Texas Appeals Courts Candidates
Court of Appeals Districts
Court of Criminal Appeals
This is one court with nine justices. It is the final appellate jurisdiction in criminal cases. The court may choose whether or not to review a case. The only cases that the court must hear are those that involve sentencing decisions in capital punishment cases and other cases involving liberty issues, such capital punishment cases, cases where bail has been denied and habeas cases where a person being detained attempts to prove some constitutional right has been violated as a result of their detention. The court is based in the state capital, Austin. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals hears both mandatory and discretionary cases. "All cases that result in the death penalty are automatically directed to the Court of Criminal Appeals from the trial court level. A significant portion of the Court’s workload also involves the mandatory review of applications for post-conviction habeas corpus relief in felony cases without a death penalty, over which the Court has sole authority. In addition, decisions made by the intermediate courts of appeals in criminal cases may be appealed to the Court of Criminal Appeals by petition for discretionary review, which may be filed by the State, the defendant, or both. However, the Court may also review a decision on its own motion."Article V of the Texas Constitution vests the judicial power of the state in the court, describes the court's jurisdiction. It also details the rules for judicial eligibility, elections, and filling vacancies on the court between elections.
Judicial Selection
The court is composed of a presiding judge and eight judges. Each judge serves a six-year term. They are elected in staggered partisan elections. In the event of a midterm vacancy, the governor appoints a replacement who must be confirmed by the Texas Senate. The appointee serves until the next general election, in which he or she may compete to serve for the remainder of the unexpired term. While no judge older than 74 may run for office, sitting judges who turn 75 are permitted to remain on the court until their terms expire.
Qualifications
To serve on any of the appellate courts, a judge must be:
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a U.S. citizen
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a resident of Texas
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licensed to practice law in the state
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between the ages of 35 and 75
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a practicing lawyer and/or judge for at least 10 years
Salary
Chief: $187,800, Associates: $184,800
Jurisdiction:
Statewide
Source: https://ballotpedia.org/Texas_Court_of_Criminal_Appeals
Holly Eileen Taylor for Presiding Judge Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 1 is a lawyer in Austin, Texas licensed to practice in Texas by the State Bar of Texas. The license date is on November 3, 1995. The lawyer's employer is Texas Court of Criminal Appeals (Government Lawyer). The practice location is at Austin, Texas. The practice areas include Criminal, Appellate: Criminal. The lawyer was graduated from University of Texas. The current status of the lawyer is Eligible to Practice in Texas. She has no public disciplinary history.
Presiding Judge Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 1
Term ends 2024
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 2
Term ends 2028
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 3
Term ends 2026
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 4
Term ends 2026
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 5
Term ends 2028
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 6
Term ends 2026
Appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 7 Judge Nancy Muller
Criminal District Court 6, a felony court with jurisdiction in Dallas County. She is the only candidate in this race with judicial experience and a track record of public service.Judge Mulder was first elected to Dallas County Criminal Court 4 in 2014, and she now has more than 20 years of combined legal and judicial experience. In addition to her normal work, Judge Mulder's judicial peers elected her as Presiding Judge of the Criminal Courts and County Courts of Criminal Appeals, and she served a two-year term. Judge Mulder is Co-Chair of the Step-Up Jail Pre-Trial Release Program. She partnered with local labor unions to provide job training to young offenders processed through her court. She is also Chair, City of Dallas Cite & Release program for misdemeanor marijuana possession. Judge Mulder has performed additional service including: Member, Criminal Justice Advisory Board; Member, Faith in Texas Criminal Justice Advisory Board; Board Member, The Heads Up! Foundation, providing after-school and summer basketball camps of or at-risk youth; Board Member, A Chance for Change, rehabilitation center for women; Implementation Board Member, Dallas County Pre-Trial Release Division; and partnering with the Dallas County Commissioners Court on a range of jail intake and release process reviews. As a fluent Spanish speaker, Judge Mulder regularly handles pleas in Spanish in open court. Before working on the bench, Judge Mulder was a criminal defense attorney in private practice from 2007 to 2014, and she served as an Assistant District Attorney for Dallas County from 1995 to 2007. She is a graduate of St. Mary's University School of Law. She has volunteered on numerous Democratic campaigns, including service as a Dallas County Democratic Party Precinct Chair.
