Jennifer Stoddard Hajdu Education and Background

Jennifer graduated in 1988 with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from the William Allen White School of Journalism at the University of Kansas.  Jennifer entered law school at the SMU Dedman School of Law in August 1988 and graduated with her Juris Doctor in May 1991.  After graduation, Jennifer was honored to serve as a Briefing Clerk at the Fifth District Court of Appeals to one of the first conservative judges in Dallas County, the late Honorable John Ovard. Following her clerkship, Jennifer joined the late James D. Blume in practice as a partner in Blume & Stoddard, PLLC. When Mr Blume transitioned his practice into mediation and arbitration, Jennifer founded and managed three successful law firms on her own. 

For the first many years of her practice, Jennifer was a commercial litigator representing businesses and individuals in commercial litigation disputes.  Over the years, Jennifer has successfully tried many lawsuits in federal, state and county courts in the Dallas area and around the State of Texas. As Jennifer’s profession grew, in addition to litigation, Jennifer began a robust transactional practice, representing commercial entities and individuals in real estate transactions, mergers and acquisitions, corporate organization and restructuring, franchising, and other matters.  (link to bio).

Jennifer’s litigation, negotiation and drafting experience has served the Dallas GOP well.  Jennfier’s legal experience has allowed her to negotiate contracts with the Elections Department, including the re-write of the joint primary contract to add the provisions of SB1.  Jennifer was able to incorporate the SB1 elements into the Election’s Department standard contract, arguing against the Dallas Democratic Party’s hired attorney.  The Dallas County civil district attorneys representing the Elections Department accepted nearly all of Jennifer’s revisions, much to the chagrin of the Dallas Democrat Party.  Without Jennifer’s expertise, the Dallas GOP would have had to hire and pay counsel.  Jennifer’s negotiation resulted in paper, pre-numbered sequential ballots and a significant increase in the presence of Republican election workers in voting centers.

In the 2022 campaign, Jennifer was also able to represent the Dallas GOP in response to a demand letter from an attorney representing a Republican candidate as well as advocate for Republican candidates whose signatures were challenged by lawyers for Democratic candidates.  Again, Jennifer’s legal experience saved both the Dallas GOP and Republican candidates from having to hire and pay outside counsel.

Jennifer’s legal experience has also been critical in the formation of her relationship with the current Dallas County Elections Administrator, who is also an attorney, as well as enabled her to seek meaningful counsel from and work with lawyers to the Republican Party of Texas.  Jennifer has navigated the legal position of the Dallas GOP, which is a defendant in the nationwide SB1 litigation, working directly with the Republican National Committee’s Washington DC counsel.  By contrast, the Harris County GOP, which is the other party defendant in the litigation, has hired outside counsel to monitor the suit.  Jennifer’s experience, legal background, and professionalism have earned her the respect of county Chairs and leadership throughout Texas.