The Animal Law Section Officers serve two-year terms. Elections are held at the section’s annual meeting in conjunction with the State Bar of Texas annual meeting in June (usually). A nominating committee is formed and nominees are solicited approximately 60 days before the election. Anyone interested in running for office or a council member position may contact the Chair of the Animal Law Section.
The State Bar of Texas will hold its next annual meeting on June 19-20, 2025 at the JW Marriott Hill Country in San Antonio, Texas. More information available here.
Below are the new officers and council after our election in July 2024.
There are eight council members who serve two-year terms. The council is the governing body of the section.
Officers 2024-2026
Chair – Allie Soileau
Vice Chair – Christiana Dijkman
Treasurer – Richard Thompson
Secretary – Miranda Cook
Past Chair – Ashley N. Morgan
Council Members 2023-2025
| Place 1 | Zandra Anderson |
| Place 2 | Kenna Giffin |
| Place 3 | Paige Santell |
| Place 4 | Cynthia Smiley |
Council Members 2024-2026
| Place 5 | Carey Buxton |
| Place 6 | Jessica Milligan |
| Place 7 | Rebecca Pennington |
| Place 8 | Jeff Shaver |
BIOGRAPHIES
OFFICERS:
Chair Allie Soileau
ALLIE SOILEAU primarily practices water law but is very passionate about animal law. Allie is a staff attorney in the Environmental Law Division of the Texas Commission for Environmental Quality. Allie has a bachelor’s degree in animal science with a concentration in pre-veterinary medicine from Louisiana Tech University, and, prior to law school, she worked in veterinary medicine. While attending the University of Houston Law Center, Allie was two-time president of the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund and revitalized the organization post-COVID. She was runner-up in the Legislation and Lobbying National Animal Law Competition in 2023 and was awarded Best Legislative Bill. Allie has harbored a lifelong passion for animals, starting an animal rescue club as early as ten years old, working with surrendered horses as a teenager, and volunteering with animals for most of her life. She and her husband have a dog (Sterling), two cats (Nova Scotia and Lana), a leopard gecko (Ponzu), and a variety of freshwater fish.
Past Chair Ashley N. Morgan
ASHLEY N. MORGAN is a trial attorney whose primary practice is personal injury defense litigation. Ashley is a Senior Associate Attorney at the Austin office of Fee, Smith, & Sharp, L.L.P. She has handled a variety of animal law cases, including personal injury, divorce, and dog ownership disputes. Ashley graduated from Baylor Law School in 2016. While she was a law student, Ashley was President of Student Animal Legal Defense Fund and managed a trap-neuter-return campaign for local feral cat colonies. Ashley has a Master’s Degree in Communication Studies from Baylor University. She received the award for Top Student Paper in Philosophy and Ethics at the 84th Annual Southern States Communication Convention for her paper “Anthropocentrism, Rhetorical Criticism, and Argumentation Theory.” She has previously served in the positions of Council Member and Secretary of the Animal Law Section of the State Bar of Texas and is a member of the Animal Law Section of the Austin Bar Association.
Vice Chair Christiana Dijkman – Coming Soon!
Treasurer Richard Thompson
RICHARD THOMPSON graduated with a BS-CJ from UT Arlington in 1979 and a JD from South Texas College of Law in 1985 and has practiced law since 1986. Most of his career has been spent in consumer and commercial collections. He became interested in Animal Law after attending an HBA CLE more than a decade ago about investigating the arrests, and prosecution of a horrific dog fighting ring in East Texas. He loves animals, particularly dogs. Richard has practiced less animal law than some, but volunteers time to the Montgomery County Animal Shelter on 242 and has fostered dogs. He finds the cases our animal law section members handle and the issues they present fascinating.
Secretary Miranda Cook
MIRANDA COOK is a personal injury and product liability trial attorney on the Plaintiff’s side, and she is passionate about pursuing justice and accountability for her clients, family and friends. Miranda graduated from Baylor Law School in 2016, and has been practicing at Sico Hoelscher Harris LLP, a trial firm in San Antonio, since she was licensed in 2017. Miranda became involved in the Animal Legal Defense Fund in Law School, and is excited to be involved in the Animal Law Section now. She hopes to increase awareness of the legal issues involving animals in her San Antonio community, and advocate for the rights of animals, just like she does on a daily basis with her human clients. Miranda believes that animals are more than pets – they are part of the family. Miranda has two adopted fur babies, a 16 year old Maltese named Princess who she and her husband adopted from an elderly family member, and a 3 year old Maltese-mix named Blanca, who they adopted from the Paws of Love Animal Rescue group in Dallas-Fort Worth.
COUNCIL MEMBERS:
Upon graduating from law school in 2004, JESSICA MILLIGAN practiced civil law in San Antonio before becoming an Assistant District Attorney for the Harris County District Attorney’s Office from 2006-2020. While a prosecutor, Jessica handled various types of felonies and misdemeanors, but focused on animal cruelty prosecutions as the Animal Cruelty Section Chief. As the head animal cruelty prosecutor, Jessica prosecuted thousands of felony animal cruelty offenders, worked on special and legislative initiatives relating to animal abuse, and founded the Harris County District Attorney’s Office H.O.P.E. (Helping Our Pets through Education) Program.
