Background
Sweeney, Paula Fisette was born on August 6, 1957 in Dallas, Texas, United States. Daughter of Robert A. and Nancy A. (DuBanevich) Fisette.
Sweeney, Paula Fisette was born on August 6, 1957 in Dallas, Texas, United States. Daughter of Robert A. and Nancy A. (DuBanevich) Fisette.
University of Dallas (Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, 1978). Southern Methodist University (Juris Doctor, 1981). Teacher: Trial Advocacy, Southern Methodist University School of Law, 1987-1990.
National Institutes of Trial Advocacy, Southwestern Region, 1988-1990.
Author and
Worked at Howie & Sweeney, Limited liability partnership (Dallas, Texas) specializing in Medical Malpractice, Negligence Law, Personal Injury. Admitted to the bar, 1981, Texas. Teacher: Trial Advocacy, Southern Methodist University School of Law, 1987-1990.
Faculty Member, National Institute of Trial Advocacy, Southwestern Region, 1988-1990.
Author and Lecturer: "Evaluating Plaintiff"s Malpractice Claim," Medical Malpractice Conference, March 24-25, 1988, San Antonio, Texas. "Screening & Selecting Plaintiff"s Medical Negligence Cases," American Trial Lawyers Association Annual Meeting, August 1, 1988, Kansas City, Missouri.
"Evaluating Medical Negligence Cases," Kansas Trial Lawyers Annual Meeting, Kansas City, Missouri, December 2, 1988. "Lay Witnesses in Medical Negligence Cases," Advanced Medical Malpractice Seminar, South Texas College of Law/State Bar of Texas, Houston, Texas, December 8, 1988.
"Needing and Choosing Damages Experts," Southern Trial Lawyers Association Annual Meeting, New Orleans, Louisiana, January 27, 1989.
"Nursing Negligence," Saint Mary"s/Texas Technical Malpractice Conference, April 13 & 14, 1989, San Antonio, Texas. "Needing and Choosing Damages Experts - Innovative Uses of Experts," Secrets of the Tort Masters Seminar, Annual Meeting, Florida and Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, June 2, 1989, Panama City, Florida. "Cross-Examination of Expert Witnesses," State Bar of Texas Annual Convention, "The Ultimate Trial Notebook," San Antonio, Texas, June 29, 1989.
"Medical Malpractice Issues Affecting Women," Association of Trial Lawyers of America Annual Convention, Boston, Massachusetts, July 17, 1989 and San Diego, California., 1990.
"Problems of Proof, The Plaintiff"s Perspective," State Bar of Texas 5th Annual Advanced Personal Injury Law Course, Houston, Texas, July 27, 1989. "Nursing Negligence: An Update," Saint Mary"s/Texas Technical Malpractice Conference, April 5 & 6, 1990, San Antonio, Texas.
"Expert Witnesses: Cross-Examination," State Bar of Texas Seminar, "The Ultimate Trial Notebook," June 7, 1990, Dallas, Texas. "Medical Malpractice Update," Texas Trial Lawyers Association, Bar Harbor, Maine, August 8, 1990.
"Proving Nursing Negligence," Association of Trial Lawyers of America Winter Convention, Maui, Hawaii, January 20-24, 1991.
"Nursing Negligence: An Update," Texas Trial Lawyers Association, "The Winning Edge Seminar," Snowbird, Utah, January 31-February 1, 1991. "Proof of Nursing Negligence," North Dakota Trial Lawyers Annual Meeting, Fargo North Dakota, May 17, 1991. "Medical Malpractice & Hospital Liability - Plaintiff"s Perspective," Seventh Annual Advanced Personal Injury Law Course, State Bar of Texas, August 14, 1991.
"Five Steps in Screening Medical Malpractice Cases," Advanced Practice Pointers & Trial Tips Seminar, Texas Trial Lawyers Association, August 23, 1991.
"Screening Medical Malpractice Cases," Irving Bar Association, Irving, Texas, September 26, 1991. "Obtaining and Analyzing Medical Records," American Trial Lawyers, The Best of Everything, Boca Raton, Florida, January 12-16, 1992.
