Kristine Bridges

Kristine D. Bridges brings law school career service expertise and dedication to Baylor Law’s mission as the Assistant Dean of Career Development. Kristine received her Bachelor of Arts from Baylor University in 1998 and her Juris Doctor from Baylor Law in 2003.

Kristine previously served as the Associate Dean of Professional Development (career services) at the University of Tulsa College of Law.  During her six years at TU Law, the services and programming supporting law student career services were completely transformed, and TU Law’s post-employment ranking rose significantly.  Kristine developed a comprehensive 3-year professional development curricular program, which included co-teaching the Dean’s Seminar on the Legal Profession with the dean of TU's law school.  She also excelled in leadership roles with NALP, the premier national industry group for law school career services.  Kristine served on the NALP Regional Resource Council and as a Chair for the Law School Professional Development Committee.  She was a frequent speaker at the NALP Annual and Professional Development Institute conferences.  Kristine also taught Texas Civil Procedure for five semesters as a part-time faculty member. 

Kristine loves counseling students, developing career services and professional development programs, partnering with faculty members, and cultivating employer relationships with the goal of securing excellent post-graduate outcomes.  “It is an honor to serve Baylor Law and its students in this critical role.  I was trained by Baylor Law to be an outstanding advocate and look forward to applying those advocacy skills to benefit our students in their job search.”, Bridges said.

During her time at Baylor Law, Kristine served as the president of the Women’s Legal Society and was a member of the Order of Barristers. As a member of the moot court team, she and her partner won the Texas Administrative Law Moot Court Competition in 2002. Kristine was selected as a Children’s Justice Act grant recipient serving as a summer fellow for the Barton Child Law and Policy Clinic at Emory Law School. She was a briefing clerk for Magistrate Judge Jeffrey C. Manske in the Western District of Texas, Waco Division, where she supported work on his first published opinion, In Re: Extradition of Ramos Herrera, 268 F. Supp.2d 688 (W.D.Tex. 2003).

Following law school, Kristine practiced as a trial associate at the centenarian Texas business law firm, Burford and Ryburn LLP in Dallas where she represented businesses and utility companies in non-jury and jury trials. She also returned to her passion for advocating for families in complex child custody cases in her own solo practice in Dallas where she was recognized as a Rising Star in Family Law in 2008 by Texas Lawyer and was an active member of the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers (DAYL). As a member of DAYL’s Aid to the Homeless Committee, she served as the co-chair for the Community Court Project for 2 years, including the project’s inaugural year.

After six years at TU Law, Kristine returned to advocating for deprived children. She was the executive director for two Tulsa non-profit organizations: Tulsa County Child Protection Coalition and The Parent Child Center of Tulsa. In these roles, Kristine closely collaborated with local family foundations, independent funders, state agencies, and the area United Way to secure funding for critical service and policy initiatives. Kristine also enjoyed a return to practice as the Director of Family and Juvenile Law at Boeheim Freeman PLLP. During her time in Tulsa, Kristine was an active member of the Tulsa County Bar Association serving as both an ex officio and at-large director of the Board.

Kristine and her husband met during their undergraduate studies at Baylor University, and they have three daughters who keep her on her toes.