Living My Dream

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Meet Austin Bar Member Sandra Ritz

BY SANDRA RITZ

Meet Sandra Ritz. She is a criminal defense attorney who is active in the community. Ritz is a member of the Travis County Women’s Lawyers Association, Austin Criminal Defense Lawyer’s Association and more. She also spends time volunteering for Girl Scouts of America.

I was raised in about 25 different cities in Texas. My father was a Baptist minister, and he was assigned to lead different churches all over the state. My mom was a teacher. Upon graduating from high school, I ended up at Texas A&I University in Kingsville (now TAMUK) in 1988. I graduated college in 1991 and headed straight to the University of Texas School of Law, where I graduated in December 1993. During law school I interned at the Travis County Juvenile Public Defender’s Office and the Federal Public Defender’s Office. Subsequently, I also worked for the Juvenile Public Defender’s Office. After I graduated and passed the bar, I started my first job as an associate attorney at the law firm of Joseph A. Turner. I worked for the Turner law firm for seven years, and I then opened my own practice in 2002 (when I was eight-anda-half-months pregnant with my second child). I have owned and operated my own law firm, the Law Office of Sandra C. Ritz, for the past 20 years. I have two children. My oldest child, daughter Savannah, is 23 years old and is an aspiring actor and playwright who lives in New York City. And the child who I was pregnant with when I opened my law firm? Well, he is now 20 years old! My son Jackson is currently a sophomore at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, studying mechanical engineering and playing football for the SMU Mustangs!

AUSTIN BAR: What was your idea of a “dream job” growing up—the profession you pictured for yourself?

Owning my own law firm was and is my absolute dream job! Having my own law firm is what I hoped for growing up, what I love doing, and what I think I do best. The daily challenges and the victories are exactly what I had hoped to be doing, especially while helping my clients overcome hardships. As a criminal defense attorney, I am an advocate for my clients and a counselor to those who need my guidance through the legal system. I handle all misdemeanors and felonies in state court, and I am licensed in Federal Court in the Western District of Texas.

AUSTIN BAR: Tell us about a hobby or something people may be surprised to know about you.

When I am not working in my office or in court, you can find me in Dallas at an SMU football game watching my son playing football for the Mustangs! I can also be found in New York City with my daughter enjoying the theater and Central Park. And finally I can also be found in Breckenridge enjoying the beautiful snow-topped mountains and some good exercise skiing with friends!

Founding and running the Law Office of Sandra Ritz was and is my absolute dream job! The daily challenges and the victories are exactly what I had hoped to be doing, especially while helping my clients overcome hardships.

AUSTIN BAR: Have you ever defended any famous clients?

Well, I did help get Matthew McConaughey out of jail after the “bongos” incident. He hired Joe Turner’s office, and I was Turner’s associate at the time. That was fun! It was before he won his Oscar for Best Actor.

AUSTIN BAR: Which television judge would you rather go before to defend a case and why: Judge Judy, Judge Steve Harvey, Judge Hatchett?

Judge Steve Harvey, because he uses common sense to resolve conflict.

AUSTIN BAR: Any last parting thoughts?

I have so enjoyed running my own law practice. I was able to gain experience from internships in law school and from my first job, then parlaying that experience into running my own firm. I am grateful to have gained expertise and experience in criminal law and to have had the opportunity to use that experience to help my clients. AL

Sandra Ritz (center) with her daughter, Savannah (left), and her son, Jackson (right).