Jillian G. Bliss

When I graduated Canyon High School in 2009, I paid homage to the Wizard of Oz in selecting the famous phrase, "there's no place like home" to be stamped beneath my senior photo in our yearbook.

I made my way back home to New Braunfels in 2022 after spending enough time in Austin to realize the significance of Dorothy's quote. Austin, Texas ain't what it used to be, but I enjoyed my time there while working in the halls of the Capitol and walking to and from the Capitol cafeteria for my favorite kale salad when I officed in one of the buildings right between the Capitol dome and my alma matter, the University of Texas. Following graduation from UT, I spent some time in the communications department at the George W. Bush Presidential Library in Dallas, then headed down the street to attend law school at Southern Methodist University, where I was involved in a number of community and campus-based organizations focused on the law and politics.

I graduated from SMU's Dedman School of Law in May of 2017, and have since focused my legal practice on issues of contracts, real estate, land use, construction and property law, honing my skills in matters of transactional real estate serving as attorney for the Alamo -- the Shrine of Texas Liberty -- while at the Texas General Land Office. My years as an “Alamo attorney" are some I will never forget. While the majority of my work centered in the realm of property law, I could count on never having a dull day as often legal issues arose requiring me to think outside of the box or dive into some area of the law hardly touched since Texas's founding. My love for Texas history began in elementary school, and so I'll forever be grateful for the many occasions to learn even more about our state's most precious historic landmark. Having left the GLO and the Alamo in 2021, I've continued to focus on transactional matters of real estate in private practice, including negotiations and counseling related to and drafting of mortgage and finance documents. Though now in private practice, I am honored to sit as a member of the New Braunfels Historic Landmark Commission and the New Braunfels Cemetery Committee and continue to combine my passion for Texas history and state government, analytical skills, and experience in the law to work for best practices in preservation for our city and state. Similar skills and interests have also combined in fulfilling my duties as an alternate member of the New Braunfels Board of Adjustment. 

Outside of the office, I've maintained a niche interest in matters of constitutional litigation and appeals as well as politics and actively participate in political functions as time permits. I'll be the first to call myself a "horse girl" as the proud owner of two American Saddlebreds, two AMHR miniature horses, one Welsh pony, and one quarter horse. When I’m not in New Braunfels, I'm probably out of town for a horse show. And when not out with the horses, I'm probably hiking a local trail with my beagle Henry or letting him sniff all the scents in Landa Park.