Meet Dawn
JUDGE DAWN DESHEA ROGERS is a native Houstonian, growing up in Northwest Houston. She is the oldest daughter of her loving parents, big sister to her two younger siblings, "Auntie Dawn" to one niece and four nephews, and mommy to her four-legged friend. She is a member of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church and managing attorney of a national law firm.
Dawn is a first generation attorney in her family, whose dreams of becoming a lawyer began at the age of nine, while watching TV dramas and movies. While many thought it was just a phase, she began working towards her career goals in middle school and high school by joining various speech, debate and drama clubs and was very active in theatre arts, performing in several stage productions. Dawn has always been involved in church, participating in youth ministry programs and events that honor God.
Dawn entered college with ambitions to become a criminal attorney and interned with the Harris County District Attorney’s office during her senior year. In 1998, she graduated from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, TX with a major in criminal justice and a minor in English. While at SHSU, she was Vice President of Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Fraternity and won 2nd place in the mock trial competition hosted by the Robert A Gammage Washington, DC.
She then attended Thurgood Marshall School of Law and during law school, she externed with the Harris County 189th District Court under the Honorable Judge Jeff Work who ultimately extended an offer for a permanent paid position as a student law clerk. Dawn also had the honor of interning with the First Court of Appeals, directly under Justice Tim Taft. During her final year of law school, Dawn was a paid legal intern for the Harris County Attorney’s Office.
In 2002, Dawn graduated from law school and, immediately after taking the bar exam she moved to Austin, TX to work with the Attorney General’s Office as an Honors Attorney—a program that allowed select recent law school graduates to work as an apprentice until successful bar results. As an Assistant Attorney General in the law enforcement defense department, Dawn tried over fifty jury and bench trials in federal and state courts throughout the State of Texas on civil rights issues and employment disputes.
Dawn returned to Houston in 2004 and worked for a boutique defense firm in Houston representing corporate clients and municipalities in various areas of law, including personal injury, breach of contract and construction law. In 2009, Dawn opened the firm, D. Rogers Law Group, P.L.L.C. (DRLG), representing both Plaintiffs and Defendants in contract disputes, foreclosure, debt collection, family law, and property matters. Her firm was recognized and certified as a Historically Underutilized Business (HUB), thereby increasing minority and women owed businesses state procurement opportunities.
During Dawn’s seventeen year career, she’s been the lead attorney of thousands of cases and currently manages an inventory of almost 10,000 cases and a staff of eighteen. She's also worked as administrative judge for the Texas Education Agency, arbitrator for the Texas Comptroller, and ad litem for Harris County civil courts.
Dawn was an adjunct professor working at Lone Star College campuses located in Greenspoint and Acres Home, mentoring and teaching freshmen college preparedness, financial literacy, and professional growth. Additionally, she is a certified mediator, and has worked as a volunteer mediator with the Harris County Dispute Resolution Center. Wherever needed, Dawn is eager to serve and assist the community.
Judge Rogers is a proud member & in good standing of the following professional organizations:
Houston Bar Association
National Association of Women Judges
Thurgood Marshall School of Law Alumni Board Member
Texas Bar Foundation (Fellow)
Houston Bar Foundation (Fellow)
Garland Walker Inns of Court
Association of Women Attorneys
The Downtown Group
Judge Rogers is a proud member & in good standing of the following civic organizations:
Harris County Democratic Party
Houston Black American Democrats (H-BAD)
Southwest Democrats
The Houston GLBT Political Caucus
ROADwomen