Appointed in early 1999 to the Fourteenth Court of Appeals by then-Governor George W. Bush, Justice Frost took her public oath of office on April 1, 1999. She was elected in 2000 to fill an unexpired term, and then re-elected in 2002 and again in 2008. Before taking the bench, Justice Frost enjoyed a 15-year civil trial and appellate practice, with an emphasis on complex business litigation.
PRIOR PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
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Shareholder, Winstead Sechrest & Minick P.C.
(Elected shareholder 1990, effective 1991) -
Houston, Texas
April 1987 – March 1999 -
Associate, Liddell, Sapp, Zivley, Hill & Laboon
(now Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell, L.L.P.) - Houston, Texas
June 1983 – March 1987
ADMISSION TO BAR AND COURTS
Admitted to the State Bar of Texas (1983)
While in private practice, Justice Frost received the highest possible peer review rating for professional excellence, skill, and integrity. She was admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and the United States District Courts for the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Districts of Texas.
EDUCATION
- Texas Tech University School of Law (1983)
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J.D., with honors
Associate Editor, Texas Tech Law Review
Vice Chair, Board of Barristers
American Jurisprudence Awards in Contracts and Criminal Law
- The University of Texas at Austin (1980)
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B.B.A., International Business
B.A., Government, with honors
Goodfellow Award (1980)
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS AND RECOGNITION
- Named "Appellate Judge of the Year" by Texas Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists (2010)
- Houston Bar Association President's Award for Outstanding Committee Service (2010)
- Named "Judge of the Year" by Peace Officers Looking Into Courthouse Excellence (P.O.L.I.C.E., Inc.) (2008)
- Awarded State Bar of Texas Presidential Commendation for "Individual Leadership in Improving Justice in Texas" (2007)
- Certified in Appellate Jurisprudence by the Texas College For Judicial Studies (2007)
- Recognized for "Outstanding Service Given to Our Legal Environment in School and Community" by Thurgood Marshall School of Law, Texas Southern University (2003)
- Graduate, National Institute Of Trial Advocacy, Boulder, Colorado
MEMBERSHIP IN PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AND PARTICIPATION IN LAW RELATED ACTIVITIES
- Elected Member, The American Law Institute
- Sustaining Member, College of the State Bar of Texas
- Board Member, American Inns of Court - Garland Walker Inn
- Board Member, Texas Tech Law School Foundation
- Life Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation
- Judicial Member, American Judicature Society
- Member, Legal Writing Institute
- Chair, Educational Programs for 27th Annual Conference of the National Association of Women Judges (2005)
- Supreme Court of Texas Task Force on the Code of Judicial Conduct (2003-2004)
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State Bar of Texas
Judicial Section
Appellate Section
Litigation Section
Family Law Section
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Houston Bar Association
Co-Chair, Law Week Committee (2009-present)
Speaker's Bureau
- Brazoria County Bar Association
- Fort Bend County Bar Association
- Katy Bar Association
- Guest Lecturer for Law School Classes
- Frequent Speaker for Continuing Legal Education Programs, Schools, and Community Groups
MOST RECENT LEGAL EDUCATIONAL PRESENTATIONS
- American Inns of Court, Garland Walker Inn, "The Next Top Model . . . of Professionalism" Panel Presentation (March 9, 2010).
- Katy Bar Association, "A Return to the Basics: Error Preservation Made Simple" (September 22, 2009).
- South Texas College of Law, 16th Annual Advanced Civil Trial Law Conference, "Effective Advocacy in Texas Courts of Appeals" Panel Presentation (February 29, 2008)
- Galveston County Bar Association, "For the Record: Making Objections Count in the Unforgiving World of Waiver" (October 25, 2007).
- State Bar of Texas Appellate Section and Houston Bar Association Appellate Practice Section, "A Candid Conversation: What Appellate Lawyers and Judges Want to Know But Are Afraid to Ask" Panel Presentation (May 17, 2007).
