Standing up for Landowners. Standing up to Government.

Headshot of Attorney Marie D. Harlan

  • Condemnation Attorney
Best Lawyers | Ones to Watch | Marie D. Harlan | 2023

Marie D. Harlan joined the firm in 2017 from Jackson Walker LLP, where she gained a wide range of litigation experience in both state and federal courts. Marie graduated with honors from the University of Texas School of Law in 2014, where she was admitted to the Order of the Coif, served on Texas Law Review, and was a finalist in the Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition.

After graduation, Marie clerked for the Honorable U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Jeff Bohm of the Southern District of Texas. At McFarland, Marie specializes in protecting landowner's interests both through negotiation and litigation with public-use entities seeking to acquire private property for public use. She is well-versed in complexities of regulatory takings and the procedural technicalities of the statutory condemnation process.

Marie has created a track record of success in her motion practice and has first-chaired numerous administrative hearings before court-appointed panels of special commissioners. She thrives on the detailed analysis and nuanced strategy necessary to achieve the maximum value for her clients.

  • The University of Texas School of Law, Austin, Texas
    • J.D.
    • Honors: GPA: 3.90
    • Honors: Order of the Coif
    • Honors: Dean’s Achievement Award – Outstanding Student in Evidence
    • Honors: Duberstein Interscholastic Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition, Semifinalist
  • The University of Texas at Austin – Austin, TX
    • B.A. - 2005
    • Honors: Plan II Honors and History
    • Honors: GPA: 3.79
  • Texas, 2014
  • Honorable U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Jeff Bohm of the Southern District of Texas, Clerked
  • Jackson Walker, LLP – Dallas, TX, Litigation Associate
  • Reid Collins & Tsai – Austin, TX, Summer Associate
  • Juvenile Justice Clinic – Austin, TX, Student Counsel
  • Lower Colorado River Authority – Austin, TX, Law Clerk
  • City of Austin, Law Department – Austin, TX, Law Clerk
  • Legislative Lawyering Clinic – Austin, TX, Student Counsel
  • Office of the Attorney General of Texas, Antitrust Section – Austin, TX, Law Clerk
  • U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks, Western District of Texas – Austin, TX, Legal Intern
  • U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolego, Southern District of Texas – Austin, TX, Legal Intern