Laurie Higginbotham

Personal Introduction

Federal tort attorney Laurie M. Higginbotham is a nationally experienced trial and appellate lawyer. She has a national Federal Tort Claims Act practice, having represented clients in Texas, Oklahoma, California, Oregon, Washington, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Kentucky, Virginia, Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, New York, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Arkansas, Missouri and other venues. In addition to trial work as a federal tort claims attorney, Ms. Higginbotham has handled a number of appeals in various courts of appeals including the Texas Supreme Court, the 4th, 5th, 9th and 10th Circuits and in the United States Supreme Court. Ms. Higginbotham was recognized by Austin Monthly as a Top Attorney from 2020-2024. She was also named the Scott Ozmun Trial Lawyer of the Year by the Capital Area Trial Lawyers Association (2023). In 2011, Ms. Higginbotham was recognized by Texas Lawyer as one of 20 “Winning Women,” profiling outstanding female Texas litigators and appellate lawyers who prevail in high-stakes cases that make law or have an impact nationally or statewide, win large monetary awards, and handle first-of-their-kind or bet-the-company litigation or appeals. In 2007, she was named the Outstanding Young Lawyer by the Austin Young Lawyer’s Association. She has been listed as a Texas Rising Star by Thomson Reuters every year from 2004 – 2013, and as a Super Lawyer from 2013 – 2023. She is a member of The National Trial Lawyers: Top 100 Civil Plaintiff Trial Lawyers. She has an AV Preeminent Rating from Martindale Hubbell, Peer Rated for the Highest Level of Professional Excellence. She has a 10/10 rating from Avvo, and achieved the highest rating of AV Preeminent, the highest ethical standing, from Martindale-Hubbell. Ms. Higginbotham is a member of the State Bar of Texas, the American Association for Justice, Texas Trial Lawyers’ Association, Federal Bar Association, and the Austin Bar Association. She was the chair of the Federal Tort Liability & Military Advocacy Section from 2022-2023. She also served as the 2021-2022 Vice-Chair of the American Association for Justice in the Federal Tort Liability & Military Advocacy Section. Previously, she has served twice as the Chair of the Federal Tort Liability and Military Advocacy section of the American Association for Justice. In addition, she has served as President of the Travis County Women Lawyers’ Association, and as Chair of the Travis County Women Lawyers’ Foundation. She was member of the Lloyd Lochridge Inns of Court from 2009 – 2019. She is a fellow of the a Texas State Bar Foundation has served on the District 9 Nominating Committee. Ms. Higginbotham is also a fellow of the Travis County Women Lawyers’ Foundation and a fellow of the Austin Bar Foundation. She served for over 10 years on the Admission Committee for the United States District Court, Western District of Texas. She was appointed by Western District Federal Judges to serve on a Merit Selection Panel for the new magistrate position for the United States District Court, Western District of Texas in 2019 and again in 2021. She served on the board of the Austin Chapter of the American Constitution Society.