June 2016

A native of Missouri, Marisa Jeffrey came to Texas to attend the SMU Dedman School of Law.  When asked why she became a lawyer, she joked, “When I decided at a young age that I couldn’t be a famous person because I am not an actress, I decided to be a lawyer.”  Marisa made the right choice.

With her bubbly personality, smarts, and hard-working attitude, Marisa has taken the Dallas legal market by storm.  She has a niche complex litigation practice representing policyholders in insurance disputes.  Marisa’s passion for her work shines through when you talk to her.  She describes as “so satisfying” her case for her first ever client, which ended in a win.

When she isn’t litigating, Marisa is often at a bar meeting or giving back to the community.  She recently served as the Food and Beverage Committee Co-Chair for the DAYL Leadership Class of 2015’s Bridge Bash, which has raised approximately $50,000, so far, for Communities in Schools.  Marisa is also involved with the planning committee for the DAYL/DWLA Mentoring Circles program.  She describes the Mentoring Circles Kick-Off Panel as one of her favorite events because the attendance was so impressive and the support from the bar has been incredible which is reflected in how many women members of the bar have applied and are consistently attending in the events.  “It’s not just another happy hour,” she said. “The Committee really believes in [the mission].  It’s very gratifying.”  Marisa won’t tell you this, but that event was such a success in large part due to her outstanding work organizing it.

Marisa also is active with the Dallas Bar Association’s Transition to Law Practice Program, the Tort and Insurance Practice Section Young Lawyer Committee, and the Trial Skills Section Young Lawyer Committee.  She is involved with Attorneys Serving Communities and Law in the City.  And because she has such a caring heart, Marisa joined Junior League of Dallas so that she can give back to her community.  Through Junior League, she spends Saturdays throughout the year building homes through Habitat for Humanity.

Outside of work, bar activities, and giving back to the community, Marisa takes an annual two-week sabbatical to fulfill her love of travel.  This year, she is traveling to Morocco where she will be camping in the Sahara Desert before she spends time in Portugal and Spain.

Congratulations, Marisa, for being DAYL’s One to Watch in June 2016!