by Cali M. Franks
October, 2020

Leadership is all about passion and compassion. The drive Maria Garrett has in her professional life is all but eclipsed by her overwhelming compassion to help those in need. For these reasons, Maria Garrett is October’s One to Watch.

Maria graduated from Baylor University School of Law in 2016. During law school, she was involved in multiple organizations including moot court and Law Review, both of which allowed her to grow as a writer and advocate. Her drive and dedication lead to her receiving a coveted Law Clerk position with The Honorable Marcia A. Crone at the Beaumont Division of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.

After her time in Beaumont came to an end, she returned back to her roots in Dallas, Texas, where she worked at Carrington, Coleman, Sloman & Blumenthal for approximately two years. She is now an associate in DLA Piper LLP’s employment law practice group.

Upon returning to Dallas, Maria’s passion for community involvement was ignited though her position as Co-Chair for DAYL’s Aid to the Homeless Committee. When her involvement with the committee began, it was a small committee but it has substantially grown in the last two years, making it an integral part of DAYL. Maria now leads the committee’s recruitment efforts to ensure the committee’s growth.  She has led many volunteer events, organized educational discussions including a panel regarding homelessness in Dallas, and recently spearheaded the committee’s biggest effort of the year: recruiting and facilitating DAYL volunteers for the Dallas County Point in Time Homeless Count. It is her hope to grow DAYL’s Aid to the Homeless Committee and continue to educate young lawyers about homelessness in our city and what we can do to help.

Not only does Maria give back to her community, she has spent countless hours giving back to the future of the legal profession. As a mentor for DAYL’s Law Student Summer Program she was able to impart real-world knowledge to four law students this summer.

Maria has recently continued to grow her roots in Dallas when her and her husband, Mitch Garrett (also an attorney), purchased their first home. It was important for Maria that their home be in the City of Dallas so that she can continue to give back to the community that she loves.