Carol Funk is an experienced appellate litigator whose practice focuses on complex legal issues. Her depth of experience in appellate courts, ability to present clear and precise arguments on challenging legal questions, and in-depth work on matters of appellate procedure enable Carol to effectively navigate appellate proceedings and shape compelling advocacy.
Carol serves as counsel in district and appellate courts across all areas of the law, including complex commercial litigation, divorce proceedings, parental rights, employment law, products liability, and securities. She also focuses on matters of jurisdiction, statutory construction, and constitutional interpretation. Carol is based in Dickinson Wright’s Austin office.
Prior to joining Dickinson Wright, Carol clerked for the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, Texas Supreme Court, Utah Supreme Court, and Utah Court of Appeals. She also worked as an associate in the Supreme Court and Appellate Litigation practice group of an international law firm and chaired the appellate practice group of one of the largest law firms in Utah.
Education & Credentials
Education
The University of Texas School of Law
J.D.- high honors
- Order of the Coif
- Order of Barristers
- First Place, Best Brief, and Best Advocate, University of Texas School of Law Susman Godfrey Moot Court Competition
- Regional Champion, Best Brief, and Second Best Advocate, Washington, DC Regional ABA Appellate Advocacy Competition
- Semi-Finalist, Third Best Advocate, and Fifth Best Brief, Chicago, Illinois ABA Appellate Advocacy Competition
- Judge Quentin Keith Presidential Scholarship
- Dean’s Scholarship
The University of Utah
B.S.Bar Admission
Acknowledgements
- Legal Elite, Utah Business Magazine
Prominent Assignments
- Member, Utah Supreme Court Advisory Committee on the Rules of Appellate Procedure (2021–2024)
- Member, Executive Committee, Appellate Practice Section of the Utah State Bar (2022–2024)
Publications/Presentations
- Gerrymandering, Abortion, and Much More: Cases and Issues in the Pipeline at the Utah Supreme Court (Utah Bar Journal, Volume 37 No. 1, Jan/Feb 2024)
- Presenter, “Looking Back and Forging Ahead: The Utah Supreme Court,” CLE hosted by the Appellate Practice Section of the Utah State Bar, Dec 2023
- Presenter, “Appellate Practice 101,” Appellate Court Pilot Pro Bono Program, November 2023
- Presenter, “Selection and Presentation of Persuasive Arguments: An Appellate Perspective,” Utah State Bar Spring Convention, March 2023
- Public Confidence and the Courts: Pillars of the Rule of Law (American Bar Association Council of Appellate Lawyers Winter Issue, February 2023)
- Presenter, “Appeals Are Always an Uphill Battle How Steep is the Slope?” CLE hosted by The Litigation & Appellate Practice Sections of the Utah State Bar, Jan 2023.
- Abortion, Actual Innocence, and Much More: Cases and Issues in the Pipeline at the Utah Supreme Court (Utah Bar Journal, Volume 36 No. 1, Jan/Feb 2023)
- Presenter, “Looking Back and Forging Ahead: the Utah Supreme Court and Utah Court of Appeals,” CLE hosted by the Litigation Section and Appellate Section of the Utah State Bar, Dec 2022
- A Practitioner’s Guide to the Utah Court of Appeals Part 2: Jurisdiction, Procedure, and Outcome (Utah Bar Journal, Volume 35 No. 5, Sept/Oct 2022)
- Moderator, “Recollections from the Bench and Thoughts on Under-Utilized Provisions of the Utah Constitution: A Discussion with Retired Justices,” Utah State Bar Summer Convention, July 2022
- A Practitioner’s Guide to the Utah Court of Appeals Part 1: Jurisdiction, Procedure, and Outcome (Utah Bar Journal, Volume 35 No. 4, July/Aug 2022)
- Presenter, “The Process of Appeals,” CLE hosted by The Litigation Section of the Utah State Bar, May 2022