Amy Sladczyk Hancock, JD
Chief Talent Officer

With more than 20 years of experience at AmLaw 100 law firms, Amy Sladczyk Hancock’s career has focused on recruiting and maximizing the development and value of the talent capital of her firm’s attorneys and has spanned all areas of an attorney’s career progression and lifecycle. At Gray Reed, Amy oversees the firm’s recruiting efforts, which includes the strategic identification and hiring of lateral attorneys, recruiting on law school campuses, and developing and administering successful summer associate programs.

Working strategically with firm leadership, she is also responsible for the development and retention of Gray Reed’s attorneys. Amy plans, designs and implements training, continuing legal education, orientation, integration, mentoring and career counseling programs for our attorneys. In her attorney coaching and counseling role, she serves as a trusted communication link between law firm leadership and the firm’s attorneys for concerns relating to development, compensation, quality-of-life, work and other employment-related issues.

A nationally-known public speaker, author and leader in the attorney recruiting and professional development industry, Amy is the co-founder/developer and faculty-speaker for several professional development curriculums and other training programs designed to ensure law students are taught business and other professional development skills to successfully distinguish them in the legal marketplace. She delivers these programs to law students at many of the firm’s talent-pipeline campuses such as The University of Texas School of Law, The University of Houston Law Center and Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law. 

Thought Leadership / News
July 20, 2023 
 Speeches and Presentations
Small Planes, Big Lift: Tools and Strategies Small PD & DEI Teams Use to Create Big Impact

Professional Development Consortium 2023 Summer Conference

February 27, 2023 
 In the News

Law360 Pulse (subscription required)

February 23, 2023 
 Press Releases
Related Experience
  •  Adjunct Professor for fall courses and the Legal Externship Program at The University of Houston Law Center
  • Director of Admissions and Career Counselor/Placement Coordinator at The University of Texas School of Law
  • Associate Director of Attorney Recruiting for a national legal placement firm
  • Judicial Intern for the Honorable Robert Gammage & James A. Baker, Texas Supreme Court

Organizational Involvement

Professional Involvement, Memberships & Affiliations

  • Professional Development Consortium (PDC)
    • Immediate Past Chair (2017 - 2019)
    • Chair (2015 - 2017)
    • Nominating Committee Chair & Member (2010, 2013, 2018 - 2019)
    • Growth and Revenue Committee Member (2012 - 2023)
    • Strategic Planning Committee Member (2010)
    • Board Member Elect (2006 - 2010)
      • 1st Term (2006 - 2008)
      • 2nd Term (2008 - 2010)
    • Member of the PDC Conferences Planning Committees (2004, 2006, 2008 - 2010, 2017 - 2018)
    • PDI Planning Committee Member (2004, 2009, 2017)
    • Liaison to the NALP Board (2008 - 2010)
  • The Association for Legal Career Professionals (NALP)
    • Developing the Professional Lawyer Work Group, Member (2023)
    • Vice-Chair of Annual Conference Planning Committees (2002 - 2012)
    • Employee Member-elect for the Southwest Region
    • Nominating Committee and President’s Leadership Taskforce (2009 - 2010)
    • Board of Directors (2008 - 2009)
    • Awards of Distinction Committee (2008)
      • Chair (2004 - 2005)
      • Vice-Chair (2001 - 2003)
    • Lawyer Development Committee
  • The Association for Law Firm Diversity Professionals (ALFDP)
    • Member (2018-2023)
  •  The University of Texas School of Law’s Alumni Association
    • Inaugural Houston Steering Committee Member (2013 - 2023)
    • Permanent Class of 1997 Co-Chair
  • Emerging Women Leaders, Greater Houston Partnership Member (2008 - 2023)
  • Professional Development Institute – Frequent Speaker/Presenter, Planning Committee Member (2004, 2009, 2017)
  • Texas Professional Development Group – Founding Member and Co-Leader (2006 - 2023)
  • Houston Bar Association
  • Houston Young Lawyers Association
  • Texas Bar Association
  • American Law Institute/American Bar Association
  • Association of Continuing Legal Education of America
  • Association for Talent and Development (ATD)
  • Association of Women Attorneys (AWA) and National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL)
  • Society of Human Resource Management

​Community Involvement, Memberships & Affiliations 

  • St. Francis Episcopal School, Houston, Texas – Art a La Carte parent docent (2019)
  • Cathedral House Episcopal School, Houston, Texas – Parent Teacher Organization’s Special Events Coordinator-Elect (2014 - 2017)
  • The Junior League of Houston
  • ​Dress for Success Houston
    • Recipient of the “Best New Charity” Award (2014)
    • Inaugural Co-Chair of Chevron Houston Marathon’s Run for a Reason Charity Team (2013 - 2014)
    •  Advisory Board Member (2013 - 2023) 
    • The Women of Wardrobe Steering Committee Founding Member
    • President of the Executive Board (2004 - 2005)
Education
  • J.D., The University of Texas School of Law
  • B.A., The University of Texas at Austin
Bar Admission
  • Texas
When I Feel Most At Home
  • Doing anything with my family, friends and daughter (and her friends!)
  • Laughing (mostly at myself!) and talking about the “glory days” of many years of Texas summer camping experiences
  • Helping others and spending time with people who elevate/only want the best for others