Dallas law firm is positioned to serve

by Jacquinette Murphy of North Dallas Gazette

Poised to effectively serve her community, Chante Barnes Prox, the founding attorney of the Barnes Prox law firm, is strongly committed to providing excellent and honest service to her clients. Located in the Dallas area at 1111 W. Ledbetter Drive, Suite 450, Prox offers her clients personal attention and strong advocacy in her core practice areas of Family Law, Juvenile Law, School Law and Special Education, Estate Planning and Probate, and Public Policy and Advocacy. At the Barnes Prox Law firm, you are certain to have someone that listens and works for you.

Prox is a new addition to the Dallas legal industry, but is no stranger to the law and the politics of her core business - families and children. She is a seasoned professional with experience in the Texas Legislature and in the Child Protective Services Agency and has transitioned to entrepreneurship by opening her private law practice.

Prox began her professional career in 1991 as a caseworker for the Child Protective Services Agency (CPS) after graduating from Texas Women's University (TWU) with a degree in Sociology and Social Work. She worked for CPS for about six years and soon became a CPS legal liaison to help with the agency processes as opposed to the field work.

While at CPS, she was selected to be among thirty employees to attend a program at the University of Texas at Arlington to obtain a Master's degree in Social Work. A clinical session which focused on advocacy intrigued Prox, and led her to connect her social work experience with a strong interest in legislation. This opened the door for her to gain political experience in public service. Prox soon began an internship in Austin, Texas in the Texas 23rd Senatorial District of State Senator Royce West.

“While I was there, his Health and Human Services Aide quit and he offered me the job.” This was another opportunity for Prox to gain experience in law and politics, two areas still near to her heart. Prox served with Senator West for three legislative sessions and worked on the Grandparents Care Bill and the Father's Rights Bills before acting on her passion to pursue a law degree. The Grandparents Care effort was designed to allow grandparents to receive funds for caring for their grandchildren and the program currently remains in effect.

“Working for CPS you see so much,” expressed Prox, “You also see some injustices and I found myself saying, 'if I was a lawyer...' Being in the legislature, drafting bills, meeting and talking with constituents, really helped me set things in motion.”

Driven to succeed, Prox left her job as a Texas Health and Human Services Aide and became a full-time student at The University of Texas School of Law. She enrolled and completed her Juris Doctorate degree and returned to serve her hometown at a local family law firm prior to establishing an independent practice.

To some, the practice of family law is known to be a very emotional and enduring area, but not for Prox. “It is natural for me. There is a lot of conflict and it does not intimidate me. I wanted to practice family law when I went to law school and I worked in the Children's Rights Clinic.”

While studying law, Prox became the president of the Thurgood Marshall Legal Society, a member of the Journal of Women's Issues, the Minority Student Affairs Committee and the Dean Selection Committee. Recalling her career path, Prox noticed a common connection, family and children. “Family is an important factor in my life.” Her strong attention to the family unit stems from her own close-knit family. I am the youngest of four girls, my mom and dad have been married for more than forty years. We grew up in a neighborhood,” she stated. Prox also shared that her family remains close even to this day.

Prox is a native of the Dallas, Texas area and a 1985 graduate of the now defunct Wilmer Hutchins High School. Growing up, Prox had a natural love for the legal industry. “I always had fairness in mind and was quick to say, 'I want justice, this is not fair.'” She watched TV courtroom dramas, such as Perry Mason and realized that law was in everything. “I was the peacemaker growing up. I tried to find the resolution. I felt like if you knew and respected the rules that you would have the upper hand.” Prox remembers being the one to decipher legal jargon, “I was the one able to interpret contracts and figure them out.”

Now she looks at her experiences as tools that helped her to become the public servant that she is today. “It is those opportunities and the people that I am surrounded with that got me to where I am,” explained Prox.

Prox's firm is also a results-oriented practice and she describes the components of a good day, “When I can say that I have effectively advocated for my client and achieved the results that they are looking for. This is my ultimate satisfaction,” according to Prox.

She is a member of the Dallas Bar Association, the Texas Bar Association and the J. L. Turner Legal Society. Prox is licensed by the Texas Supreme Court to practice in all courts in the State of Texas including Collin, Dallas, and Tarrant counties.

The Barnes Prox Law firm has recently added criminal defense as a practice area. So, if you need a lawyer that listens and advocates for her clients, call Chante Prox of the Barnes Prox Law firm at (972) 522-1200 or visit the firm's website at www.barnesproxlaw.com.