Jhiela M. Poynter (or "Gigi," as her friends and colleagues call her) has practiced law in Victoria and the surrounding areas since 2012, though she has worked in the legal field nearly twenty years. Starting in 2001, working her way from file clerk to legal assistant, then law student to intern, to law clerk, before finally becoming a lawyer, Gigi knows the ins and outs of the legal field. That commitment to the practice of law, dedication to her clients, and drive to evolve with the rapidly changing legal landscape, lead her to open her own office in 2020, where she currently practices.

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Throughout her career, Gigi has developed trial strategies and handled litigation for all kinds of cases, including large estate will contests, car accidents, complex trust matters, and business disputes. She treats each case with a client-centered approach, and treats each client as if they were family. Having been subject to an 18-wheeler accident in high school, Gigi knows first-hand what it is like, not only to pursue cases from a legal standpoint, but what it feels like from the client’s perspective as well. 

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Professional Experience

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-OWNER AND ATTORNEY, Poynter Law, PLLC, Law Office of Jhiela M. Poynter (2020-Present)

-ATTORNEY, Law Offices of Bernard T. Klimist (2012-2020)

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Certifications, Awards & Associations

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-TEXAS SUPER LAWYERS RISING STARS (2021, 2022)

-REFUGIO LIONS CLUB, Member (2021-Present)

-REFUGIO COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, Member (2021-Present)

-JUNIOR LEAGUE OF VICTORIA,  Treasurer (2021) ,Women Leaders of Tomorrow Chair (2018), Member (2014-Present)

-COLLEGE OF THE STATE BAR, Member (2020-Present)

-U.S. FEDERAL TAXATION CERTIFICATION, University of Illinois/Coursera (2020)

-REAL ESTATE, PROBATE & TRUST LAW SECTION OF THE STATE BAR Member (2020-Present)

-TEXAS NOTARY PUBLIC (2020-Present)

-20 UNDER 30 YOUNG PROFESSIONALS OF THE CROSSROADS (2018)

-VICTORIA COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION, President (2018), President-Elect (2017), Member (2013-Present)

-CERTIFIED GUARDIAN AD LITEM (2017-Present)

-TOP 50 VERDICTS IN TEXAS 2016, TopVerdict.com (2016)

-LEADERSHIP VICTORIA PARTICIPANT, Victoria Chamber of Commerce (2013)

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Education

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TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW

-Master of Laws in Wealth Management, Candidate (Exp. 2022)

 

PAUL M. HEBERT LAW CENTER, LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY

-Juris Doctor (2012)

-Graduate Diploma in Civil Law (2012)

• LSU International Law Society: President (2011)  

• LSU Law Intramural Soccer Team

• University of Missouri-Columbia Law School, Cape Town, South Africa (2011)

• Santa Clara University Law School, Istanbul, Turkey (2010)

 

UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA AT LAFAYETTE

-Bachelor of Arts Degree, Double Major in Political Science & English, cum laude (2009)

• President’s List

• Honors Program

• Phi Beta Delta Honors Society for International Scholars

• Sigma Alpha Lambda National Honors and Leadership Organization

• American Institute for Foreign Study, Florence, Italy (2008)

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Publications

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--"Too Little, Too Late: Dunbar v. Seger-Thomschitz and the Ongoing Challenge Posed by Prescriptive Periods in Holocaust-era Art and Cultural Property Restitution Matters." Art Antiquity and Law 17.1 (2012): 69-89.

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--“Progress Report: Opening A New Practice.” Above the Law, Breaking Media, Inc., 27 May 2021, https://abovethelaw.com/2021/05/progress-report-opening-a-new-practice/.

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Gigi and her husband Tim live in Refugio, Texas with their two children. In her free time, she coaches youth soccer and likes to travel, having visited 17 countries and counting.

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