Christene (Chris) Krupa Downs
Attorney Profile
Top Rated Estate Planning & Probate Attorney in Plano, TX
Plano, TX 75024
Selected To Rising Stars: 2016 - 2020
- Estate Planning & Probate
- Virtual Appointments
Chris’s motto is “Be Kind” & her motto defines how she practices law.
Attorney Christene “Chris” Krupa Downs is an attorney at Krupa Downs Law, PLLC. Chris focuses her practice on wills, trusts, advance directives, estate planning, guardianships, and probate. She has almost 10 years of legal experience handling estate planning, probate & guardianship legal matters for clients in Allen, Frisco, McKinney, Plano and throughout Collin, Dallas and Denton counties.
In addition to her practice, Chris writes and lectures for local and state bar associations, and at legal seminars. She is a member of various professional organizations, including the Collin County Bar Association, the Dallas Bar Association and the Texas Bar College. She is also active in the State Bar of Texas and serves on the board of the Bar’s Computer and Technology Section Council.
As part of giving back to the Texas community, Chris served on the board of This Side UP! Family Center, an organization providing parenting and family-based education, and City House, a homeless shelter for youth in the Plano and northern Texas. Her additional community contributions are numerous and include serving as a public affairs representative for the Junior League of Collin County. She is also a former Treasurer and Executive Vice President of the organization.
Ms. Downs earned a bachelor’s degree from The University of Texas at Dallas. She received her law degree from Texas Wesleyan School of Law (now known as Texas A&M University School of Law ) in Fort Worth and obtained her license to practice law in 2010. This qualifies her to practice before all Texas state courts.
- 100%Estate Planning & Probate
Estate Planning, Guardianships & Conservatorships, Living Wills, Power of Attorney, Probate & Estate Administration, Trusts, Wills
Selections
Super Lawyers: 2020 Rising Stars: 2016 - 2020
To: Christene (Chris) Krupa Downs
Super Lawyers: Potential Client Inquiry
Additional Sources of Information About Christene (Chris) Krupa Downs
About Christene Krupa Downs
Admitted: 2010, Texas
Professional Webpage: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chriskdowns
Honors/Awards:
- Top 16% of class, Texas Wesleyan University School of Law
- Super Lawyers, Texas Super Lawyers, 2020
- Super Lawyers’ Rising Star in Texas, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
- Texas Wesleyan Public Law Fellowship Board, Texas Wesleyan University School of Law, President, 2009 – 2010
- Phi Delta Phi Legal Fraternity, Texas Wesleyan University School of Law
- Dean’s List, Texas Wesleyan University School of Law, 2008 - 2010
- Texas Wesleyan Public Law Fellowship Board, Texas Wesleyan University School of Law, Secretary/Treasurer, 2008 – 2009
Bar/Professional Activity:
- Texas Guardianship Association
- Dallas Bar Association's Probate, Trusts & Estates Section Planning Committee Member, 2020
- Texas Bar Foundation, Member, 2020
- Dallas Bar Foundation, Member
- Estate Planning Council of North Texas
- Collin County Bar Association, Board of Estate Planning and Probate Section, 2012 – present
- National Association of Elder Law Attorneys
- State Bar of Texas’s Computer & Technology Section’s board, 2018
- Dallas Bar Association, Committee Chair, Lawyer Referral Committee, 2015
- American Bar Association
- Collin County Bar Association, Estate Planning and Probate Section Section President June 2020 - May 2021
- Dallas Bar Association, Committee Vice-Chair, Lawyer Referral Committee, 2013 & 2014
- State Bar of Texas
- Dallas Bar Association, Pro Bono Activities Committee, 2014 – present
- Collin County Bar Association, Law Practice Management Section, 2014 Making Your Practice Work! Seminar Chair
- The College of the State Bar of Texas
- Dallas Bar Association, Lawyer Referral Committee, 2012 – present
Pro bono/Community Service:
- My Possibilities, A Special Evening, Event Co-Chair, 2020
