Jackson Walker partner Mary Emma Ackels Karam shares her family and career story in a commentary for The Texas Lawbook.

Ms. Karam, the daughter of former Dallas City Council member and attorney Lawrence Ackels Sr., writes in “Inspired Long Before I Became a Lawyer” that it is the inspiration she has drawn from her mother and family that formed the core principles that have guided her career.

She writes: “None of us has done it alone. We are able to soar because of those who paved the way, mentored us and taught us good judgment and legal ethics. And, so as not to forget, a quote from the National Association of Women Lawyers sits on my desk today. It reads: ‘Long before women could vote, they became lawyers.’”