Brie Strickland Miller (J.D. ’24) is a commercial litigation associate at Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C. in Dallas, where her practice includes business dispute, environmental, entertainment, intellectual property, real estate, securities, and trade secrets litigation.
At the University of Oklahoma College of Law, Brie earned her J.D. with honors and distinguished herself as both a scholar and leader. She was inducted into the Order of the Coif and Order of the Barristers and received numerous honors, including the Federal Bar Association’s Robert A. McNew Scholarship, the Reid E. Robison Litigation Scholarship, and multiple American Jurisprudence Awards.
During law school, Brie served as Operating Editor for the Oil and Gas, Natural Resources, and Energy Journal, where her article on corporate climate-related disclosures was selected for publication. She also competed on the National Moot Court Team and the John J. Gibbons Criminal Procedure Moot Court Team.
Brie was deeply involved in student leadership, serving as President of the Federal Bar Association’s OU Chapter and co-founding Law Students of Texas. She also earned a certificate in Business & Transactional Law and graduated with pro bono distinction honors.
Before joining Munsch Hardt full time, Brie served as a summer associate with the firm, completed a judicial internship with the Honorable Rebecca Rutherford of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, and worked as a Sustainability Legal Extern focused on ESG and climate-related compliance matters for SLB (formerly Schlumburger).
Prior to law school, Brie earned her bachelor’s degree magna cum laude from Southern Methodist University and worked in communications and brand marketing for a major U.S. airline.
Today, Brie remains actively involved in the legal and civic communities through organizations including as Membership Co-Chair and Leadership Class member of the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers, Silent Auction Committee Member for Attorneys Serving the Community, and OU Law Young Alumni Board.
Looking back on your time at OU Law, is there a particular memory, experience, or moment that still stands out to you today?
My 1L year OU football staged a generational comeback against UT at the Red River Rivalry. A group of us from law school had seats only six or so rows up and we rushed the field after the winning, only to then be threatened with trespassing charges and left wondering how we would explain that to bar examiners for character and fitness. A little more related to OU Law specifically, my moot court team experiences stand out for not only shaping me professionally but forging some of my greatest friendships. My 2L Nationals partner and I will still message each other every time our prompt from that year comes up in the real world.
Were there any professors, mentor, or opportunities at OU Law that especially influenced the way you approached your work and professional relationships now?
Absolutely. Too many to count probably. Professor Alex Pearl has deeply influenced not only my practice (I still pull out my 1L Property outline every now and then!) but also my professional moral compass and love for pouring into the profession through mentorship and building opportunities for others. I can still hear “Gensler-isms” in my head when I’m navigating civil procedure matters and Professor Gensler’s treatise is one of my top visited pages on WestLaw. I also can’t forget Professors Shaner and Richter, who I continue to strive to be like in so many ways as brilliant and strong women in the profession. Finally, nothing prepared me for the fast pace and chaos of filing deadlines, along with juggling redlines and various documents versions, quite like being on moot court teams.
What has surprised you most about practicing law since graduating?
How imperfect the practice and its people can be. The best medicine for imposter syndrome has been to realize everyone, I mean everyone, makes mistakes. Relatedly, there is a unexpected sense of peace with accepting and respecting my your own limits and knowing that on any given day you can’t make everyone happy. The best attorneys I’ve met to date are the ones who persevere through that disappointment or adversity. It’s their humility (not ego) that makes them exceptional.
You’ve gotten involved early as a young alum by serving in a number of civic organizations and with your alma mater. What motivated you to say “yes” to staying getting engaged in your communities and what have you gained from it so far?
Practicing law is a privilege; one that I try to never take for granted. My involvement is rooted in that gratitude as well as a belief that this profession is only as good as when people who endlessly pursue its excellence and evolution, including investing in the next generation. Plus, attorneys are some of the most interesting people and you can meet the best of the best by getting involved. That sense of community and connection keeps me energized.
What’s one piece of advice you would give to current OU Law students or recent graduates as they begin building their careers and professional networks?
Your two greatest pieces of currency are your reputation and your community. It’s important not to lose sight that the practice of law is the practice of people so taking the time to meet a friend for coffee or help a former classmate says more about your character than any courtroom or boardroom win. Be the kind of person who shows up and people will remember that. So much of my success to date is because I have peers to learn from, mentors to encourage me, and friends to celebrate me in good times and talk me through the not-so-great ones.
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