Alumni Spotlight: Kayla (Frank) Tanner, BA Justice '10

Kayla (Frank) Tanner
(Photo used with permission
of Jackson Walker)

Kayla (Frank) Tanner, BA Justice ’10, is an associate attorney with the law firm of Jackson Walker LLP in San Antonio, Texas.  After leaving UAA, Kayla received her J.D., summa cum laude, from Texas Tech University School of Law where she was a member of the Law Review.  Prior to joining Jackson Walker, Kayla had the privilege to serve as law clerk to the Honorable Justice Phil Johnson of the Supreme Court of Texas for the 2014-2015 term.  Kayla’s practice at Jackson Walker primarily focuses in the area of commercial litigation.  While in law school, Kayla interned for Bankruptcy Judge Robert L. Jones and for the Federal Public Defender’s Office for the Northern District of Texas.

Kayla recalled that it was her Advanced Legal Writing and Analysis course with Prof. Deb Periman, J.D. that finally convinced her to sit for the LSAT and commit to attending law school.  Prof. Periman’s coverage of The Bluebook was a big help in legal practice class during that first semester of law school.  Because she enjoyed so many of her Justice classes, in particular Criminology with Dr. Allan Barnes, Kayla went to law school with the intention of becoming a criminal defense attorney, but the vast array of civil law topics quickly won her attention.

When not busy with the practice of law, Kayla enjoys traveling with her husband, Brad, and having adventures with her French bulldog and mastiff.