Your home and land can be your most important and intimate asset. Property usage, housing, and land ownership are some of the oldest areas of law, and this area of law contains many archaic ideas and concepts that are rapidly evolving to accommodate changing social values and very rapid demographic shifts in certain areas such as Far West Texas. Growing awareness of property rights intersecting with community well-being and shifts in ecological awareness make representing clients in this area of law extremely interesting and gratifying. These are very transitional times, and you can trust us to meet your property legal representational needs with an effective legal strategy that combines practicality with creativity.

While externing at the Federal Defenders of San Diego as a new law school graduate and masters of law student at California Western, Ms. Cole learned the important skill of vertical representation in a criminal law context, which means proactively preserving an appellate record at the trial level. She was also taught to utilize habeas corpus motions by the late Ben Rayborn, Chief Research Assistant of FDSD and former incarcerated individual. Habeas motions are civil collateral attacks on criminal sentences. Habeas corpus motions are essentially written trials introducing new evidence into the record or seeking to address changing laws. For example, as drug laws are changed by necessity due to the legalization of marijuana, a habeas would allow one to address outdated convictions that are based on conduct which is no longer considered illegal. After practicing in criminal law for fifteen years, I decided to practice civil law when I experienced the power of civil habeas motions and the outcomes available in a civil law context. While we can never completely control outcomes, we can carefully preserve records to increase the odds of successful outcomes in higher court.

Many legal cases whose representation has been accepted by our law office involve changing societal issues related to a growing understanding of childhood abuse and trauma, the wrongfulness of assaults and abuse against children and adults, the untenable nature of serious corruption, and creating innovative remedies for addressing historical prejudice and discrimination. As a fifth generation Texan who dearly loves this state, Ms. Cole can honestly admit that Texas is not an especially progressive state. Many of the established “ruling” groups who benefit from systemic inequities are not always welcoming to involuntary change. Ms. Cole have learned the importance of endurance and resilience in attempting to shift mindsets and law so that all people are fairly and justly represented, not just members of the ruling class who are struggling to maintain an outdated and ineffective status quo. From experience, Ms. Cole have learned that if she represents courageous clients, they can count on her to weather the ups and downs of protracted legal processes. If an outcome is not what we desire, we have always been able to leave a historical documentation of right action and bravery for future generations. Ms. Cole have often seen unforeseen outcomes that are very gratifying, and if kept accountable by lawsuits and legal mechanisms, many initially stubborn and resistant people adapt to involuntary change when they see the benefit it gives our community in the long run. Sometimes people simply will not change without help from the civil court system.

You can count on us to represent you if you need to address an unfair and unjust situation in a legally viable and creative way.

Human beings cannot agree on all things, at all times. Disagreements do not have to result in dysfunctional and ineffective situations. Mediation can help parties resolve disputes in ways that help all parties move forward in a positive manner. Ms. Cole have been trained in mediation by the Center for Public Policy Dispute Resolution through the University of Texas. Please contact our office if she can be of service as a mediator. Ms. Cole is comfortable mediating virtually with Zoom or in person. She is newer to the Far West Texas region, which allows her to serve as a mediator without unconscious bias or preference for people based on their histories or families. She especially enjoys facilitating understanding and resolution for parties and groups from different cultural backgrounds and social classes. After serving as a municipal judge, Ms. Cole have learned to value dispute resolution when the judicial system may not be able to address the parties’ true interests and needs. Please call our office for rates.