Meet melanie

---

I've been practicing law for 14 years, and like a magnet, I'm drawn to fighting for clients against bullies, corruption, and unfairness.   I spent years in civil service as a public defender, serving the voiceless and providing "the best defense that money can't buy."  After the public defender's office, I started Schneider Law, where I represented clients against overreaching prosecutors, shady used-car dealerships, abusive spouses, and oppressive government entities. 

A few years ago, I returned to my home state of Texas, and now my practice focuses on insurance claims for property owners.  I represent policyholders in their battles against insurance companies that have 

left them frustrated, powerless, and trapped.  When an insurance carrier denies a claim, there isn't enough money to make the repairs.  But switching companies doesn't solve the problem because the next carrier will use the prior claim to try to deny coverage.  Plus, money paid in insurance premiums is not recovered, and due to the claim, premiums will only increase.  My clients are often facing insurmountable obstacles with an indifferent and nonresponsive insurance company. 

I'm one of the few attorneys who has prior experience both as an insurance adjuster and as an insurance defense attorney.  Before law school, I worked as an insurance adjuster for nearly five years and handled claims for Allstate, Liberty Mutual, Citizens, and Pilot Catastrophe Services.  I traveled across the country, resolving property insurance claims for homeowners.  I adjusted losses caused by hail and wind storms,  tornadoes, freeze and ice storms, pipe bursts, power outages, sewer backups, and hurricanes, and even worked in New York after 9/11.  

With a ladder and a tool belt, I managed the claims process during catastrophic events as a top producer.  I was personally responsible for handling an average of 350 pending claims, located in three different states simultaneously.  I complied with the regulations of each state's department of insurance and held adjuster licenses in Texas, Florida, Kentucky, and South Carolina.  I was consistently recognized for accuracy in estimating and for excellent customer service and obtained the highest adjuster evaluation rating.  I attended Haag engineering training, and I obtained the Senior Claims Law Associate (SCLA) designation from the American Educational Institute.  

I left my career in insurance to attend law school, where I received a Governor's Merit Scholarship, along with a Certificate of Recognition from the American Bar Association - Section of State and Local Government Law.  I was nominated as a pupil member of The Chester Bedell American Inn of Court and served as a staff editor of the Law Review.  During law school, I published work in the Columbia Journal of Gender and Law. 

I have always held myself to high personal standards.  For example, in law school, I earned the highest grade (called the "Book Award") in 13 courses:   Legal Writing I and II, Contracts I and II, Civil Procedure, Property, Constitutional Law I and II, State and Local Government Law, Family Law,  Making and Meeting Objections, Legislative Process, and Criminal Procedure.  I also received the Best Oralist Award and the Best Brief Award. 

I have a strong desire to impart knowledge, and I frequently mentor students and young lawyers.   As an Adjunct Professor, I taught a Trial Practice Workshop at the University of Louisville, Louis D. Brandeis School of Law.  For three years, I was a guest speaker at Bellarmine University for the Women in Criminal Justice program.  In addition, I volunteered as a reading and math tutor for over 120 students to prepare them for GED testing.  

My background as an insurance adjuster led me to relocate from Florida to Washington, D.C., where I worked for Steptoe & Johnson and represented insurance companies in complex litigation, including commercial property claims.   Later, I worked with Phelps Dunbar, representing insurance and reinsurance clients, including Lloyd's of London, in first-party property claims, bad faith, and extra-contractual liability litigation. 

All of my prior experience has culminated in my law practice today.  I still value excellent customer service, which is why I consistently try to answer my own phone and speak directly to my clients.  I continue to stay abreast of Department of Insurance regulations, so I know when insurance adjusters have violated them.  My knowledge of estimating and claims procedures helps me analyze and evaluate my clients' cases.  My background in insurance defense is beneficial when negotiating a settlement with the insurance company.  My trial background taught me passionate advocacy and today leaves me fearless and unintimidated in a courtroom. 

It's a privilege to be a part of the legal profession, one that I never want to take for granted, and I am honored when my clients put their trust in my law firm.   On their behalf, I pursue excellence and high quality in the resolution of property insurance claims . . . . Now I just do it without a ladder.  

Legal Education:

• Juris Doctor, Summa Cum Laude, 2008
• Class Rank:     #1 out of 343
• GPA:                   3.94 on a 4.0 scale
• Florida Coastal School of Law

Undergraduate: 

• Bachelor's of Business Administration, Summa Cum Laude, 1999
• Management Departmental Honors 
• Minor in International Business
• University of Kentucky
• Scholarships from U.K. Patterson, Commonwealth of Kentucky, and American Business Women's Association
• Studied in Vienna, Austria at Wirschafts Universität, ranked among the Top 50 Business Schools in Europe

Bar Memberships:

• The State Bar of Texas, admitted 2020
• The Kentucky Bar Association, admitted 2010
• The D.C. Bar, admitted 2009 (inactive)
• The Florida Bar, admitted 2008