Featured in the May edition of D Magazine, Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn of Lynn Pinker Hurst & Schwegmann LLP is a trailblazer in the Texas legal field who has spent her half-century career breaking gender barriers. 

After graduating first in her class at SMU Law, she faced significant challenges during job interviews but went on to become the first female partner at a major Dallas firm and the first female chief judge for the Northern District of Texas. Lynn attributes her success to a competitive drive and a willingness to “bulldoze” through professional obstacles, noting that her assertiveness was a necessary survival tool in a male-dominated environment. 

“Twenty-five years felt like enough,” she says regarding her decision to leave the bench. 
“There are a limited number of these jobs, and a lot of qualified people. I thought it was time to open the seat for someone else.”