STATE BAR DIRECTOR SPOTLIGHT NOVEMBER 2022
Carra Miller
Interview by Will Korn
Photo courtesy of Carra Miller
Hometown: Ocean Springs, Mississippi
Position: Managing partner in Schouest, Bamdas,
Soshea, BenMaier & Eastham in the firm’s Corpus Christi office
Board Member: District 11 since 2020
When I was 8 years old, my dad decided to begin law
school.
During his four years of evening classes, he and his professors let me
tag along often. The first time I attended a law school class was that
year. That day, the professor covered Sullivan v.
O’Connor,1 a case involving a botched nose job,
illustrating the differences and availability between the compensatory
and restitution measures of damages. Immediately, I became enthralled
with the fast-paced nature of the Socratic Method. Then the professor
asked me a question and applauded my answer. I thought that
maybe I could do this too, one day.
Maritime law first piqued my interest as an undergraduate student at
Texas A&M University, where I earned a degree in maritime
administration.
There, I took two maritime law courses. One from Thomas C. Fitzhugh III,
who is now my law partner, and the other from my late mentor Capt.
William P. Glenn. Maritime law is an exciting practice area. I have
handled cases involving uniquely maritime themes such as mutiny,
stowaways, cargo damage, and vessel collisions. Each case is distinct,
posing its own challenges and channels to victory. Never have I
regretted choosing this practice area—I enjoy it greatly.
In my time as a state bar director, my proudest accomplishment is
being elected to this role by the attorneys in my district.
Each attorney who voted for me did so with faith that I might represent
our district well. As my three-year term on the board nears its natural
end, I hope that I have met my colleagues’ expectations.
My experience as a state bar director has been positive, practical,
and impactful.
It has afforded me an education in how the State Bar functions, how it
interfaces with the Texas Supreme Court, and the many benefits it
provides to attorneys. Overall, I learned how the missions of the State
Bar of Texas and those of other related but distinct entities converge
with lawyers’ practices. These lessons will benefit me throughout the
rest of my career in law. Another benefit afforded to me through this
position is all the wonderful, brilliant people I have met during my
service to the bar.
The most important takeaway from my career as a lawyer is the immense
privilege conferred upon every person with a license to practice
law.
For example, I once assisted someone on the Texas Free Legal Answers
online pro bono platform who had a legal problem that they had attempted
to solve for 15 years. I gave the person a step-by-step guide on how to
address the problem and provided them with additional written resources.
They later wrote back to me that my advice had worked. Because of this
experience and others like it, pro bono service is important to
me.TBJ