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 7
Term ends 2024
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 8 Judge Chika Anyiam
Over a career spanning more than two decades in Dallas County, Judge Anyiam has been committed to the practice of criminal law and now presiding over Texas Criminal District Court #7. She is committed to the concepts of fairness and equal access to justice, and a true passion for public service. Judge Anyiam has broad experience in all aspects of criminal law, both from her current role as a jurist and through her long legal career before coming to the bench. Judge Anyiam's mission is to maintain a courtroom in which the pursuit of justice is paramount. She believes that a judge's first and most important role is to be a steward of the law and to provide a forum in which both sides of an issue are heard. Judge Anyiam is also fully committed to modern reforms that have defined the judicial system in Dallas County, namely keeping dangerous criminals off the streets and holding them accountable, but also extending rehabilitative assistance to drug offenders, minor offenders and the mentally ill as appropriate. Judge Anyiam also supports the use alternative sentencing, and enacting bail reform to keep low-risk offenders out of our jail population.
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 8
Term ends 2024
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 9
Term ends 2026
The 14 courts of appeals have intermediate appellate jurisdiction in both civil and criminal cases appealed from district or county courts. Each court of appeals has jurisdiction in a specific geographical region of the state. Each court is presided over by a chief justice and has at least two other justices. The specific number of justices on each court is set by statute and ranges from three to 13. Presently there are 80 justices authorized for these courts. Appeals in the courts of appeals are usually heard by a panel of three justices, unless an en banc hearing is ordered in a particular case, in which instance all the justices of a court hear and consider the case.
Justices
of the Texas Court of Appeals are selected in district level partisan elections. The elected justices serve six-year terms, after which they must run for re-election if they wish to remain on the court.
Qualifications
To serve on the Texas Court of Appeals, a justice must be:
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a U.S. citizen;
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a resident of Texas;
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licensed to practice law in the state;
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between the ages of 35 and 75;
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a practicing lawyer and/or judge for at least 10 years.
Chief justice
The chief justice of each district court is selected by voters at large. He or she serves in that capacity for a full six-year term.
Vacancies
In the event of a midterm vacancy, the governor appoints a replacement who must be confirmed by the Texas Senate. The appointee serves until the next general election, in which he or she may compete to serve for the remainder of the unexpired term.
Salary
In 2023, the associate judges of the court received a salary of $178,400, according to the National Center for State Courts.
Sources: https://www.txcourts.gov/media/1436367/1-counties-in-each-district-2005.pdf; https://ballotpedia.org/Texas_Third_District_Court_of_Appeals
1st Court of Appeals - Houston
Jurisdiction:
Austin, Colorado, Grimes, Washington, Brazoria, Fort Bend, Harris, Chambers, Galveston, and Waller
Place 1 Chief Justice
Appointed by Greg Abbott 2020
Term ends 2028
Place 2 Justice Gordon Goodman (i) BA degree Magna Cum Laude from the University of Pennsylvania and his JD degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School both in Philadelphia.Justice Gordon Goodman was elected to the First Court of Appeals in 2018. He is a member of the Texas State Bar, Pennsylvania Bar, and Energy Bar Associations. Before serving on the bench, he started his career with the Whittenburg Law Firm in Amarillo, TX, where he focused on civil trials, appellate work, oil & gas law, banking law, and general practice. He subsequently served in senior positions for the Howell Corporation; E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co.; Conoco, Inc.; Occidental Petroleum Corporation; and most recently with NRG Energy. He has worked on professional advisory committees for the Financial Accounting Standards Board, the American Petroleum Institute, and the Energy Oversight Committee. In connection with his advisory work, he has published many articles on finance, contracts, risk analysis, ethics, and governance. Within the community, Justice Goodman served on the Board of Directors for the Houston Area Urban League and on Advisory Boards for the Blaffer Gallery (as Chairman), the University of Houston’s College of Arts & Sciences (as Chairman), and the Jesse H. Jones School of Business at Texas Southern University.
