Today we’d like to introduce you to Brennen Dunn.
Hi Brennen, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I started off as a physics/engineering major at the Xavier University of Louisiana. However, I quickly decided that I didn’t want to do math as a career, even though I loved the subject. I then moved into Biology pre-med with the thought that I would love to own a hospital one day and the concept of being a surgeon was quite appealing. But then I thought to myself, as a doctor you have to stick to one practice area. Imagining being relegated to only doing one thing for a whole career terrified me and gave me feelings of claustrophobia. So then I considered law. It would give me the flexibility to practice multiple disciplines and still actively be a participant in aiding people. So law it was! I graduated with a degree in psychology (what I thought was the best intermediary between law and medicine) and a triple minor in biology, chemistry, and math. The ill effects of an indecisive mind.
In between undergrad and law school, I squeezed in an MBA with a concentration in Healthcare Administration (you know, to keep hope alive for my hospital). I can’t say that I struggled in law school. I’m an avid reader and I love to learn. So reading case law and figuring out what it boiled down to was almost second nature to me. But above all, I loved advocacy. The ability to use my mind as a weapon was exhilarating. When I stepped into the courtroom, it was my own personal battlefield. My ability to dissect an issue was the sword I would use to cut down my opposition. I know it sounds terrible to say, but fighting in court was a game to me. And I love games. And I love winning. So I had no choice but to try to play the game better than my opposing counsel.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
As a black man in a white-dominated field, I wasn’t afforded automatic respect as a member of the profession. I had to show them that I was both their equal, and the bearer of bad news to their belief that they were better than me. Along the way, I have had to deal with stereotypes, microaggressions, and gaslighting prejudices, but it has strengthened my resolve. After all, if I can’t effectively advocate for myself, how can I possibly be an effective advocate for my clients? And that’s what it boiled down to. Can I play a game designed for my client to lose, and win in spite of the odds? I’d like to think that I’ve done a fairly decent job of doing just that. And at the end of the day, what really matters is that my clients know that a person that looks like them is doing everything they can to make sure their rights are protected.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Dunn Legal Group?
Dunn Legal Group, PLLC is a law firm dedicated to you. As a multi-practice, minority-owned law firm, our team will provide experienced legal counsel to the greater Houston area. We focus on civil, criminal, business, and family law litigation.
Led by Brennen Dunn, JD, MBA, our team is here to guide you through the sometimes confusing and complex Texas legal system.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
The Texas Rules of Evidence, the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, any John Grisham book, Suits, and Matlock.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thelegalg.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelegalg/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelegalg
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@thelegalg
