Deborah Hankinson

Deborah Hankinson is both appellate lawyer and appellate strategist.  Drawing on her background in private practice and experience as a member of the Texas judiciary, Deborah is in the unique position of bringing her clients the perspective that comes from having been on both sides of the bench.  Clients retain Deborah not only in post-verdict appellate situations, but also to collaborate with trial teams on key pretrial and trial motions, overall strategy, and preservation of error.  Deborah also acts as a mediator and arbitrator in cases involving a variety of complex legal areas.

Deborah honed her trial and appellate skills at the well-known Dallas law firm of Thompson & Knight, L.L.P., between 1983 and 1995.  She was then appointed and later elected to the Texas judiciary, where she first served as a Justice on the Fifth District Court of Appeals at Dallas and then as a Justice on the Supreme Court of Texas.  In 1999, the Texas Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates honored Deborah as the Texas Judge of the Year.  In 2003, Deborah founded The Law Offices of Deborah Hankinson.

An accomplished appellate lawyer, Deborah handles all aspects of post-trial proceedings for her clients, including post-trial motions, appellate briefing, and oral arguments in state and federal court.  She also provides independent assessments of potential appeals and consults with other lawyers to fine-tune appellate briefing and assist in their preparation for oral argument.

Deborah also collaborates with other law firms in developing pretrial and trial strategies that both advance the case and maximize the client's position in the event of an appeal.  She routinely participates or takes the lead in drafting key discovery motions, dispositive motions, and jury charges, and provides guidance on preserving error.  When appropriate, Deborah attends jury charge conferences and trials.

Hankinson Levinger LLP offers mediation services as well, and Deborah serves as the mediator in a variety of complex cases that range from multi-party contractual disputes to employment law matters to mass tort lawsuits.  For further information, please access our Mediation Services Memorandum.

Deborah graduated with distinction from Purdue University in 1973 and subsequently earned a Master of Science degree from the University of Texas at Dallas in 1978.  In 1983, she graduated first in her law school class from Southern Methodist University's Dedman School of Law, where she was Editor-in-Chief of the Southwestern Law Journal.  Deborah later received the Distinguished Alumni Award for Judicial Service from the Dedman School of Law and currently serves on its Executive Board.  In 2002 and 2003, she was a Visiting Professor of Law at the Dedman School of Law.  Deborah is a member of the American Law Institute, and is Board Certified in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.