Dawn grew up in Tucson, Arizona, guided by a strong single mom and supportive grandparents. She learned early that hard work and ambitious goals were expected in her family, and she was always encouraged she could achieve anything she believed. An eighth-grade visit to the U.S. Supreme Court ignited her passion for driving positive change through the law, as she watched the lawyers’ skillful and relenting arguments rise upward toward the nine Justices. She realized then, one person could make a lasting impact on many through an argument in one case. She was the first one in her family to graduate from college, and she knew law school was her path.  After earning a B.A. in Economics from the University of North Texas and graduating from Whittier Law School in Southern California, she was lucky to start her practice with a plaintiff’s firm who represented victims of abuse and neglect. She immediately began trying cases and learned she was a trial lawyer. From 2002 to 2010, she played a key role in securing over $60 million in verdicts and settlements on behalf of their clients. She learned systemic change was possible at the highest levels. One lawsuit at a time, she could protect the most vulnerable members of our society from abuse and neglect now and in the future. In 2011, she moved back to Texas with her family where she accepted a new role managing a litigation docket of over 500 asbestos cases. In that role her trial team achieved a $322 million verdict, which was the largest single-plaintiff asbestos verdict in history at that time. One of her proudest moments, however, took her back to Washington D.C. where she stood before the U.S. Supreme Court and was sworn in as a member of the Supreme Court Bar. Years later, in 2019, she stood before the Court again where she had the honor of making a motion to admit two of our litigation associates to the same Supreme Court Bar. This moment marked the culmination of years of hard work, dedication, and an unwavering belief in the law's power to effect positive change.  Currently She is an owner and the Managing Partner of Smith Clinesmith LLP. They focus exclusively on national healthcare liability law in the area of nursing home abuse and neglect. They practice in 18 states to effect systematic change for the elderly living in nursing homes, hospitals and assisted living facilities. This role enables her to continue searching for justice by protecting the rights and dignity of our most vulnerable population - our disabled elderly.

B.A., Economics, University of North Texas J.D., Whittier School of Law

State Bar of California USDC Central District of California U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit U.S. Supreme Court Bar State Bar of Texas USDC Northern District of Texas USDC Northern District of California USDC Southern District of California U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit

Associations/Memberships • American Association for Justice • Texas Trial Lawyers Association • AAJ Nursing Home Litigation Group • Dallas Women Lawyers Association • Dallas Trial Lawyers Association • Dallas Bar Association • Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA) • California Lawyers Association • Western Trial Lawyers Association Awards • National Trial Lawyers Association – Civil Plaintiff - Top 100 • National Trial Lawyers Association – Civil Plaintiff - Top 100 – Executive Committee • National Trial Lawyers Association – Nursing Home – Top 10 • National Women Trial Lawyers Association – Top 25