July 2022
by Alexis Swanzy

Growing up outside of Washington D.C., Barret Armbruster earned his B.A., magna cum laude, in Government from the College of William & Mary and worked four years as a litigation legal assistant in Washington, D.C. After moving to the Dallas area to be closer to family with his wife, Barret attended SMU Dedman School of Law, where he served as an articles editor for the SMU Law Review Association, a student attorney in the SMU Dedman School of Law Civil Clinic, and a Board of Advocates Director. He received his J.D., magna cum laude, along with being awarded Order of the Coif, Order of the Barristers, and the State Bar of Texas Appellate Section Award for Excellence in Appellate Advocacy.

Upon graduation, Barret joined Sidley Austin’s Dallas office, practicing in the Commercial Litigation and Disputes group. He is a managing associate and enjoys working on a wide variety of commercial issues and disputes in federal and state trial and appellate courts across the country, priding himself on finding creative solutions for his clients.

Barret continues to nurture his creative passion by designing and writing the hypothetical used in the DAYL Trial Skills series of CLE programs. The DAYL Trial Skills Committee organizes a three-part CLE series each year that provides experiential learning opportunities for young lawyers to practice a skill (e.g. opening statement, voir dire) based on a specific hypothetical fact pattern. The highlight of the annual CLE series is the Boot Camp, which this year was held on Saturday, June 25, and focused on cross examinations. During this year’s Boot Camp, attendees prepared a cross examination based on Barret’s written hypothetical and had the unique opportunity to cross examine a witness and receive valuable feedback on their cross from seasoned attorneys and judges. Barret was instrumental in organizing this year’s Boot Camp and handled a multitude of tasks to ensure a successful and productive event for all attendees.

For all these reasons and many more, Barret Armbruster is this month’s DAYL One to Watch. Congratulations!