Personally

Being a member of the Board of Disciplinary Appeals over the last five years hashighlighted for me, the need to focus on some of the most prevalent and recurringviolations of the Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct. Targeted, well produced,and free ethics CLE programs should be provided to improve the profession and protectthe public. Moreover, more resources in law office practice management, especially intechnology resources for lawyers, would benefit our members and the quality of legalservices we provide.

Additionally, the National Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being is urging bar associationsto take action for organizational effectiveness, ethical integrity and humanitadartconcerns. The Texas Lawyer Assistance Program is at the forefront of that nationaldebate. In that regard, the Texas Lawyer Assistance Program should be viewed as aservice and not a place of last resort. The Bar should assist in educating local grievancecommittees to understand the depth of lawyer well-being issues and the benefits of TLAPand law office management skills and resources to meet this need.

I would look forward to the opportunity to work with the Bar to find ways to increase itsrelevance, to effectively communicate with our members, and to address lawyer well-being, professionally and personally. I think my unique background and experience willposition me to help the Bar to engage our members to be part of these solutions and totake ownership in our Bar.

Sincerely,

Enclosure

Collins

JEANNE CEZANNE "CEZY" COLLINS901 Robinson

El Paso, Texas 79902(91s) 26e-847e

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

El PASO INDEPDNDENT SCIIOOL DISTRICT * Et Paso, TexasGeneral Counsel, November 2013 to present

Legal representation to the school district, which has nearly 58,000 students and 9,000 employees, to includerepresentation of the Board at public meetings, handling litigation, employment matters, and district grievances,in addition to drafting of and advising on district contracts and policies.

KEMP SMITH LLP- El Paso, TexasPartner, Litigation Department, September 2000 to November 2013

Civil litigation in state and federal courts from trial through appeal concerning trademark infringement, classaction certification, contractual disputes, real estate disputes, unfair competition, employnent litigation,defamation and personal injury actions, insurance coverage claims, tort claims, and governmental immunity.Also prosecuted trademark applications and handled copyright matters.

OFFICE OF TIIE EL PASO COUNTY ATTORIIEY- El Paso, TexasSupervising Attorney, Civil Litigation Unit and Protective Order/Mental Commitment Unit, October 1997 toSeptember 2000

Supervised the Civil Litigation Unit consisting of four attorneys conducting both state and federal court practice,two paralegals and three legal secretaries; Supervised the Protective Order/Mental Commitment Unit consistingof three attorneys and five legal secretaries; Carried own civil case load comprised mainly of employment lawmatters.

OFFICE OF THE BL PASO COIINTY ATTORNEY- El Paso, TexasAssistant Cotmty Attorney, Civil Litigation Section, January 1996 to October 1997

Civil litigation in both state and federal court concentrating on employment, contracts, deceptive trade practices,civil rights, and other areas.

EL PASO LEGAL ASSISTANCE SOCIETY- El Paso, TexasStaffAttorney, Litigation Section, August 1993 to January 1996

Representation of indigent clients in family law, public housing, contractual, real estate, deceptive tradepractices, and bankruptcy matters.

PRfVATE PRACTICE- FL Worth, TexasSolo Practitioner, October 1992 to July 1993

General practice comprised ofjuvenile court appointments and contract work.

ATTORNEY GENERAL, DEPARTMENT OF ECONOIIIC SECURITY- Tucson, ArizonaLcnv Clerk, Jtme to August, 1989

Research, analysis, preparation and submission of various legal documents within the realm of dependency andtermination proceedings.

UNfVERSITY OF SOUTIIERN CALrpOnXra MADRID CENTER - Madrid, SpainProgram Coordinator, May, 1986 to June, 1988

Managed University Study Abroad Program in Madrid, Spain.

EDUCATION:J.D., May l991-LINIVERSITY OF ARIZONA COLLEGE OF LAW-Tucson, AraonaSummer School, 1990-WLLIAM AND MARY COLLEGE OF LAW-Madrid, Spain8.A., Spanish, May 1986-[IN[VERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA-Los Angeles, California

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS :Admitted to Practice: State Bar of Texas, United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, UnitedStates Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit, Supreme Court of the United States of AmericaBoard of Disciplinary Appeals, Board Member (2013 to present)Member, El Paso Bar Association (former Board Member 1998 - 2000)Member, El Paso Women's Bar Association (past President 1999 and 2001)Member, Texas Women Lawyers (past President2004-2005, past Director 1997- 2008)Member, Federal Bar Association, El Paso ChapterSustaining Life Fellow, Texas Bar FoundationMaster of the Bench, American Inns of Cour! The George A. McAlmon Inn of Court, El PasoFounding Life Fellow, El Paso Bar Foundation (President2008-2011)Member, Council of School AttorneysFormer Chair, Texas Bar Foundation Board of Trustees (2015-2016)Former Steering Committee Member, Texas Minority Counsel Program (2009-2013)Former President, National Foundation for Women's Bar Associations (2008-2011)Former President, National Conference of Women's Bar Associations (2011-20L2)Former Director, State Bar of Texas, District 17 (2008-2011)Former Commissionel Texas Access to Justice Commission (2008-2011)Former Chair, Supreme Court Task Force to Expand Legal Services Delivery Q009-2ALDFormer Board Member, Mexican American Bar Association of El Paso (2002-2003)

COMMT]NITY ACTIVITIES :Positive Role Model Program, El Paso Women's Bar Association, Co-Chair (2004 to present)(Teaching 5th gradestudents the importance of education by introducing them to various aspects of the legal profession)El Paso Holocaust Museum, Member (President 2010-2012)Executive Forum, Member (2010 to present)Former Volunteer, Project Future, El Paso Women's Bar Association (2012-2013) (Pro bono legal work foryoung adults who aged out of the foster care system without being adopted)Former Board Member and President, Planned Parenthood, Center of El Paso (President 2002-2004)Former Commissioner, El Paso County Civil Service Commission(2002-2004)Former Board Member, El Paso Legal Assistance Society (2002)Former Mentor, Marion Manor Elementary School (1997-2A00)Former Mentor, South Loop Elementary School (1996-1997)

FOREIGN LANGUAGE:Spanish language proficiency

HONORS:2017 President's Award, American Inns of Court, The George A. McAlmon Inn of Court, El Paso2013 Shattering Barriers Award Mexican American Bar Association of El Paso2010 Trail Blazer Award, El Paso Women's Bar Association2009 Sarah T. Hughes Women Lawyers of Achievement Award, State Bar of Texas, Women and the LawSectionTexas Super Lawyer 2009- Business LitigationEl Paso Bar Association Trail Blazer Award 2005Voted Outstanding Lawyer of El Paso 2A02-2A$ by the El Paso Young Lawyers Association