McCurly, Orsinger, McCurley, Nelson & Downing, L.L.P.We HAve One Goal... Provide Clients with Superior Legal Representation
HomeWho We AreNews ReleasesOur AttorneysFamily Law ResourcesArticlesMOMND in the NewsContact Us
Clients Speak Out

"No task in fighting for my daughter was too much. I had a long, long battle, but there was nothing acceptable to them but to do the right thing."

-Molly Ann Huie

Print This Page
Email This Page
Save To Favorites

Attorneys

Richard R. Orsinger 
5950 Sherry Lane
8th Floor
Dallas, Texas 75225
 

Communication Center 
Phone: (214) 273-2400
E-mail: Email Me
Fax: (214) 273-2470
Web site: http://www.momnd.com


PositionAreas of PracticeEducation
HonorsPublished WorksAffiliations


Richard Orsinger is one of the best-known and most respected Family Lawyers in Texas.

In 2007 Richard was recognized as Texas' top-ranked Family Lawyer in Texas Lawyer newspaper's Go-To Guide. Published every five years, Richard was among the five top Family Lawyers in the state in the 2002 Go-To Guide. He has been recognized among the Best Lawyers in America in Family Law every year since 1987 and in Appellate Law since 2007.

In 2003, Richard was awarded the prestigious Sam Emison Award by the Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists for his accomplishments in Family Law. Also in 2003, Richard was included in the inaugural edition of Texas Super Lawyers, earning honors among the top 100 lawyers in Texas, recognition he has earned in each subsequent edition.

He received a State Bar of Texas Presidential Citation in 2001 "for innovative leadership and relentless pursuit of excellence for continuing legal education." The same year, Richard received the State Bar of Texas Family Law Section's Dan R. Price Award for outstanding contributions to Family Law.

In 1996, Richard received the Gene Cavin Award for Excellence in Continuing Legal Education from the State Bar of Texas. He garnered three consecutive State Bar Certificates of Merit, 1995-1997, with another in 2004, representing his selection by the Directors and Past Presidents of the State Bar as one of the top three lawyers recognized for service to the profession. He chaired the State Bar's Continuing Legal Education Committee from 2000 until 2002.

Richard is currently serving his 13th year on the Texas Supreme Court Advisory Committee. The committee advises the Supreme Court on the Texas Rules of Civil and Appellate Procedure and Rules of Evidence. He chairs the subcommittee responsible for the large section of the rules governing pretrial proceedings in Texas courts. For 15 years, ending in 2005, Richard served on the commission that writes and grades the examination for certification in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. In prior years, Richard served on the Family Law Advisory Commission to the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, and he has chaired both the State Bar Family Law Section and the State Bar Appellate Section. Richard belongs to the prestigious American Board of Trial Advocates, an organization reserved for lawyers with extensive experience in jury trials.

Richard has been course director of many State Bar Continuing Legal Education courses, including Advanced Civil Appellate, Advanced Evidence & Discovery, Advanced Family Law, Enron -- The Legal Issues (which won the ACLEA's "Best of the Year" award in 2002), four Advanced Expert Witness Courses and five Practice Before the Texas Supreme Court Courses.

A frequently sought-after lecturer, Richard has spoken on Family Law matters around the United States to lawyers, psychiatrists and accountants. He also has spoken extensively in Texas on Family Law, trial and appellate procedure, contract law, and evidence law. Richard has authored more than 200 continuing legal education articles. He has authored or co-authored five law review articles beginning in 1982, and authored a 900-page treatise on Texas appellate procedure for Bancroft-Whitney Co. Richard was Chief Editor of the State Bar Family Law Section's Expert Witness Manual, and was editor-in-chief of the State Bar of Texas' Practice Before the Texas Supreme Court Manual, published in 2005.

Richard is licensed to practice law in Texas, the Federal District Courts in the Southern and Western Districts of Texas, the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court. Richard is a 1975 graduate of The University of Texas School of Law, and earned his Bachelor of Arts, with honors, in economics from The University of Texas in 1972.

Richard handles Family Law matters in appellate courts, as well as trial courts. He has appeared in most of Texas' 14 Courts of Appeals and has secured two reversals from the Supreme Court of Texas.

In addition to representing his own clients, Richard is often hired around the state as co-counsel to assist other lawyers in handling complex jury and non-jury cases, particularly with complicated property problems or where financial or mental health experts will play a prominent role. Richard also serves as a testifying expert in Family Law-related litigation.

