About
Melinda is a graduate of the Hockaday School in Dallas. After graduating from Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, Melinda taught math at a high school for winter athletes in Lake Placid, New York, and had a brief career in the performing arts.
Melinda graduated from Fordham Law School in New York City in 2000. She first practiced in Syracuse, New York, concentrating in litigation, employment law, and bankruptcy. Melinda and her husband moved to Dallas in 2003 and she began working at The Hartnett Law Firm. She became a partner in 2008 and works in all areas of probate litigation.
Melinda is a member of the Dallas Bar Association, New York State Bar Association, and the Dallas Probate Inn of Court. She has performed in and supported Bar None and is an active member of the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program (DVAP), assisting in pro bono cases, advising DVAP on cases, and mentoring other attorneys in pro bono probate cases. In the fall of 2018, DVAP recognized Melinda’s contributions to pro bono work at the Inspiring Women Luncheon, and in 2021, Melinda was awarded the Ken Fuller Outstanding Mentor Attorney Award.
Melinda’s main focus outside her law practice is her five children. She actively volunteers and supports her children’s schools: Hockaday, Jesuit, Ursuline, and St. Monica. Melinda has been known to run marathons from time to time and is an avid supporter of musical theater in Dallas and the arts in general.
