Anna Archer is a seasoned legal writer specializing in complex litigation and appeals. She joined Hicks Thomas after serving as a career law clerk to the Hon. Gray H. Miller in the Southern District of Texas for over fifteen years. As a career law clerk, she drafted hundreds of clear and succinct judicial opinions on almost every legal topic, including writing the first draft of 36 opinions that were selected for publication in the Federal Supplement. Additionally, she advised the judge about legal issues that arose during hearings and trials and assisted with the overall management of his chambers. Prior to working for Judge Miler, Anna worked as a litigation associate at a large law firm where she represented clients in a variety of civil litigation matters. Immediately after graduating law school, Anna served as a term judicial law clerk in the Galveston Division of the Southern District of Texas.
Anna is a quick and logical legal thinker who intuitively organizes complex legal topics so that they are easier to understand. She credits her ability to sort through high volumes of information in an efficient and straightforward manner to the training she received during her former career as an air traffic controller. As a controller, she helped ensure the safe and orderly flow of air traffic in the United States for almost eight years. Now, she helps ensure her clients’ legal issues proceed in an orderly fashion and strives to avoid unexpected bumps along the way.
Anna enjoys giving back to the community and supporting younger lawyers. She serves as an adjunct professor at University of Houston Law Center, where she supervises and mentors law students who are serving as judicial interns in the summers. She also is a very active volunteer at University of Houston Law Center and with several organizations including the Federal Bar Association, the Texas Bar, the Houston Bar Association, the Association of Women Attorneys, and the Daughters of the American Revolution. Anna hosts the Houston Bar Association’s podcast, Behind the Lines: The Houston Lawyer Podcast.
Select Publications and Presentations
- Finding Strength in Our Differences: A Roundtable Discussion About Generational Dynamics in the Profession, Tex. B.J., Oct. 2025 (with Britney Harrison).
- Book Review: Law Moms: The Balancing Act, It’s Not Just for Moms, Law., Jul./Aug. 2025, at 39.
- Looking Forward and Looking Back: The Impact of a Quarter of a Century, Law., Jan./Feb. 2025, at 26 (with Anietie Akpan).
- Hope for the Lost and Forgotten: Houston’s Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity Court, Law., July/Aug. 2024, at 24.
- The Religious Accommodation Claim in Groff v. DeJoy: Arguing to Change the Standard, Law., May/June 2024, at 17 (introduction to and transcript of a podcast interview I conducted).
- Southern District of Texas Co-Sponsors Clerkship Boot Camp with Young Lawyers, Law., Spring 2024, at 72.
- HBA Communities in Schools Committee: Celebrating Fifteen Years with New Initiatives, Law., Mar./Apr. 2024, at 42.
- Judicial Clerkships: Shaping Future Lawyers and Leaders, Law., Mar./Apr. 2024, at 24 (an introduction to a series of articles).
- Book Review: The Majority by Elizabeth L. Silver, Law., Winter 2024, at 95.
- Painting the City with Justice: Downtown Murals Reflect UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, Law., Nov./Dec. 2023, at 22 (with Kristen Lee).
- At Sidebar: Finding the Route to Post-Pandemic Attorney Wellness Through Service, Law., Winter 2023, at 8-10.
- Reconsidering Glass Ceilings and the Meaning of Success, 45 Women’s Rts. L. Rep. 1 (Fall 2023) (available on various legal databases).
- The Dual Purpose of Legal Clinics at the Local Law Schools: Providing Expertise to Future Houston Lawyers and Serving Our Community, Law., Mar./Apr. 2023, at 16.
- The Value of Service to the Local Bar: Spotlights on HBA Leaders from the Judiciary, Law., Mar./Apr. 2022, at 10-13.
- Making the World a Better Place, One Girl Scout at a Time, Law., Jan./Feb. 2022, at 46.
- The Singapore Mediation Convention: A Welcome International Undertaking, Law., Jan./Feb. 2021, at 15-16 (with Anuj Shah).
- Editorial: Justice and Equality for All: This Is Not Controversial, Law., Sep./Oct. 2020, at 8.
- Welcome Address, Naturalization Ceremony, M.O. Campbell Center (February 2020).
- Working Moms Making It Work, Law., Mar./Apr. 2018, at 34-36.
- Mentoring Through Communities in Schools, Law., Sep./Oct. 2016, at 24-25.
- Mentoring at 515 Rusk, Law., Sep./Oct. 2016, at 16-17.
- Committee Promotes Gender Fairness, Law., July/Aug. 2013, at 38 (with Courtney Ervin).
- From Legally Blonde to Miss Congeniality: The Femininity Conundrum, 13 Cardozo J.L. & Gender 1 (2006).
- Comment: Shopping for a Collective Voice: 1.6 Million Women Speak Up in Dukes v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 42 Law Rev. 837 (2005).
