Taralynn Rena Mackay

I am not sure where to begin. I had a criminal complaint against me that led to an arrest, and I was charged with very serious criminal charges. These charges turned my life around 180 degrees and jeopardized my nursing career. This criminal complaint led to me hiring a criminal defense lawyer, a fam...ily law lawyer, and Ms. Mackay. As you are reading this review, I am sure you are doing so because you are weighing your options on which lawyer to hire for whichever situation you may find yourself in. Before my criminal charges, which were dropped, I never had any run-ins with the law. So hiring lawyers was new to me. You have to rely on google ratings and avvo to get a brief overview of who you are hiring. After this whole ordeal that I been through, I have learned a few things about the lawyer market. First, some lawyers have really great reviews, but it is quite possible that those reviews do not always reflect the character of the person you are hiring. Simply put, those reviews can be deceiving. I wrote down the names of several attorneys who I listed as possible council for my nursing license. I had consultations with a few of them and right from the start they seemed more eager about how I would compensate them monetarily than the merits of my case. I knew this because some outrageous price quotes were thrown at me. I want to add that I had similar experiences with my search for a family law lawyer and criminal defense lawyer. Ms. Mackay gave me more than a reasonable price for the service she provided for me and instead of making me feel as an inconvenience or a client who was trying to lowball her, she did her job with a great attitude. I hate to say this, but I learned now why attorneys in general are not trusted. They will tell you everything you want to hear right before signing the contract and paying for the retainer. But once that is done, sometimes what you expected and what you read online is much different than the person who you hired. Ms. Mackay was able to assist me in getting approval from the board of nursing despite the ongoing issues with my criminal complaint and helped me continue on the path of practicing as a licensed nurse. She was reasonable from the start. So, as you continue searching through google ratings, avvo, or other third-party websites wondering who to hire for your difficult situation, I want you to know that Ms. Mackay is a woman of integrity in a profession where such virtue is sometimes scarce. Finally, no lawyer, doctor, or any type of professional can guarantee an outcome regardless of reviews. That is the main lesson that I have learned from my experience. Good luck to you.

I was charged with a 3rd degree felony In Austin Texas. Accident involving injury. I was wayyy overcharged, but that’s not the point as far as the BON is concerned. The victim reported me to the Texas BON. I’m a CRNA. A felony conviction would cost me my career. I was notified by priority mail on Tha...nksgiving day of 2019. I hired Taralynn. I informed her of the criminal charges as well as the BON investigation (BON termed it a possible violation of the nurse practice act due to a felony charge) Taralynn counseled me , that as long as I wasn’t convicted of a felony, I would most likely keep my nursing license without any sanctions. She said that the BON would likely dismiss the investigation since the accident didn’t involve the act of nursing and wasn’t an act of moral turpitude. I just needed a misdemeanor. She said she would fight to keep my case open as long as we needed to deal with the criminal stuff. My case with the BON remained open for almost 1.5 years. For any nurses wondering about time lines, I was worried that my license would be suspended at any time if I didn’t get a criminal resolution. Obviously this didn’t happen and I kept my ability to earn an income during that entire period. Thanks to Taralynn. So breath Easy, if you’re in a situation like this.(you can also renew your license while under investigation, with no resolution) The prosecution in my case finally realized that my case didn’t warrant a felony charge and offered me a Class B misdemeanor- vehicular damage greater than $200. This happened in January of 2021. I immediately notified Taralynn once I had the court documents. She notified and provided this info to the BON investigator in my case. I just received word(March 2021) from her and the official letter that the BON has dismissed their investigation against me!! They are also expunging the investigation as well. Taralynn was amazing. She kept me informed throughout the process(every few months the BON investigator would check in with her). She assured me that everything would work out for me. She was correct and she helped make it happen. She was a Godsend for my family and me. She is THE Best in Texas. I hope you never need these services, but if you do, literally look no further. She’s been doing this for 20 plus years and worked at the Texas BON. She is an RN/JD. She knows the process and has the chops like no one else. I recommend her 1000 percent!

Taralynn represented me against the Texas Board of Nursing when my license was sanctioned due to a med error by a staff nurse while I was Director of Nursing for the facility. I couldn't have ask for better representation. She knew the laws and the regulations and I never felt less than 100% represen...ted. I always felt she was on my side and she will remain someone I highly respect for the rest or my life.

There is nothing more terrifying and heart stopping like opening a letter from the BON. If you’re reading this review, you are where I was and I feel you. You’re scared and desperate. Trust me, make the phone call to Taralynn. Her initial phone call to me was at 8pm. 8pm! Way after hours... She... listened, patiently, to my sputtering-near tears-explanation of what happened. Asked questions and calmed me down within 5 minutes. She is a nurse. She gets it, and she knows the Board processes inside and out. Taralynn didn’t give me false hope and just say what I wanted to hear. She said the Board exists to protect the public, and I appreciate that in the bigger picture. Taralynn responded to every question immediately, and is always very honest about what to expect. She really does care. Thank you, Taralynn. You’re amazing and I’m so thankful nurses have you in their corner. I am grateful to have had you in my corner.

In my teens and early adulthood I was convicted of 3 misdemeanors that led to a Declaratory Order and TPAPN requirement by the TXBON when I applied to nursing school 10 years later. I made the mistake of signing the order (I was so happy I could actually be a nurse) and going on with my life and nurs...ing school. My last year of nursing school (4 years later) I started to hear horror stories of TPAPN and "board ordered nurses" and I immediately regretted my decision to not hire an attorney. I did my research and found Ms. Mackay. Ms. Mackay listened to my story and educated me on what my options were. Every case is different but she used her honest judgement and thought that I could get approved for an unencumbered licence. Over a couple of months, I obtained proof of sobriety, professionalism, letters, etc. and we submitted request to board. They agreed to meet me in person in Austin, TX at the TXBON state building. It was one of the most nerve wracking mornings of my life, but I finally had my chance to meet with the Eligibility and Discipline Committee (about 10 state board professionals and a class of nursing students from Austin CC). I shared my story of recovery, took responsibility for my actions, and explained why I did not need an encumbered licence. I was immediately granted an unencumbered licence on the spot. Woo hoo! That was my story. Ms. Mackay was affordable, professional, honest, and extremely knowledgeable. Her office kept me in the loop on everything that was happening. Even after her fees, I have saved thousands in unnecessary drug tests and fees that now I don't have to do. And I can actually get a job at a hospital after graduation! Thank you Ms. Mackay and Ashley for fighting for me and my future. My advice is: DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING and contact Ms. Mackay's office. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU Ms. Mackay. Justice was served.