"The Patient Died. But the Doctor was Right," Society of Professionals in Dispute Resolution, SPIDR Regional Conference, Dallas, March 21, 1992.
With Jim Perdue, "Medical Malpractice Update," Texas Trial Lawyers Association, Trial Lawyers" Trial Notebook, Dallas, May 28, 1992. "New Medical Evidence Case Law," Texas Trial Lawyers Association, Substantive Law Update, Corpus Christi, June 24, 1992.
"Medical Malpractice Update," State Bar of Texas, Advanced Personal Injury Law Course, Dallas, August 12, 1992. "Medical Malpractice Update," Texas Trial Lawyers Association, "The Winning Edge," Vail, Colorado, January 29 - February 5, 1993.
"Medical Malpractice Update," Texas Trial Lawyers Association, "Advanced Personal Injury Law Course," Dallas, March 17, 1993.
"Emergency Room Issues," Texas Technical University & Saint Mary"s University School of Law, "Medical Malpractice Conference," San Antonio, April 14-16, 1993. "Recognizing Medical Malpractice," American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants, "Legal Liability Update," Dallas, April 26, 1993. "Motions in Limine," State Bar of Texas, "The Ultimate Trial Notebook: Masters of Trial," Fort
Worth, June 17, 1993.
"Hospital and Nursing Home Liability," State Bar of Texas, "9th Annual Advanced Personal Injury Law Course," Austin, July 9, 1993. "See Spot Run" (Unique characteristics of medical malpractice cases), Texas Trial Lawyers Association, "4th Annual Medical Malpractice Conference," Houston, October 8, 1993.
15, 1993. "The Decision to Accept a Medical Malpractice Case," Southern Methodist University School of Law.
"New Developments in Damage Law," State Bar of Texas, "Tyler Family & Civil Law Course," Tyler, February 11, 1994. "Medical Malpractice Update," Texas Trial Lawyers Association, "The Winning Edge Seminar," Park City, Utah, February 17, 1994.
"Motions in Limine," State Bar of Texas, "The Ultimate Trial Notebook: Personal Injury Law," Houston, March 4, 1994. "Liability of Hospitals and Alternative Health Care Delivery Systems," State Bar of Texas, "Advanced Course Medical Malpractice, Pharmaceutical, and Medical Device Litigation," Santa Fe, New Mexico, March 17, 1994.
"Legislative Update: State and Federal," Saint Mary"s and Texas Technical University Law School, "Medical Malpractice," San Antonio, April 14, 1994.
"Jury Charge," Saint Mary"s University School of Law, "Appellate Practice Section," Austin, June 24, 1994. "Cross-Examination of Experts," State Bar of Texas, "Ultimate Trial Notebook: Persuasive Presentation of Evidence," Austin, June 23, 1994. "Persuasion Demonstration: In a Medical Malpractice Case," Texas Trial Lawyers Association, "Advanced Persuasion Tactics Seminar," Arlington, Texas, July 22, 1994.
"Case Law Update - 9/20/94," Texas Trial Lawyers Association, "Staying in the Current Seminar," Grand Cayman Island, October 1, 1994.
"Medical Malpractice - Basic Overview," Texas Trial Lawyers Association, "5th Annual Medical Malpractice Conference," Houston, Texas, October 6, 1994. "Medical Malpractice Update," Texas Trial Lawyers Association, "The Winning Edge," Beaver Creek, Colorado, February 16, 1995.
"Limitations," State Bar of Texas, "Advanced Medical Malpractice Seminar," Santa Fe, New Mexico, March 16, 1995. "Dissecting Plaintiff"s Medical Malpractice Case," Saint Mary"s/Texas Technical Schools of Law, "Medical Malpractice Conference," San Antonio, April 6, 1995.
"Health Care Restructuring: Its Impact on Liability Issues," University of Texas at Arlington School of Nursing, "Malpractice Issues for Registered Nurse"s and Licensed Vocational Nursing"s," Arlington, Texas, April 13, 1995.
