Leonard Jones

​

EDUCATION:

 

Thurgood Marshall School of Law, Texas Southern University. Houston, Texas

Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, May 2011; Certificate in Government Law          

GPA: 3.31; Rank: 25/170

• CALI Award (Legal Writing)

• Neal Speadon Moot Court Competition, 1st Place & Top Oralist

• Henry Doyle Moot Court Competition, 1st Place & Best Brief 

• Negotiations Competition, 1st Place & ABA Regional qualifier 

• Frederick Douglass National Moot Court Team 

• Client Counseling Competition, 2nd Place 

• NBLSA National International Negotiations Team 

 

The College of William and Mary Law School. Williamsburg, Virginia 

Summer Study Abroad in Madrid, Spain, Summer 2009 

Classes completed: International Environmental Law, Comparative Corporations, and European Internet Law

 

Xavier University of Louisiana. New Orleans, Louisiana

Bachelor of Science, Biology; Chemistry Minor, May 2007

• Biomedical Honors Scholar 

• Student Government Association

• Speech and Debate Team 

 

WORK EXPERIENCE:

 

The Davis Law Group, P.C., Dallas, Texas 

Managing Shareholder, July 2014-presemt

I work daily with a heavy focus on civil plaintiff and employment issues, including litigation, pre-trial, and trial work. Practice also involves a focus protecting defendants’ rights through state and federal criminal defense; offenses range from misdemeanor theft to capital murder. While the practice takes a general law practice approach, these areas are of particular importance, with a notation on willingness to go to trial. I have currently tried over 15 cases to verdict. 

 

Dallas County District Attorney’s Office, Dallas, Texas 

Assistant District Attorney, July 2012-July 2014

Worked daily as a criminal prosecutor trying cases from inception to verdict; included extensive motion practice, requesting discovery and answering discovery requests; job required extensive jury trial preparation and execution and occasional presence representing the state in examining trials. Key accomplishment: promoted 5 months into position and chosen as only hire within office to newly created Community Prosecution Unit. This position involved regular communication with public, government officials, and non-profit organizations; project management, curriculum coordination and presentation development.

 

Synergy Legal Professionals, Houston, Texas 

Contract Attorney, October 2011-May 2012

Performed e-discovery analysis to determine responsiveness and privilege assertions of opposing party discovery requests and submissions; major work included long term project pertaining to New Jersey environmental remediation and patent infringement regarding technology owned by Google and Sun Systems; involved use of Relativity platform.

 

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston, Texas

Intern, Honorable Judge George C. Hanks, Jr., October 2011-November 2011 

Researched legal issues appearing before the court; synthesized legal precedent to draft memoranda on appropriate ruling on trial matters. Internship occurred while waiting for bar exam results.

 

Harris County Attorney’s Office, Houston, Texas 

Law Clerk, Compliance Group, October 2011-November 2011

Performed complex research to formulate strategies for the legal use of state and federal property seizures; aided environmental group with interpretation of CERCLA provisions and environmental prosecution research. Internship occurred while waiting for bar exam results.

 

Dwight E. Jefferson, Attorney at Law, P.L.L.C., Houston, Texas

Law Clerk, September 2010-August 2011

Prepared motions and pleadings in the course of both federal and state litigation; assisted with general case management; prepared deposition summaries; interacted regularly with clients and opposing counsel. Major accomplishments include various defeated motions and an appellate brief being accepted for oral argument in the U.S. Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals.

 

Thurgood Marshall School of Law, Houston, Texas

Research Assistant, September 2010-May 2011

Researched issues related to gun control on professional school campuses; researched other issues including alternative methods of effectively teaching oral and written legal advocacy. My research resulted in the publication of the faculty member’s article and a personal citation within the notes of the article.

 

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Austin, Texas 

Law Clerk, July 2010-August 2010

Researched administrative law procedures related to state environmental issues; analyzed enforcement and agreed orders for accuracy; attended public agency hearings and private counsel agenda meetings with TCEQ commissioners. One major accomplishment was the submission of an agency action proposal to the general counsel, which was later adopted by the commissioners.

 

The Coca-Cola Company, Sugar Land, Texas 

Legal Intern, June 2010-July 2010

Analyzed trademark issues and advertising regulations; received high praise for modifying and updating the entire company regulatory and environmental compliance schedule; helped to enter and categorize all trademarks owned by the company into a central spreadsheet; collaborated to present a complex presentation on M&A due diligence.

 

The Supreme Court of Texas, Austin, Texas 

Full-time intern, Chief Justice Wallace B. Jefferson, January 2010-May 2010

Reviewed and submitted memoranda regarding the proposed resolution of petitions and writs submitted to the court; edited opinions before they were published; often credited for being able to research and identify obscure precedent with case-dispositive significance. Internship completed during one full semester of law school, in lieu of in-class instruction.

 

The City of Dallas, Dallas, Texas 

Environmental Specialist, October 2007-August 2008

Successfully performed environmental compliance inspections at industrial facilities and construction sites; developed expertise regarding federal and state environmental legislation including, but not limited to, the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, Superfund Act, TANK Act, and National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System; assisted with preparation of the section’s training and operation procedures; effectively audited files to prepare for EPA consent decree compliance. 

 

PUBLICATIONS:

 

Corwyn M. Davis. 2010. “Fueling the Coal War—The Courts, the Feds, and the EPA: Who is in a better position to curb coal related pollution?”  ExpressO.   

Available at http://works.bepress.com/corwyn_davis/2 (has been downloaded approx.100 times).

 

ACTIVITIES /COMMUNITY SERVICE:

 

Social Venture Partners, partner • American Association of Justice, member • Choose You Foundation, Inc., board member • West Dallas Community Centers, Inc., former board member • Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., member • Dallas Association of Young Lawyers, member, leadership class 2016-2017 • Mayor’s Star Council, 2016-2017 Class Member • ABA-Litigation, Environmental, Intellectual Property Sections • Texas Trial Lawyers Association, member • Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, member • The Black Academy of Arts and Letters, former board member • Urban League of Greater Dallas Young Professionals, former Professional Development Chair • Texas Trial Lawyers Association, member • Dallas Bar Association, member • The National Black Lawyers-Top 40 • Top 40 Under 40, Southwest Dallas (2013)