Melissa Nicholson Sternfels graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas in 1999, having majored in history and double-minored in Sociology and Political Science. Melissa received her J.D. from the University of Houston School of Law in 2002. While in law school, she served on the inaugural board of Equal Justice Works, as a student editor with the Law & Society Journal, and participated in UHLC’s Trial Advocacy and Mock Trial programs. Since law school, Melissa has co-chaired the Aspiring Youth of Houston gala and the HYLA Aspiring Youth of Houston committee.

Licensed to practice in the Northern and Southern districts of the Federal court, Melissa is currently working as a civil litigator at Hirsch & Westheimer. Her primary focus is on complex civil litigation and she has collaborated with other members of the firm to represent major banking institutions, oil and gas companies, landlords, lessors and individuals in Federal and Bankruptcy Courts in the Southern and Northern Districts as well as District, Probate and County Courts throughout the State of Texas in matters ranging from breach of contract to misappropriation of business opportunity.

Melissa was named as a Texas Rising Star Super Lawyer for  2006.