- City of Plano Cultural Affairs Commission, Feb. 2018 - present; Vice-Chair
- City of Plano Complete Count Census Committee, 2019-2020, Vice Chair
- Junior League of Collin County, Public Affairs Representative, 2018-2020
- North Texas Pioneer Rotary Club, Treasurer, 2012 – 2014
- Board of City House, Treasurer
- Star Children’s Charity, Logistics Coordinator “An Evening with Dennis Miller”, November 2012
- Junior League of Collin County, Ways & Means Council, Grants & Awards Chair, 2013 – 2014
- North Texas Pioneer Rotary Club, Feb. 2011 – Present
- City House Board of Directors, Jan. 2001 – July 2007
- Star Children’s Charity, Executive Summit Committee, May 2012
- Junior League of Collin County, Treasurer-Elect & Director of Governance & Bylaws, 2014 – 2015
- Junior League of Collin County, Aug. 2011 – Present
- Junior League of Collin County, Executive Vice President 2017-2018
- Live From Collin County Board of Directors, Sept. 2006 – May 2012
- This Side Up Family Center Board of Directors, Jan. 2013 – April 2015
- Junior League of Collin County, Treasurer, 2015 – 2016
- Junior League of Collin County, Ways & Means Council Assistant II, Donor Management, 2012 – 2013
- Leadership Plano Class 22, Sept. 2004 – May 2005
Scholarly Lectures/Writings:
- Presented CLE to immigration attorneys on the basics of estate planning., Presenter, Basics of Estate Planning, American Immigration Lawyers Association, Dallas Chapter, Immigration, 2020
- Virtual presentation about guardianship & alternatives to parents of Wylie ISD, Presenter, Guardianship & Alternatives, Wylie ISD, 2020
- Presented on panel at the State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting, Presenter, 60 Apps and Tech Tips in 60 Minutes, 2020
- Discussed probate procedures and forms of probate to other attorneys, CPAs and financial advisors at the National Business Institute's Estate Administration Bootcamp., Author & Presenter, Probate Procedures and Forms of Administration, NBI, Estate Administration Bootcamp, CPAs, Financial, Legal, 2019
- Presented a webinar to Texas paralegals about forms of probate administration., Presenter, Probate Procedures and Forms of Administration, State Bar of Texas Paralegal Division, 2019
- Presented to parents of students in the Transition program about guardianship., Presenter, Guardianship & Alternatives, Plano Independent School District, 2019
- Annual CLE program of the Computer & Technology Section., Co-Presenter, 60 Apps and Tech Tips in 60 Minutes, State Bar of Texas Computer & Technology Section, Your Duty of Technical Competence Seminar, December 2019., 2019
- Accessible Law, UNT Dallas College of Law, Fall 2019 Issue, https://accessiblelaw.untdallas.edu/probate-and-special-needs., Co-Presenter, Probate and Special Needs, 2019
- Co-Author & Presenter, “Case Management Software – Solo Conflicts, Checks, and Record-Retention,” State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting, June 2014
- Texas Advanced Paralegal Seminar
- Co-Presenter, "Law Practice Management in the 21st Century," Collin County Bar Association's "Making Your Practice Work!" Law Practice Management Seminar, January 2014
- Co-Presenter, “What’s Up in Office Technology: How to Avoid Malpractice While Using It,” Collin County Bar Association’s “Making Your Practice Work” Law Practice Management Seminar, January 2013
- Author & Presenter, “Practical Tips for Organizing the Tech-Savvy Law Office: A Practitioner’s Point of View,” Texas Advanced Paralegal Seminar, October 5, 2012
- Author & Presenter, “Office Technology: Practical Tips for Organizing the Small, Tech-Savvy Law Office from a Solo Practitioner’s Point of View,” Collin County Bar Association’s “Making Your Practice Work” Law Practice Management Seminar, January 2012
- Co-Author & Presenter, "Practical Tips for Organizing the Small, Tech-Savvy Law Office: A Practitioner's Point of View," Dallas Bar Association, Solo & Small Firm Section, October 2011
Educational Background:
- University of Texas at Dallas, B.A., Government and Politics, Cum Laude
Christene (Chris) Krupa Downs:
Last Updated: 1/25/2021