Mark Goodner sat down with Madison Mondragon to discuss her recent arrival at TMCEC.
MG: Madison, welcome to the TMCEC team! You’ve now been with us for three weeks or so. What’s it been like getting started, and what have you been focusing on during your first days here?
MM: It has been a great time diving headfirst into work and learning all things municipal courts. Everyone on the team at TMCEC has graciously answered my questions and made me feel at home. Even in my short time at TMCEC, I have seen how the fundamental rights of citizens are implicated each day in municipal court. As I learn about the municipal courts, I appreciate how the system weighs efficiency, fairness, and meeting those interacting with the court where they are.
MG: You bring a great mix of legal experience and energy to our team. Tell us a little about your background—what kind of legal work have you done before coming to TMCEC?
MM: Before joining TMCEC I practiced family law here in Austin. It is a refreshing change of pace to work with our constituents as a resource rather than just while engaging in such tense litigation.
MG: You’re jumping in quickly! You’ll be presenting on Morning Coffee and at the Court Administrators and Prosecutors Seminar in just your first few weeks. What are you most excited to work on in your early time here?
MM: Before I began working at TMCEC, I did not appreciate how wide ranging the implications of municipal courts were. My first day at work, I opened a desk drawer and saw a pocket-sized Constitution of the United States. I thought to myself, ‘I won’t be looking at that but nice to have it around.’ It turns out that I was wrong, the next day we were reviewing the First, Sixth, and Fourteenth amendments. This week I have been tracking legislation in Texas. Each day I hear the legal calls from across the state and the ensuing office discussion analyzing issues from each angle. Getting to learn something new each day that helps serve our constituents has been exciting and I can’t wait to see what the future brings!
MG: We always love learning what makes our team tick beyond the resume. What would you like TMCEC’s constituents to know about you—whether professionally, personally, or both?
MM: I’m a seventh generation Texas with roots back to the Republic of Texas, but I have a deep connection to New Orleans, Louisiana where I attended law school. I’m a member of the Krewe of Cleopatra and this past year I took my six-month old son to his first Mardi Gras!
MG: Thanks for taking the time to chat with me for the blog. I’m sure our readers will look forward to meeting you in person at one of our upcoming programs!
Full Court Press 