Meet the Instructors

Bruce Akerly is the founding partner of Akerly Law PLLC in Dallas with more than 30 years of experience in litigation, bankruptcy, creditors’ rights and appellate advocacy. He earned his law degree with honors from Texas Tech University School of Law and began his legal career by clerking for the Honorable Mary Lou Robinson of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. Licensed to practice law in Texas, Bruce is admitted before the U.S. Supreme Court, all federal district courts in Texas, the Fifth, Sixth and Tenth U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeal and several federal district courts outside Texas. He has briefed and argued more than 30 cases before federal and state appellate courts and is a frequent writer and speaker on creditors’ rights and bankruptcy matters. Recognized by Texas Super Lawyers for 10 consecutive years, Bruce brings extensive trial, appellate and bankruptcy experience into the classroom, helping paralegal learners connect legal concepts to the practical demands of real-world legal practice.

Katrina Anderson is a part-time magistrate judge for Dallas County with more than two decades of legal experience spanning both the public and private sectors. A proud graduate of both the University of Texas and Southern University Law Center, she also serves as an adjunct professor, teaching Negotiations and Client Interviewing and Counseling to law students. Katrina brings real-world judicial experience and practical legal insight into the classroom, equipping students with the skills and confidence to navigate complex legal situations.

Aaron Bath is the National Director of Litigation and Legal Operations at Balfour Beatty, a global infrastructure company, with more than two decades of litigation experience and oversight of more than 120 trials. Before joining Balfour Beatty, he served as head of litigation at Copart Inc. and held litigation management roles at leading law firms in Dallas and New York. Aaron holds a bachelor’s degree in jurisprudential studies and philosophy from SMU, a professional certificate in data science and analytics from Columbia University and a graduate degree in artificial intelligence and machine learning from MIT. He is also a former president of the Dallas Area Paralegal Association and a founding board member of the North Texas chapter of the Association of Certified eDiscovery Specialists. As an instructor in SMU’s Paralegal Studies Certificate Program, Aaron brings his experience in litigation, legal technology and eDiscovery into the classroom, helping learners understand how emerging tools and efficient legal operations are shaping modern legal practice.

Michele Boerder is a senior paralegal in the Dallas office of Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP with 40 years of experience in civil trial law and paralegal leadership. A Board-Certified Paralegal in Civil Trial Law through the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and a Certified Paralegal through NALA, Michele holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of North Texas and earned an associate degree from the El Centro College Paralegal Program.

Throughout her career, Michele has served as president of both the Paralegal Division of the State Bar of Texas and the Dallas Area Paralegal Association. She has also contributed her expertise through service on the State Bar of Texas Paralegal Committee, the TBLS Paralegal Civil Trial Commission, the National Federation of Paralegal Associations Certification Standards Committee and Paralegal Today magazine’s editorial review board. Her contributions to the paralegal profession have been recognized with the Dallas Area Paralegal Association Paralegal of the Year Award, the National Federation of Paralegal Associations Paralegal of the Year Award, the William R. Robie Award, the Michele M. Boerder Lifetime Achievement Award and the Paralegal Division Award of Excellence. Michele brings extensive civil litigation experience, professional leadership and practical insight into the classroom, helping paralegal learners build the skills and confidence needed to contribute effectively to legal practice.

Arlene Ferrell is a Technology Education Specialist in the Dallas office of Perkins Coie with more than 25 years of experience developing and delivering technology training for legal professionals. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from St. Mary’s University and works closely with training and IT teams to support technology implementation, upgrades and adoption across legal practice groups.

Throughout her career, Arlene has created technology learning materials, reviewed technical content for clarity and consistency and helped legal professionals build confidence using evolving workplace tools. Her experience includes work with global and local law firms such as Dorsey & Whitney, Andrews Kurth Kenyon, Thompson & Knight and Carrington Coleman. She is an active member of the International Legal Technology Association and the American Society for Training and Development and previously served as a board member for Chief Learning Officer magazine. Arlene brings extensive legal technology training experience into the classroom, helping paralegal learners develop the practical technology skills, communication habits and confidence needed to contribute effectively on modern legal teams.

Lindsey Hardy is a trial attorney and partner at Condon Tobin Sladek Thornton Nerenberg PLLC, where she represents businesses and business leaders in complex commercial litigation, employment-related claims, contract formation and contract disputes. She holds a bachelor’s degree from The University of Texas at Austin and a law degree from SMU Dedman School of Law.

Before joining Condon Tobin, Lindsey was a partner at a Dallas full-service law firm, where she built broad civil litigation experience in personal injury, premises liability, construction defect, trucking and products liability matters. She has also served as national counsel for Fortune 100 companies in at least 25 states and is licensed to practice in Texas state and federal courts. Lindsey brings extensive trial and commercial litigation experience into the classroom, helping paralegal learners understand the practical legal processes, case-management responsibilities and litigation support skills that contribute to effective legal teams.

Kristen Hensley is regulatory counsel at Conifer Health Solutions, a subsidiary of Tenet Health Care, where she provides risk assessments and legal guidance for a heavily regulated healthcare organization. She also manages outside counsel in litigation matters across the United States.

Before moving into an in-house role, Kristen practiced as a litigation attorney and tried numerous cases in state and federal court. Her experience includes family law, civil litigation and service as a court-appointed attorney ad litem. She is licensed to practice in Texas and before the U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Eastern Districts of Texas and was sworn in to the U.S. Supreme Court in 2013. Kristen has also contributed her legal expertise through pro bono service with the Dallas Bar Association’s Volunteer Attorney Program, National Adoption Day, Lewisville Teen Court and the Denton County Wills for Heroes Program. Having taught legal courses through SMU CAPE, Collin College and The University of Texas at Arlington, she brings practical experience in litigation, regulatory compliance and legal risk management into the classroom, helping paralegal learners understand the real-world responsibilities of today’s legal profession.

