Michelle R. Meriam Blair
Michelle is a highly effective advocate who has handled a wide array of matters: big and small, complex and simple, international and domestic. She understands that the needs of each client and case are unique. Whether a case is being tried to a jury in Texas court, appealed to the United States Supreme Court, or arbitrated in London under a complex array of foreign laws, Michelle distills complex legal issues to efficiently and persuasively present the client’s story to the court or tribunal.
Michelle has represented clients in numerous appeals in every level of the Texas and federal courts of appeals, helping them to either hold onto favorable jury verdicts or reverse unfavorable rulings from the trial courts. Michelle’s practice is also focused on international commercial arbitration, where she has honed her skills as both a litigator and appellate attorney by developing the facts underlying international disputes and briefing complex legal issues.
While attending the University of Houston Law Center, Michelle participated in the Phillip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, where she won consecutive awards for best briefs and oral argument. The Jessup is the world’s largest and most prestigious moot court competition, with competitors from over 80 countries working year-long to prepare briefs and arguments for a simulated fact problem before the International Court of Justice. Michelle has continued to participate in the Jessup by coaching the University of Houston Law Center’s competition team and judging both domestic and international rounds.
Before entering the legal field, Michelle worked as a teacher of all ages in both Texas and Japan. Outside of work, Michelle can usually be found with either a book or a paintbrush in her hand. She has a penchant for science fiction and Shakespeare, multi-media art and sculpture, and costume design. She and her husband Greg enjoy bicycling around town and escaping to the woods to camp.
AWARDS AND HONORS
- Board Certified in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, a distinction shared with less than 0.5% of Texas attorneys
- Recognized as a “Rising Star” in Appellate Law by Thomson Reuters Super Lawyers – Texas, since 2016
- Certificate of Achievement in International Arbitration from the International Chamber of Commerce
- Certificate in Advanced Arbitration Skills from the A.A. White Dispute Resolution Center of the University of Houston Law Center
- Phyllis Randolph Frye Writing Competition Award
- Distinguished Service Award from the University of Houston Law Center
- Most Outstanding Articles Editor, Houston Law Review
- Order of the Barristers (honor society for oral and written advocacy)
- Order of the Coif (scholastic honor society)
- Order of the Barons (scholastic honor society)
- Order of the Scribes (honor society for written advocacy)
MEMBERSHIPS
- Texas Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists
- Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
- Young International Arbitration Group of the London Court of International Arbitration
- Associate Member of the Institute for Transnational Arbitration
- International Law Section of the American Bar Association
- Texas Young Lawyers Association
- Houston Young Lawyers Association
COURT ADMISSIONS
- Supreme Court of Texas
- Supreme Court of the United States
- United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- Southern District of Texas
- Western District of Texas
PUBLICATIONS
- Agreeing on How to Disagree: Post-Dispute Arbitration Agreements, co‑authored with Eileen O’Neill, Business Disputes Course, State Bar of Texas, September 2016
EDUCATION
J.D., magna cum laude, University of Houston Law Center, 2011
- Houston Law Review, Articles Editor
- Judicial Intern to Chief Justice Sherry Radack at the First Court of Appeals in Houston
- Legal Writing Tutor & Assistant to Writing Professors
- Research Assistant to Professor Robert Ragazzo
- Moot Court Board Member
- Advocates Board Member
- International Law Society, Foreign LLM Liaison
B.A. in English, with honors, University of Texas at Austin, 2006
- UTeach Program, Language Arts
- Shakespeare Study Abroad Program at Oxford University
PRACTICE AREAS
International Commercial Arbitration, Civil Appeals, Business/Commercial Litigation, Personal Injury Litigation, Oil and Gas Litigation, Probate Litigation, Products Liability Litigation