Nicole maintains a primarily appellate practice at The Norris Firm. Leveraging her 30+ years of civil litigation experience and the knowledge gained during her tenure as a federal appellate law clerk, she works with the trial teams to strategize the firm’s cases at the highest level, draft and argue key motions, and preserve possible trial court error for appeal. She also drafts appellate briefs and argues appeals and other appellate proceedings in federal and state courts of appeals. Nicole has represented clients in the areas of energy litigation, environmental law, toxic torts, complex litigation (including class actions), and industrial accidents. She also has substantial experience in advocating in the alternative dispute resolution setting, including both arbitration and mediation. She is an American Arbitration Association-trained mediator and was appointed to the American Arbitration Association commercial arbitration roster.
After graduating from law school second in her class, Nicole served as a law clerk to the Honorable Andrew J. Kleinfeld of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Fairbanks, Alaska. She has taught several courses at Tulane University Law School, including “Environmental Science for Lawyers” and “Toxic Torts: Law and Theory,” and as a lecturer in the law school’s Summer School Program in Amsterdam. In addition, she served as a member of the law faculty at the University of Rijeka, Croatia, as a Fulbright Lecturer in 2000. She is a member of the bars of Texas, Louisiana, and Alaska (inactive).