She's heard all the lawyer jokes. She's quite familiar with the McDonald's coffee lawsuit and the O.J. Simpson murder trial.

The reason lawyers get a bad rap, says attorney Cindy Olson Bourland, is because "most people think those two cases are representative of what's going on in the courts, but they're not. The majority of people who say bad things about lawyers are just repeating what they've heard. I'm very proud to be a member of the legal profession."

Bourland is a partner with the Austin firm Hance, Scarborough, and Wright. As a commercial litigation trial lawyer, much of her work involves breach of contract, employment disputes, and more recently, internet domain name disputes. She has argued cases at every level of the state's court system, including the Texas Supreme Court.

Since graduating from the University of Texas School of Law, Bourland has also served as director of the school's Interscholastic Advocacy Program as well as being an adjunct professor. She is the current president of the Austin Young Lawyers Association.

Just over a decade removed from graduation, Bourland says her memories of Southwestern University grow fonder with time. "The longer I've been out, the more I've appreciated my education. It's incredible how many SU alumni I meet in the legal community."

A fourth generation Round Rock native, Bourland's grandfather was a captain in the Texas Rangers. She grew up on a ranch that she describes as "very Texas," with cows and horses. She decided to stay close to home when selecting a college. Her family encouraged her to attend Southwestern. It was a natural choice.

She arrived on campus in 1985 as an English major with a political science minor. She was a cheerleader her first year and attended all the sporting events she could. She recalls a favorite pastime of "rolling" on the back roads of Williamson County. Her fondest memories of Southwestern, however, are of the faculty.

"I was very impressed by the level of teaching and the abilities of the faculty, but they also cared about the students. When I was about to graduate, I got a phone call at home one day from Dr. (Walt) Herbert. He just said that he enjoyed having me in class and wished me luck in the future. I was so touched that he would do that. You don't get that at larger institutions."

After graduating in 1989, she took two years off from school, working as a business manager in Austin one year and substitute teaching the next. She also married Michael Bourland during that time. The couple just celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary. By 1991, she was ready to start law school.

Bourland was admitted to practice law in Texas in 1994 and immediately went to work with Hance, Scarborough, and Wright, where she made partner in less than four years. She says she is very proud of her trial record, but what makes her happy is being able to help people.

"That's my favorite part of practicing law. Law school teaches you about the law, but a law practice is about people and the various situations they face."

Bourland's hobby is raising swans, and she likes to spend what little free time she has entertaining friends at her home. She also enjoys working out, snow skiing and traveling. She recently got to fulfill a longtime goal of flying in an open cockpit biplane as a birthday gift from her husband. "It was amazing – kind of like living out an 'English Patient' fantasy, but without the plane crash!"

-Greg Holland