d-mars.com Top 50 Black Professionals & Entrepreneurs of Texas
Bridgette Smith-Lawson, Esq. 2022 TRAILBLAZER
and much more. Some of the highlights division of attorneys and legal assistants from her first year in office include but are providing legal services for the agency within the Gulf Coast Area. As a member not limited to the following: of the Texas Health and Human Services • Created FIRST ever Fort Bend County Executive Leadership Academy she cross boarding home policy to ensure the trained on other State agencies including safety, protection, and dignity of aged Emergency Management. and disabled citizens in Fort Bend
In August of 2019, Mrs. Smith-Lawson was recognized as one of the Top 30 • Assisted in creating the FIRST ever Most Influential Women of Houston. body worn camera policy for all Fort Most notably, in October 2019, she won Bend County law enforcement agencies a landmark immigration appeal against • Successfully settled with Janssen the US Department of Homeland Security Pharmaceuticals for damages sustained resulting in a nationwide immigration by the county in connection with the policy change for the benefit of immigrant opioid epidemic – cash settlement and children. Before joining the Department, opportunity for county to fund opioid she was in private practice and practiced deterrent programs from a $28 million in the areas of criminal law, family law, fund personal injury including pharmaceutical litigation, civil litigation, probate, • Operation Lavender – Member of the joint taskforce with the District Attorney’s bankruptcy (7,11,&13), and guardianship matters. office, Fort Bend County Sherriff and other law enforcement agencies to Mrs. Smith-Lawson graduated cum laude attack human trafficking in Fort Bend from Thurgood Marshall School of Law in County May 2003 and was licensed in November • Created FIRST ever County Regulations 2003. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Houston in banning illicit massage parlors that 2000 with a major in Political Science promote criminal activity and a minor in English. Mrs. Smith• Settlement reached with the US Lawson is also licensed in the U.S. District Department of Justice for language Court, Southern District of Texas and in access impediments stemming from Immigration Court. She has been married 2017 to ensure Fort Bend supports 22 years and is a mother of two daughters its diverse community with language ages 15 and 12 years old. In her spare access and implementing the FIRST time she enjoys running, cooking, and ever language access program for equal spending time with her family. access to justice in court operations County
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ridgette Smith-Lawson is a 19 year public servant and a 19 year licensed attorney. In November 2020, Bridgette was elected in Fort Bend County as the County Attorney, making her the FIRST black female county attorney in Texas AND Fort Bend history. As the County Attorney, she manages an office of attorneys and support staff that is directly responsible for providing legal advice and representation to the County Commissioners, department heads, and every aspect of county government including law enforcement – Sheriff’s Office and Constables. In addition, the office represents the State in child welfare cases. During her first year in office, County Attorney Lawson and her team navigated Fort Bend County through uncharted legal issues including the pandemic, mask mandate litigation, redistricting
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• Created the FIRST ever Regulatory division of the County Attorney’s Office to investigate and assist the county with compliance with federal, state, and local laws • Navigated the legal agreements and final arrangements for the removal of the Jaybird Monument, a racist monument erected in 1896 Prior to her election, Mrs. Smith-Lawson was the Managing Attorney with the Office of General Counsel – Texas Department of Family and Protective Services Regions 5 & 6 consisting of up to 23 counties in Southeast Texas where she managed a
TOP 50 BLACK P&E 2022 - 10TH ANNIVERSARY
Bridgette Smith-Lawson, Esq. County Attorney Fort Bend County 301 Jackson Street Richmond, Texas 77469 (281) 342-3411 www.fortbendcountytx.gov
