Elizabeth Lang Miers is a Justice on the Court of Appeals for the Fifth District of Texas at Dallas. She was sworn in on October 13, 2003. She was previously a partner with Locke Liddell & Sapp LLP. Justice Lang-Miers’ 28 years of practice generally included commercial litigation before state and federal courts, and representing clients regarding employment matters. She was a member of the Panel of Arbitrators and Panel of Mediators of the American Arbitration Association.
Justice Lang Miers has held many key positions in professional organizations, including The Dallas Bar Association, The State Bar of Texas, The American Bar Association, and other organizations, including:
Dallas Bar Association: Immediate Past-President (1999); President (1998); President -Elect (1997); Vice -President (Activities) (1996); Vice -President (Administrative) (1995); Chair, Board of Directors (1994); Vice Chair, Board of Directors (1993); Secretary/Treasurer (1987); Executive Committee (1994-1998); Member, Board of Directors (1987, 1990-1999); Chair, Lawyer referral Service Committee (1988-1990); Chair, Media Relations Committee (1984-1986); Chair, Meet Your Judges Committee (1993); Chair, Community Symposium for Justice in Education; Community Service Fund (Volunteer Attorney Program), President, Officer and Member, Board of Directors.
State Bar of Texas: Director (1999-2002); Executive Committee, Board of Directors (2000-2001); Board of Directors’ Committees: Chair and Member, Strategic Planning Committee; Member, Legal Services Committee; Member, Policy Manual Committee; Chair, Vice-Chair of the Coordination with other Professional Groups Committee; Member, Pattern Jury Charge Oversight Committee.
American Bar Association; Member, House of Delegates (1999-2004); Member, Section of Labor and Employment Law, Employee Rights and Responsibilities Committee; Member, Litigation Section.
Other Professional Organizations to which Justice Lang-Miers belongs or has belonged include: Member, Board of Directors, Texas Center for the Judiciary; Commissioner, Texas Access to Justice Commission; Fellow, American Bar Foundation; Trustee and Life Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation; Dallas Bar Foundation: Chair, Vice- Chair, Secretary-Treasurer, Executive Committee, Board of Trustees, Chair, Grants Committee ; Member, The American Law Institute; National Conference of Bar Presidents, Member, Program Committee; Metropolitan Bar Caucus, Member, Executive Committee and Program Committee; Dallas Association of Women Lawyers, Advisory Board; Dallas Young Lawyers Association, Chair, Lawyers as Parents Committee; Texas Young Lawyers Association, Chair, Lawyers as Parents Committee; Member, Missouri Bar Association; Barrister, William Mac Taylor 112th American Inn of Court; Member of the Council of the Appellate Section of the Dallas Bar Association.
Justice Lang Miers is the author of the two volume Texas Practice Guide, Employment Practice published by Thomson*West and of the article entitled, “Perry Mason and the Case of Lost Respect,” Journal of the Section of Litigation, Vol. 22, No. 3, Spring 1996.
Other Awards and Honors Justice Lang-Miers has received include: Recipient, Judge Sam Williams Leadership Award, State Bar of Texas 2002; Recipient, President’s Citations, State Bar of Texas, 1996 and 1999; Recipient, Louise Raggio Award, Dallas Women Lawyers’ Association (1998); Recipient, Equal Justice Award, Legal Services of North Texas (1999); Recipient, Women of Excellence Award (1998); Volunteer with a Heart Award from YWCA Metropolitan Board of Directors (1995); Texas Super Lawyer, Texas Monthly Magazine.
Other community organizations to which Justice Lang Miers has devoted her time and energy include: Vice Chair and Member, Board of Governors, The Dallas Foundation; Member, Dallas Assembly; Commissioner, Public Safety and Corrections, e-Texas Commission (Comptroller’s review of government performance); Member, Leadership America and Leadership America Alumnae Association; Member, Leadership Texas and Leadership Texas Alumnae Association; Member, Leadership Dallas and Leadership Dallas Alumnae Association; Chair, North Dallas Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting; Chair, Development Committee and Member, Board of Directors, YWCA of Metropolitan Dallas; Chair, YWCA Family of the Year Luncheon (1993); Chair, YWCA Mentors and Allies Program (2001); Member, Board of Directors, Advisory Board, Way Back House; Participation in founding and chair of summer luncheon programs for Attorneys Serving Community (ASC); Member, Steering Committee, Women’s Leadership Council, United Way; Board Member, Committee for a Qualified Judiciary; Chair, Youth Advisory Board, Chancellor, Church of the Incarnation; Participated in other community programs.
Justice Lang Miers earned her B.A. in 1972 from the University of Missouri; Columbia, Missouri, and in 1975 earned her J.D. from the University of Missouri School of Law; Columbia, Missouri. Her law school awards and activities included: Member, Missouri Law Review; Member Board of Governors, University of Missouri School of Law (Law Student Council); American Jurisprudence Awards: Criminal Law and Corporations; Founding Member, Women’s Law Caucus; Phi Delta Phi, and the Criminal Defense Clinic.
Justice Lang Miers has been a frequent speaker and panelist at and contributor to continuing legal education programs, professional programs and community forums.