Kristine Horn is an attorney for the Fifth Court of Appeals with more than three decades of experience in complex commercial litigation, trial advocacy and appellate practice. She began practicing in 1989 and has represented clients at both large and boutique law firms, trying numerous cases in state and federal court.

Kristine’s litigation experience includes securities fraud, antitrust and unfair competition, contract disputes, consumer law, fiduciary obligations, employment law, health care, ERISA, intellectual property and white-collar crime. She has also served as appellate counsel in Texas, Colorado, New York and Florida state courts, as well as the Fifth and Second U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals. Kristine’s appellate work includes court-appointed representation of indigent defendants in criminal matters before the Fifth Circuit.

In addition to her legal practice, Kristine has authored several legal articles and teaches an in-house constitutional legal seminar for law schools across the country, helping students prepare for the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE). Kristine brings extensive trial and appellate experience into the classroom, helping paralegal learners understand the research, writing and procedural skills that support effective litigation teams.

Richard J. Pradarits Jr. is an attorney with 32 years of experience in trial and appellate practice in Texas and federal courts. His work includes tort, contract and statutory matters, as well as complex litigation and class actions. Richard earned his law degree, summa cum laude, from South Texas College of Law Houston, where he served as assistant managing editor of the law review.

Earlier in his career, Richards served as a research attorney for the Fifth District Court of Appeals in Dallas and has received two local mediation awards. Richard brings extensive litigation, appellate and mediation experience into the classroom, helping paralegal learners understand the research, writing and procedural skills that support effective legal teams in complex matters.

Steve Ramos is associate managing counsel at Travelers Insurance, where he focuses on insurance defense and subrogation. Steve earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from The Citadel and a law degree from St. Mary’s University School of Law.

Licensed to practice law in Texas since 1992, Steve has tried personal injury, commercial, criminal and public-sector cases to verdict in federal and state courts throughout Texas. Drawing on his experience in litigation, insurance and public service, Steve brings a practical perspective into the classroom. He helps paralegal learners understand the case preparation, courtroom procedures and litigation support responsibilities that contribute to effective legal teams.

Rich Robinson is Director of Legal Operations and Litigation Support at Toyota with more than 25 years of experience in legal technology, eDiscovery and litigation support.

Rich began his career in the IT department of a large Boston law firm before moving into technology and litigation support roles at large and midsize firms in Boston, Providence, Austin and Dallas. His experience spans law firms, eDiscovery providers and in-house legal operations. Before joining Toyota, Rich worked in the eDiscovery vendor space and spent seven years as eDiscovery and Information Manager at JCPenney. He is also a founding member of eDiscovery, ACEDS DFW and the CLOC EAC and regularly speaks at eDiscovery and legal operations conferences across the country. Rich brings this broad perspective on legal technology and litigation support into the classroom, helping paralegal learners understand the tools, workflows and operational practices that support efficient modern legal teams.

Danny Thankachan is the Director of Practice Technology at Blank Rome LLP, where he advises Fortune 500 and AmLaw 200 clients on legal technology operations, eDiscovery, cost control and legal and business process improvement. He holds a law degree from Cardozo School of Law in New York and a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of California, Los Angeles.

With a background in both law and technology-enabled legal operations, Danny helps organizations evaluate and improve the systems, workflows and processes that support modern legal teams. His work also includes teaching the development and day-to-day application of blockchain use cases in legal practice. Danny brings this blend of legal, technical and operational experience into the classroom, helping paralegal learners understand how emerging technologies and efficient processes are reshaping the legal profession.

Toya Walker is the legal director at Stewart Law Group PLLC and a Certified Compliance & Ethics Professional whose work spans legal services, compliance and community advocacy. She earned a bachelor’s degree in political science, cum laude, from Southern University before completing the American Bar Association-approved paralegal certificate program at Southeastern Paralegal Institute.

Building on her legal and paralegal background, Toya became a Certified Compliance & Ethics Professional in 2017 and has remained actively involved in the profession through service with the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition Texas Advisory Committee, NALA Continuing Education Council and J.L. Turner Legal Association Paralegal Section. Her dedication to public service was recognized with the State Bar of Texas Paralegal Division’s 2018 Exceptional Pro Bono Award. Toya brings her experience in legal operations, compliance and professional service into the classroom, helping paralegal learners develop the ethical judgment, workplace awareness and practical skills needed to contribute confidently to today’s legal environment.

Melissa Weaver is an immigration attorney at Lopez & Freshwater PLLC and senior counsel at Weaver Johnston & Nelson, where she advises clients on immigration matters, including those affecting the health care industry. She earned her law degree from SMU and holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia.

Before returning to private practice, Melissa spent 10 years as the Women and Children’s Program Attorney at Human Rights Initiative of North Texas. In that role, she provided free legal services to immigrant survivors and families affected by domestic abuse, trafficking and violent crime, with a focus on matters involving the Violence Against Women Act, U visas and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status. Her earlier legal experience also includes civil litigation and bankruptcy. Melissa brings both private-practice and nonprofit advocacy experience into the classroom, giving paralegal learners a practical understanding of immigration law, client-centered legal services and the research, documentation and professional judgment needed to support complex immigration matters.