Melissa G. Thrailkill

Melissa G. Thrailkill joined the Law Offices of Brandy Voss, PLLC as Of Counsel in 2018 before joining the team as an Associate Attorney in 2019.  Melissa began her legal career at Texas Riogrande Legal Aid in Edinburg, TX, where she served low-income families throughout the Rio Grande Valley in the areas of family law and family violence. Since then she has worked on climate change and the Endangered Species Act at the Center for Biological Diversity in San Francisco. Later, Melissa opened her own practice in 2012 in Dallas, Texas, where she served clients in a variety of legal fields, including family law, probate and guardianship, fiduciary litigation and civil appellate matters. Melissa has spent many years advocating for families in trials and mediations. 

Melissa obtained her Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Texas, Austin. While studying at UT, Melissa also worked for The Daily Texan newspaper as a reporter and editor. She obtained her JD in 2006 from the University of California-Berkeley, School of Law. There she served as an executive editor on the Ecology Law Quarterly and volunteered with the East Bay Community Law Center’s Workers’ Defense Project. Melissa also spent an academic year interning with the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights. She is licensed in Texas and California.

Melissa is currently the section chair for the State Bar of Texas Poverty Law Section. Prior to being elected chair, she served as the section’s secretary for two years. Additionally, she serves as chair of the Texas Entertainment and Sports Law Section. Prior to taking on that role, she served as that section’s treasurer for two years.

In addition to her trial and advocacy experience, Melissa has also represented clients in civil appellate matters before the Texas Supreme Court and intermediary appellate courts in Texas. She also has criminal appellate experience. Melissa also provides research and drafting assistance to trial attorneys preparing and responding to pre-trial and post-trial motions, jury charges, and other matters related to trial preparation and preservation of error.