- Fort Bend County Bar Association, "Getting the Writ Right: A Practical Guide to Seeking Mandamus and Habeas Relief" Panel Presentation (March 29, 2007).
- Brazoria County Bar Association, "Practicing Before the Fourteenth Court of Appeals" Panel Presentation (February 9, 2007).
- State Bar of Texas, West Texas General Practice Symposium, "How to Succeed in Court" Panel Presentation (March 3, 2006).
- Houston Bar Association 2005 Family Law Institute, "Getting the Writ Right: A Practical Guide to Seeking Mandamus and Habeas Relief in the Courts of Appeals" Panel Presentation (April 8, 2005).
- South Texas College of Law Continuing Legal Education, Advanced Civil Trial Law Conference, "Trying a Case for a Successful Appeal" Panel Presentation (February 17, 2005).
- Texas Center for the Judiciary College for New Judges, "Viewing the World with 20/20 Hindsight: Tips form the Appellate Bench on Avoiding Common Mistakes" (December 8, 2004).
- State Bar of Texas Appellate Section, Appellate Boot Camp, "The Art of Oral Argument" Panel Presentation (September 8, 2004).
- Houston Bar Association Appellate Practice Institute, "Practicing Before the First and Fourteenth Courts of Appeals: A Practical Guide to Practicing with Professionalism in the Courts of Appeals" (May 21, 2004).
- Houston Bar Association Fall/Winter Seminar, "How to Maximize Your Chances for Success in Seeking Mandamus Relief in the Courts of Appeals" (September 18, 2003).
- Houston Bar Association Litigation Section, "Rules of Contract Construction: How Courts Interpret Contracts" (May 20, 2003).
- Texas Center for the Judiciary Criminal Justice Conference, "Ten Common Errors Made from the Trial Bench" (April 2003).
- Galveston County Bar Association, "Ten Essential Rules of Practicing with Professionalism in Texas Appellate Courts" (January 30, 2003).
- Houston Bar Association Litigation Section, "Procedure and Evidence Tips Every Practitioner Should Know" All Day Seminar – "Ten Rules of Professionalism in the Courts of Appeals" (January 23, 2003).
- Houston Bar Association, "Things That Matter in Winning an Appeal: Pushing the Right Buttons" (January 10, 2003).
- Fort Bend County Bar Association, "The Ten Commandments of Practicing with Professionalism:'Do's and Don'ts' in the Courts of Appeals" (October 31, 2002).
- Austin County Bar Assoication, "The Ten Commandments of Practicing with Professionalism: 'Do's and Don'ts' in the Courts of Appeals" (October 15, 2002).
- Brazos County Bar Association, "Hitting the Target on Appeal: Practical Tips for Effective Brief Writing" (September 27, 2002).
- Houston Bar Association Alternative Dispute Resolution Section, "Mediation in the Fourteenth Court of Appeals" (February 12, 2002).
- Gulf Coast Family Law Specialists, "A View From the Appellate Bench" (February 7, 2002).
- Houston Bar Association 2001 Civil Court Ad Litem Institute, "What Ad Litems Can Charge, How and Why" (October 5, 2001).
- Houston Bar Association Litigation Section Annual Seminar, "Winning on Appeal: Effective Briefs and Oral Advocacy in the Court of Appeals" (April 26, 2001).
- Houston Bar Association Appellate Practice Institute, "Practicing Before the First and Fourteenth Courts of Appeals: Drafting Effective Legal Arguments" (April 6, 2001).
- Houston Bar Association Appellate Practice Section, "Appellate Ethics: A Report From The Front Lines About Things You Didn't Know You Had To Worry About" (May 31, 2000).
- Houston Bar Association Litigation Section, Daubert/Robinson Challenges (March 29, 2000)
PERSONAL
- Native Houstonian and Sixth-Generation Texan
- Married since 1988; mother of four sons (ages 13-18)
Updated: 01-Feb-2011
