AYLA Member Spotlight – Nicole Thacker

AYLA: Tell us a little bit about yourself and your law practice.

THACKER: I moved to Austin from China in 2016, and immediately fell into love with the hills and creeks that Austin offers. After graduating from St. Mary’s University School of Law, I moved back to Austin and joined an Austin personal injury law firm.

AYLA: How long have you been involved in AYLA, and what has been your best AYLA experience so far?

THACKER: I interned for the Austin Bar Association before I went to law school. I worked for Doug [Lawrence] and Marissa [Lara-Arebalo] on the Veterans’ Legal Advice Clinic program under the Austin Bar Foundation. My best AYLA experience so far is the Austin Bar/AYLA Leadership Academy. We are only going into our second class, but we have already heard from a Texas appellate court justice, district court judges from both federal and state courts, and a city councilmember, who were all speakers for the class. More excitingly, our class is building a project that can benefit people in need of legal assistance.

AYLA: What was your childhood dream job?

THACKER: My childhood dream job was to become a teacher, which I have already fulfilled. I taught part time for two years during graduate school and became a full-time college teacher for five years.

AYLA: What are some of the things you enjoy most about living in Austin?

THACKER: The thing I enjoy most about living in Austin are the hiking trials. My husband, Steven, and I take our puppy hiking almost every weekend.

AYLA: What’s your best piece of advice for fellow young attorneys?

THACKER: One thing I think I can share with my fellow young attorneys is thinking about getting involved in your local community and thinking about giving back to your community from day one.

Nicole Thacker joined Sandoval and James Law Firm upon obtaining her Texas law license in 2022. Nicole works as an associate attorney in the personal injury litigation department. Nicole has a master’s degree in linguistics, speaks fluent Mandarin, and previously taught freshman English as a lecturer at a university in China. She moved to Texas from China and attended St. Mary’s University School of law, where she graduated cum laude.