Presented by: Judge Kim Williams J.D., Melissa McRoy Shearer, J.D., LBSW, Michelle R. Hallee, J.D.
Moderated by: Laura Wilson-Slocum, LPC
About the Presenters
Judge Kim Williams, J.D.
Judge Kim Williams was sworn in as the first presiding Judge of County Court at Law #9 in Travis County in 2016. Judge Williams received the 2020 Judicial Award for Excellence in Criminal Law from the Austin Bar Association Criminal Law Section. Judge Williams also presides over the Mental Health Docket, which provides thoughtful and appropriate consideration of defendants’ mental health issues as they relate to criminal conduct, with a goal of reducing recidivism and improving lives through appropriate treatment and services. Judge Williams is a member of the Travis County Behavioral Health & Criminal Justice Advisory Committee (BHCJAC) and the Intercept 3 workgroup. She also served on the State Bar of Texas Committee on Legal Services to the Poor in Criminal Matters from 2014-2020. She is also a graduate of the Leadership Austin Essential Class of 2015.Judge Williams earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in History from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. She then earned her law degree from St. Mary’s School of Law in San Antonio, Texas where she served on the Editorial Board of the St. Mary’s Law Journal as Symposium Editor.
Melissa McRoy Shearer, J.D., LBSW
Melissa McRoy Shearer, JD, LBSW leads the Travis County Mental Health Public Defender (MHPD), which she joined when it was established in 2007. The office provides legal representation and ongoing intensive case management services to individuals facing criminal prosecution while experiencing poverty, serious mental health, neurocognitive, intellectual, and developmental disabilities. Shearer actively serves on a number of boards, committees and workgroups to empower, advocate for, and improve the treatment of people whose humanity has been historically devalued in our society. She is a frequent consultant and presenter on best practices for zealous advocacy and support of individuals with multiple disabilities. Shearer is a graduate of the University of Texas School of Social Work (’97) and the University of Colorado School of Law (’02).
Michelle R. Hallee, J.D.
Michelle graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder with a B.S. in 1987 and her J.D. in 1991. Michelle has been practicing exclusively criminal law in Texas for 30 years. She began her career as a criminal defense lawyer in Travis County. Michelle has been at the Office of the Travis County District Attorney since 2009. Nine of those twelve years have been in the field of Mental Health/IDD.Michelle has focused her continuing education on mental health and intellectual disabilities. She serves on numerous collaborative community committees around mental health/IDD such as Behavioral Health Criminal Justice Advisory Committee, ASH Redesign, and the Competency Restoration Advisory Group. Michelle also has lived experience with her adult son who has a severe IDD diagnosis and a consumer of Integral Care services.
Laura Wilson-Slocum, LPC
Since joining Integral Care 16 years ago, Laura has contributed to their substance use disorder services, psychiatric crisis services, and crisis intervention training for first responders. Laura has played a key role in developing partnerships with first responders and bridging the gap between behavioral health services, emergency medical services and criminal justice systems. Laura serves as the Vice Chair for the Capitol Area Council of Governments' (CAPCOG) Criminal Justice Advisory Committee. Along with her team working in mobile crisis response, Laura received the NAMI John and Kitty Holman Award in 2016, and was the recipient of the Senator Kirk P. Watson Public Service Award in 2018. She has presented her work at numerous national and state conferences, including The American Association of Suicidology and Journal of Emergency Medical Services national conferences.