Jan Soifer, previously partner in the law firm of O’Connell and Soifer, LLP, Soifer is now Judge of the 345th District Court. Soifer will discuss the very real consequences of poor governance practices.
About Judge Soifer:
Judge Jan Soifer practiced law in Austin for more than 34 years, focusing on civil litigation in a wide variety of areas, before taking the bench in January 2017. She is uncontested in the November 2024 election for a third four-year term. Judge Soifer graduated from the University of Texas School of Law in 1982 after receiving her B.A. from Yale University in 1979, and is Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Consumer and Commercial Law.
She has served as Chief of the Texas Attorney General’s Charitable Trusts Section and Deputy Chief of the Consumer Protection Division and has been a partner in several law firms, including a large national firm. Most recently, she was a partner in O’Connell & Soifer LLP, representing whistleblowers in healthcare fraud litigation throughout the country and other clients in high impact public interest litigation. She taught trial advocacy as an adjunct faculty member at U.T. Law School from 1992 – 2008.
Judge Soifer is a former President of the Austin Bar Association, Austin Young Lawyers Association (AYLA), and Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas (VLS); a former Director of the State Bar of Texas; a former Trustee of the Texas Bar Foundation; and one of the initial Commissioners of the Texas Access to Justice Commission.
She has received a number of professional honors, including Texas Young Lawyers Association’s Outstanding Young Lawyer in Texas in 1991; YWCA of Austin’s 1993 Outstanding Achievement Award in Business/Professions; Travis County Women Lawyers’ Association’s 1995 Outstanding Achievement Award; VLS’s 1995 J. Chrys Dougherty Award for exemplary dedication and commitment to the principle of access to justice for all, regardless of income; AYLA’s 2012 Outstanding Alumnus Award; the Austin LGBT Bar Association’s 2015 Courage Award; and the Austin Bar Association’s Larry F. York Mentoring Award in 2024.
Judge Soifer has also served in a variety of community leadership roles, including Chair of the Travis County Democratic Party, an Associate National Commissioner and local and regional board member of the Anti-Defamation League (a civil rights group), President of Interfaith Action of Central Texas, and President of Congregation Beth Israel of Austin. She is a graduate of Leadership Austin and Leadership Texas, and has been honored for her leadership and service by many community organizations.
Judge Soifer and her former law partner, Patrick J. O’Connell, have been married for over 40 years and have two grown children, Brad, a high school science teacher, and Ally, who works in scheduling and advance for the Biden administration.
This event is part of a series of guest speakers as part of our fall course, Nonprofit Governance, taught by Sarah Jane Rehnborg and Noel Landuyt. Guest speaker discussions are open to all UT Austin students, including those not enrolled in the course. Questions? Email sydney.wilburn@austin.utexas.edu