Rebecca Nichols

Fifth District Court of Appeals

August 2018
by Marisa Jeffrey

Rebecca Nichols is a rock star. She’s an outstanding lawyer, exceptional person, dedicated mom, and wife who has chosen DAYL as one of the lucky recipients of her time and commitment. When asked what her favorite thing is about DAYL, Rebecca perfectly sums it up: “DAYL has an enthusiastic and service-oriented spirit. And it gives young lawyers the opportunity to meet, help, and learn from each other.”

During law school at SMU, Rebecca academically excelled and, after graduation, she landed a prestigious position at the Fifth District Court of Appeals in Dallas as briefing attorney for Justice Douglas Lang. After a stint in private practice, Rebecca has returned to the Fifth District Court of Appeals and currently serves as a staff attorney for Justice David Schenck.

Outside of the court, Rebecca has been a consistent, never-failing DAYL ambassador. During her time with Justice Lang, Rebecca became involved with the DAYL Judiciary Committee, facilitating communication with the Justices for DAYL’s Dinner with the Judiciary. After that, Rebecca started her service on the Membership Committee, helping the committee devise ideas to recruit new members to DAYL.

Rebecca will tell you her most impactful service thus far, however, has been as a co-chair of the Moms in Law special interest group. After an invitation from fellow DAYL rock star Christine Leatherberry, Rebecca joined the group while she was pregnant with her daughter, Cordelia. Rebecca sees Moms in Law as a tremendously important DAYL initiative because it provides a sense of community to moms trying to navigate a career and a family. She especially enjoys the group as a way to get involved without over-committing while members balance their professional and personal lives.

Rebecca’s daughter is now two, and Rebecca is still involved in Moms in Law. Her leadership has allowed the group to grow, becoming one of DAYL’s most popular special interest groups. Her tip to those looking for something to become involved with: find something personal, then it’s genuine and the return is that much greater.

Rebecca’s commitment and can-do attitude makes her DAYL’s “One to Watch!”