
Melissa Morales Fletcher
Melissa has been practicing law since 1998 and has wide-ranging experience in employment and labor litigation. Melissa began her legal career as an Assistant City Attorney with the City of Dallas Attorney's Office. After serving as a Prosecutor, she quickly promoted to the Employment and Labor Section where she defended the City of Dallas and its elected officials and employees in cases involving all aspects of employment discrimination, retaliation, civil rights and other Federal and State employment statutes. Melissa was also responsible for handling administrative trial board and Administrative Law Judge hearings of which she first-chaired numerous such hearings.
Upon leaving the City of Dallas, Melissa became an associate with a law firm defending municipalities in all aspects of employment litigation, land use matters and constitutional violations. Subsequently, Melissa was hired by a major Dallas Law Firm, formerly known as Godwin Gruber LLP, where she again handled all forms and aspects of employment litigation. In 2004, Melissa made her way back to her home town, San Antonio, and began working as Staff Counsel for State Farm Insurance Company. While working in this capacity, Melissa again first chaired District Court trials and numerous County Court trials. In 2010, eager to return to the practice of employment law, Melissa joined Goode Casseb Jones Riklin Choate & Watson where she primarily handled employment law litigation and consulting. In 2013, Melissa made the decision to join forces with her father and brother. Melissa is Of Counsel to The Morales Firm, P.C. and continues to litigate and provide consultation to employers and employees in all aspects of employment law.
Practice Areas
- Litigation
- Labor and Employment
Education
- Texas Southern University Law School, Houston, Texas
- J.D. - 1998
- Honors: cum laude
- University of Texas at Austin , Austin, Texas
- B.A. - 1995
- Major: Mathematics
Bar Admissions
- Texas
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court Southern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court Western District of Texas
Certified Legal Specialties
- Board Certified-Labor and Employment Law Texas Board of Legal Specialization
Past Positions
- City of Dallas, Assistant City Attorney
- Nichols Jackson Dillard Hager & Smith
- Godwin Gruber, L.L.P
- Frank R. Rivas & Associates , Staff Counsel for State Farm Insurance Company
- Goode Casseb Jones Riklin Choate & Watson
Honors
- Selected for inclusion in Texas Super Lawyers - Rising Stars Edition, 2012 and 2013
Speaking Engagements and Writings
- July 2021, Texas CLE Bar Advanced Civil Trial, “Employment Law Update”
- April 2021, Texas Alliance of Paralegal Associations, “The Family and Medical Leave Act in the Time of Covid-19”
- December 2020, Bexar County Women’s Bar Association, Acts of Allyship-Recognizing and Combatting “Micro” Aggressions in the Legal Community (Panelist)
- 2020, Pathway to the Profession, Employment Law Seminar for St. Mary’s Law Students (Panelist)
- November 2019, Texas Minority Counsel Program, Navigating the Changing Employment Law Landscape (Panelist)
- September 2014, SAHRMA Employment Law Conference, “The Family Medical Leave Act: Recent Developments and Common Pitfalls”
- May 2014, Bench Motions and Trials IV/SABA, “What Is and Isn’t Sanctionable and Proving it Up” (Paper Only)
- September 2013, SAHRMA Employment Law Conference, “Immigration Law Update— The New I-9”
- May 2013, Bench Motions and Trials/SABA, “Discovery Disputes: Why the Judges Love Them” (Paper Only)
- September 2012, SAHRMA Employment Law Conference, “Mind Your Own Business Regulating Off-Duty Conduct”
- April 2012, Employment Law Update/Sterling Educational Services, “Immigration Law Update”
- May 2010, Bench Motions and Trials II/SABA, “ESI Disputes: The Digital World Comes to Court” (Paper Only)
- May 2009, Bench Motions and Trials/SABA, “Discovery Disputes: Why the Judges Love Them” (Paper Only)
- August 2005, State Farm Forum, “Offers of Settlement”
- June 2003, Corporate, Partnership and Business Law/University of Houston Law Foundation, “Managing Today’s Employee: Hiring, Discipline and Firing Issues”
- June 2003, Dallas Bar Association, “Same Sex Sexual Harassment”
- June 2002, Short Course of Planning and Zoning for Public Officials and Attorneys/Institute for Local Government Studies of the Center of American and International Law, “Takings and Water Code Violations: A Discussion of Municipal Liability for Damages Arising from Development and Development Approvals”
- May 2001, The Practice of Law in the Public Sector-Updates and Practical Considerations/Dallas City Attorney’s Office, “First Amendment Retaliation”
Memberships
- State Bar of Texas, Employment and Labor Section
- State Bar of Texas, Computer and Technology Section
- San Antonio Bar Association, Employment and Labor Section, Director, 2023 to Present
- Mexican American Bar Association-San Antonio, Director, 2022 to 2023
- Mexican American Bar Association-San Antonio, Treasurer, 2019 to 2021
- Mexican American Bar Association-San Antonio, Scholarship Committee Chair, 2020 to 2023
- Bexar County Women’s Bar Association, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, 2020 to 2022
- Bexar County Women’s Bar Association, Law Day Committee Co-Chair, 2014
- Bexar County Women’s Bar Association, Autumn Affair Committee, 2012 to 2013
- San Antonio Trial Lawyers Association, Director, 2014 to 2015
- San Antonio Trial Lawyers Association, Treasurer, 2016 to 2018
- San Antonio Employment Lawyers Association
- Texas Bar Foundation, Fellow
- Texas State Bar College
- Pan American League
- National Employment Lawyers Association (approximately 2013 to 2018)
- Texas Employment Lawyers Association (approximately 2013 to 2018)
- Dallas Bar Association (approximately 1998 to 2002), Trial Skills Section, Treasurer 2002
- Dallas Young Lawyers Association (approximately 1998 to 2002)