Current Employment Position(s):
Partner, since 1992
Areas of Practice:
Family Law
Civil Appellate Law
Certification/Specialties:
Board Certified Family Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization, 1980


Board Certified Civil Appellate Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization, 1987


Bar Admissions:
Texas, 1975
U.S. District Court Southern District of Texas, 1979
U.S. District Court Western District of Texas, 1997
U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit, 1979
U.S. Supreme Court, 1981
Education:
The University of Texas School of Law, Austin, Texas, 1975


University of Texas, Austin, TX, 1972
B.A.
Honors: With Honors


Published Works:
"The Road Ahead: Long-Term Financial Planning in Connection With Divorce", Advanced Family Law Course, State Bar of Texas, 2006


"Hot Topics in Litigation: Restitution/Unjust Enrichment", Advanced Civil Appellate Practice Course, State Bar of Texas, 2006


"Recent Developments in the Daubert Swamp", Advanced Civil Appellate Practice Course, State Bar of Texas, 2005


Editor-in-Chief, Texas Supreme Court Practice Manual, State Bar of Texas, 2005


Pearls of Wisdom from Thirty Years of Practicing Family Law, Advanced Family Law Course, State Bar of Texas, 2004


Trends in the Supreme Court, State Bar of Texas' Practice Before the Texas Supreme Court, 2004


Recent Developments in Family Law, Judicial Section Annual Conference Spring Training, 2004


Hot Topics in Family Law, State Bar of Texas' Judicial Section Annual Conference, 2004


Supreme Court Trends, State Bar of Texas' 18th Annual Advanced Civil Appellate Practice Course, 2004


Those Other Texas Codes: Things the Family Lawyer Needs to Know About Codifications Outside the Family Code, State Bar of Texas' 30th Annual Advanced Family Law Course, 2004


Pre-Trial Motions: Daubert /Robinson, State Bar of Texas' Annual Meeting: Ultimate Trial Notebook, 2004


Admissibility of Fact, Lay Opinion & Expert Witness Evidence, State Bar of Texas' 4th Annual Advance Expert Witness Course, 2004


Special Problems Admitting Business Records Containing Expert Evidence, State Bar of Texas' 4th Annual Advanced Expert Witness Course, 2004


The Right Stuff: Choosing Expert Witnesses, Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists Trial Institute, 2004


Family Law Updates, Texas Center for the Judiciary Winter Regional Conference, 2004


A Guide to Proceedings Under the Texas Parent Notification Statute and Rules, South Texas Law Review (co-author), 2000


Chief Editor and Author: Expert Witness Manual, State Bar of Texas Family Law Section, Vols. II & III, 1999


Obligations of the Trial Lawyer Under Texas Law Toward the Client Relating to an Appeal, South Texas Law Review, 1999


Asserting Claims for Intentionally or Recklessly Causing Severe Emotional Distress in Connection with Divorce NewsAlert (republished), Texas Family Law Service, October & December, 1994, February 1995


Asserting Claims for Intentionally or Recklessly Causing Severe Emotional Distress in Connection with Divorce (republished), American Journal of Family Law, 1994


Asserting Claims for Intentionally or Recklessly Causing Severe Emotional Distress in Connection with Divorce, 25 St. Mary's Law Journal 1254, 1994


Texas Civil Appellate Practice, 6 McDonald, 1992


Characterization of Marital Property, Baylor Law Review Symposium (co-author), 1988


Fitting a Round Peg Into A Square Hole: Section 3.63, Texas Family Code, and the Marriage that Crosses States Lines, 13 St. Mary's Law Journal 477, 1982


Over 200 continuing legal education articles, See http://www.orsinger.com/publications.shtml


Classes/Seminars Taught:
Panelist: "Predicates and Objections Every Lawyer Should Know and Use", Houston Bar Association, 5th Annual Family Law Institute, 2002


Moderator: "International & Cross Border Issues", State Bar of Texas, Advanced Family Law Course, 2002


Honors and Awards:
Top Family Lawyer in Texas, Texas Lawyer's Go-To Guide, 2007


Top Five Family Lawyers in Texas, Texas Lawyer's Go-To Guide, 2002


Best Lawyers in America, Family Law,, 1987 - 2008


Best Lawyers in America, Appellate Law,, 2007 - 2008


Texas Super Lawyer, 2003 - 2007


Texas Super Lawyer, Top 100 Lawyers in Texas,, 2003 - 2007


Texas Super Lawyer, Top 50 Central and West Texas Region Lawyers,, 2004 - 2007


Texas Super Lawer, Top 100 Lawyers in Dallas-fort Worth, 2003


Lawdragon, Leading Lawyers in America, 2006 - 2007


Fellow, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers


Associate, American Board of Trial Advocates


Sam Emison Award, Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists, 2003


Association for Continuing Legal Excellence Best Program Award, 2002


Dan R. Price Award, State of Texas Family Law Section, 2001


State Bar of Texas Presidential Citation, 2001


Gene Cavin Award, For Excellence in Continuing Legal Education, State Bar of Texas, 1996


State Bar of Texas Certificates of Merit, 1995-1997, 2004


Professional Associations and Memberships:
Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists
Member & Former President


Texas Bar Foundation
Fellow


American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers
Fellow


American Board of Trial Advocates
Associate


Dallas Bar Association
Member


Houston Bar Association
Member


San Antonio Bar Association
Member


Supreme Court of Texas
Member, Advisory Committee on Rules of Civil Procedure


Supreme Court of Texas
Chair, Rules 16-165a Subcommittee