Catina Haynes Perry ’06, an attorney in the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, recently became the first Black female president of the South Texas College of Law Houston Alumni Association. She graduated from STCL Houston with honors in 2006 and has served on the Alumni Association board since 2016.
“Catina has demonstrated exceptional leadership in the legal profession and in her time on the Alumni Association board, and we are fortunate she is investing her time to lead this important organization,” said South Texas President and Dean Michael F. Barry. “Her legal insights and experience, her depth of knowledge of Houston and her strong connections to the community are all important. But her strength of character makes her the ideal person to lead our alumni as South Texas heads into its centennial next year.”
After law school, Perry worked for four years in the international arbitration section of Fulbright & Jaworski, LLP (now Norton Rose Fulbright), then served as law clerk for the U.S. District Court Judge George C. Hanks, Jr.
Perry worked as a contract criminal defense attorney before joining the Harris County District Attorney’s Office (HCDA) as an assistant district attorney, where she worked in misdemeanor and felony courts, served as a volunteer Sober Court prosecutor, and ultimately specialized in non-capital, post-conviction writs. After leaving HCDA, Perry joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas.
“I am proud of my diverse legal experience in the private and public sectors,” Perry said. “In my current role, I enjoy being able to see that justice is done on behalf of the United States of America. I get to do the right thing for the right reasons, and that is important to me.
A native Houstonian, Perry graduated with honors with her bachelor’s degree from the University of Houston in 2002. While in law school at STCL Houston, Perry was a member of the South Texas Law Review and was on a championship moot court team. She also served as historian for the Black Law Students Association, president of the Christian Legal Society and as a member of The Firm — a performing arts group on campus.
While attending law school, she also completed internships at the City of Houston, the U.S. House of Representatives as a Mickey Leland scholar, the 14th Court of Appeals of Texas, and the Federal Public Defender’s Office. Perry received awards for the highest grades in Civil Procedure, Torts I & II, Property II, and Evidence. She also served as a prestigious Langdell Scholar for Civil Procedure, Torts, and Evidence.
“South Texas laid the foundation for my entire legal career,” Perry said. “I learned substantive law and practical application, and I built a community of support during law school that I have carried with me throughout my legal career.”
Perry has volunteered with numerous legal and civic organizations, including the Houston Bar Association, the National Black Prosecutors Association, and Compassion International. She also served on the executive board of South Texas College of Law Houston’s Black Alumni Chapter.
“Catina’s strong commitment to the South Texas community will help us create more opportunities to engage our entire Alumni Association as we prepare for our centennial in 2023,” said Darcy Douglas, STCL vice president for advancement. “We look forward to working closely with her as she seeks ways to connect our alumni more closely with one another and with their law school.”