Jessica is now in private practice but continues to be a resource on animal cruelty investigations throughout the country and is a frequent speaker on criminal law and animal cruelty issues at various law schools, law enforcement academies, and animal welfare conferences. She has held various board positions with the Houston Bar Association’s Animal Law Section and State Bar of Texas Animal Law Section. Jessica holds a dual bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Management from New Mexico State University, a J.D. from St. Mary’s in San Antonio, and is a licensed attorney in both Texas and Colorado. She and her husband have three boys, two rescue pups, and an aquarium full of carnival fish.
CYNTHIA SMILEY has enjoyed a variety of roles in a legal career that began with graduation from The University of Texas School of Law in 1981 — starting as an in-house counsel for a major corporation in Houston, followed by work as an attorney for the Texas environmental agency in Austin, and by years of work in law firms as an attorney in the Austin Offices of Jones Day, Baker Botts, and Kelly Hart & Hallman. She served as the Chair of the Environmental & Natural Resources Law Section of the State Bar of Texas from 2011-2012 and has been recognized by “Best Lawyers” in the fields of environmental law and water law since 2008. In May 2018, she was honored to receive the “Outstanding Achievement Award” from the Travis County Women Lawyers’ Association. In 2019, she was selected to serve as a member of the leadership for the Animal Law Section of the State Bar of Texas. In February 2012, Ms. Smiley ventured into the solo/small firm world with the formation of Smiley Law Firm, where she continues to practice environmental law and water law for a wide array of clients, including individuals, associations, and businesses. In addition, inspired by her experience as a volunteer puppy-raiser for Guide Dogs for the Blind and, most recently, for Canine Companions for Independence, Cindy has become very interested in legal issues associated with service dogs and the importance of their work for people who depend upon these amazing animals, along with other issues associated with animals in public places.
ZANDRA ANDERSON is a trial lawyer who in 2005 decided to mix passion with profession. She jokes that her life went to the dogs. She has practiced animal law exclusively since then and has represented or counseled with owners and their animals including dogs, cats, horses, ferrets, exotic birds, geese, monkeys, lemurs, goats and a Guinea pig so far. Zandra represents animals and their owners regarding ownership disputes, dangerous dog declarations, animal cruelty, and cases involving pet professionals and animal businesses. She has had cases involving liability issues concerning animal professionals, rescue organizations, and dogs that injure people or pets. She has represented animal owners, rescue organizations, veterinarians and other pet professionals and animal related businesses. Zandra lives in a little city inside Houston with her three dogs–Kabe, an All American Dog mixed with who knows what she got from the local police department, Ziggy a purebred, AKC registered American Staffordshire Terrier, and Zane, her puppy, who is also an AKC registered American Staffordshire Terrier, both obtained from excellent AKC Breeders of Merit. Zandra trains and exhibits dogs in conformation, tracking, nose work, dock diving, barn hunt, obedience, Rally and lure coursing. Pictured is Smooch (1/13/2011—3/28/2022), her beloved American Bulldog rescued from Houston’s animal shelter, BARC.
REBECCA PENNINGTON was licensed in 1988 and spent many years as a civil trial attorney and 3 years as the Director of the University of Houston’s Trial Advocacy Institute before limiting her practice to equine law, where she represents individuals and businesses in the horse world in litigation as well as business set up and transactional matters. She is a regular speaker on equine law issues with various organizations including the Texas State Bar and Houston Bar Association. Rebecca is a life-long equestrian who has shown in many disciplines over the years and has bred a number of horses for the Olympic disciplines of dressage, showjumping and eventing. She is also an AKC Breeder of Merit, having bred and shown many champion Cavalier King Charles Spaniels before retiring from the dog show world in 2017. She has for 30 years owned and run a horse boarding and training facility in Cypress, Texas, where she lives with her husband, 20 horses, a rescued Pit Bull mix and an ancient Cavalier.
PAIGE SANTELL graduated from South Texas College of Law in 2004. She immediately went to work as an assistant district attorney. She served in both Galveston and is currently a felony prosecutor in Brazoria county. Paige has a combined career in law enforcement of over 26 years. Her affection and advocacy for the animals started in childhood and has shaped the majority of her life. She is a rescue volunteer, foster, and adopter with multiple organizations. She is pictured with one of her best rescues from a puppy mill operation.
CAREY BUXTON is a Disaster Benefits and Housing attorney with Texas RioGrande Legal Aid out of their Edinburg office. He has worked there since he graduated from Cornell Law School in 2020. Carey is also a member of the ABA Young Lawyers Division: Disaster Legal Services, where he helps coordinate the delivery of legal services to survivors nationwide. Carey considers his defining character trait to be his love for animals, and he is active with his local shelter and any strays he comes across. He has a rescued chocolate labrador named Daisy and a labrador mix named Donut, who was his first foster fail.
Bios for Christina Dijkman, Kenna Giffin, and Jeff Shaver Coming Soon!