"Medical Malpractice," Texas Trial Lawyers Association, "TTLA Legislative Update," Dallas, Texas, July 28, 1995. "Healthcare Related Torts - Nursing Homes, Medical Malpractice. Trends, Verdicts," State Bar of Texas, "11th Annual Advanced Personal Injury Law Course," Fort
Worth, Texas, August 2, 1995.
"1995 Medical Malpractice Legislative Update," Texas Trial Lawyers Association, "6th Annual Medical Malpractice Conference," Houston, September 28, 1995. "Tort Reform Update," Texas Trial Lawyers Association, "Trial Lawyers" Trial Notebook Seminar," Dallas, October 19, 1995.
"Ten Things You Need to Know in Medical Malpractice," Texas Trial Lawyers Association, "Para-Professional Seminar," Dallas, October 20, 1995. "Legislative Update," Dallas Women Lawyers Association, Dallas, November 2, 1995.
"What a Plaintiff"s Attorney Looks Foreign," American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants, "Legal Liability Foreign Nurses - Malpractice Issues for Registered Nurse"s and Licensed Vocational Nursing"s," Arlington, Texas, February 8, 1996.
"Medical Malpractice Update and Alleged Proportionate Liability Changes," Professional Attorney-Mediators, "Court Annexed Mediation for Mid and Late 1990"sAn Advanced Mediation Seminar," Dallas, Texas, February 10, 1996. "Medical Malpractice Update," Texas Trial Lawyers Association, "The Winning Edge Seminar," Snowmass, Colorado, February 14, 1996. "Limitations," State Bar of Texas, "Advanced Medical Malpractice, Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Litigation Series," Santa Fe, New Mexico, March 15, 1996.
"Tort Reform," State Bar of Texas, "Advanced Women and the Law Course 1996," San Antonio, Texas, March 22, 1996.
"Screening Plaintiff"s Medical Malpractice Case," Saint Mary"s/Texas Technical University Schools of Law, "Medical Malpractice Conference," San Antonio, Texas, April 11, 1996. "Medical Malpractice Update," Texas Trial Lawyers Association, "Advanced Personal Injury Course," Houston, April 25, 1996.
"New Laws Affecting Medical Malpractice Cases Since Last September," Texas Trial Lawyers Association, "7th Annual Advanced Medical Malpractice Conference," Houston, September 19, 1996. Member, Texas Supreme Court Task Force on the Jury Charge, 1991-1993.
On the Rules of Civil Procedure, 1993-1996.
Member: Dallas Bar Association (Chair, Judiciary Committee, 1990). State Bar of Texas (Vice Chair, MCLE Committee, 1990-1992. Member, Litigation Council, 1990-1992.
Director, 1992-1995).
Dallas Trial Lawyers Association (President, 1991). Texas Trial Lawyers Association (President-Elect, 1997).
The Association of Trial Lawyers of America (Texas State Delegate, 1989-1990. Chair, Women"s Caucus, 1990-1991.
Governor, 1990-1991; The American College of Legal Medicine.
College of the State Bar of Texas. Dallas Inn of Court (Barrister). (Board Certified, Personal Injury Trial Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization).
Member, Texas Supreme Court Task Force on the Jury Charge, 1991-1993. On the Rules of Civil Procedure, 1993-1996. Member: Dallas Bar Association (Chair, Judiciary Committee, 1990).
State Bar of Texas (Vice Chair, MCLE Committee, 1990-1992.
Member, Litigation Council, 1990-1992. Director, 1992-1995).
Dallas Trial Lawyers Association (President, 1991). Texas Trial Lawyers Association (President-Elect, 1997).
The Association of Trial Lawyers of America (Texas State Delegate, 1989-1990.
Chair, Women"s Caucus, 1990-1991. Governor, 1990-1991; The American College of Legal Medicine. College of the State Bar of Texas.
Dallas Inn of Court (Barrister).
(Board Certified, Personal Injury Trial Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization).
Married Francis Joseph Sweeney, September 17, 1983.