Place 2 Brendetta Scott Brendetta is a highly experienced attorney, court-appointed receiver, independent hearing examiner, and court-appointed mediator. She practices in the areas of personal injury, family law, evictions, foreclosures, collections, civil litigation, and bankruptcy. Ms. Scott, who has over 20 years of experience practicing law, has represented banks, credit unions, consumers, companies, debtors, creditors, and an official equity committee. She has also represented landlords and tenants in numerous contested matters. As an adjunct professor at Thurgood Marshall School of Law, she imparts her legal wisdom, where she taught Professional Responsibility and currently teaches Appellate Litigation. Ms. Scott's wide-ranging representation equips her with insightful and creative solutions, making her an adept communicator, negotiator, and litigator. Committed to securing the best possible outcomes, she passionately advocates for her clients.
Place 3 Justice Veronica Rivas-Molloy University of Texas at El Paso with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and Spanish. J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center. She served as an Articles Editor for the Houston Law Review and graduated with honors. Justice Rivas-Molloy was the first family member to get a college degree and first to become a lawyer. After law school, she worked as a law clerk for the Honorable Ewing Werlein, Jr. of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, where I had the opportunity to work on a variety of civil and criminal matters, gaining invaluable experience as a young attorney. She was exposed to many areas of the law, and more importantly, to rigorous legal analysis, extensive brief writing, and the ability to understand the inner workings of a courtroom and the importance of the rule of law to our democracy. Following my clerkship, she worked at the law firm of Baker Botts, LLP, where she continued to work on various litigation matters helping further refine my analytical, oral, and written advocacy skills. The practice was varied giving her the opportunity to work with individuals, and domestic and international clients across different industries handling small to large-scale matters. During this time at Baker Botts, she also served as a volunteer prosecutor for the City of Houston, where she tried numerous administrative and criminal misdemeanor cases to the jury on a first-chair basis. For the last 10 years, she has worked at the law firm of Jones Walker, LLP advocating for clients and representing them in litigation and appellate matters across various industries. Her experience is extensive, and it has prepared her well for the judicial position.
Place 4
Appointed by Governor Abbott
Place 5 Justice Amparo Guerra graduated with distinction from St. George's School in Newport, Rhode Island. Justice Guerra graduated from Rice University, where she was on the President’s Honor Roll, with a double major in Latin American Studies and Sociology. She obtained her Juris Doctorate from the University of Houston Law Center, which awarded her a Dean’s Merit Scholarship, and two Public Interest Fellowships: one to work with Texas Rural Legal Aid, and the other with Farmworker Legal Services in Michigan. Justice Guerra interned with and clerked for United States District Judge Filemón Vela in the Southern District of Texas. Justice Guerra is multilingual. She received a Superior Certification in Commercial and Legal Spanish from the Madrid Chamber of Commerce, and she speaks Portuguese and Italian. Justice Amparo Monique Guerra was elected to the Texas First Court of Appeals in 2020, bringing her record of academic and professional excellence, as well as her diverse background, to the bench. She previously served as an Associate Municipal Judge for the City of Houston while practicing law full time. She was the youngest sitting judge on that court when she was originally appointed in 2005 at age 28. Justice Guerra was named a Texas Super Lawyer and has nearly 20 years’ experience handling complex civil cases, from start to finish, in state and federal, trial and appellate courts throughout Texas and other states. She represented all types of clients, from individuals and families, to businesses of all sizes: from sole proprietorships and small and mid-size companies, to some of the largest corporations in the world. She worked in law firms of various sizes, including small, mid-size, and large, ultimately becoming the first Hispanic partner at her national law firm.
Place 6 Justice Sarah Beth Landau (i) She earned a B.S. in economics and a B.A. in political science from the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities in 1993 and a J.D. from Columbia University School of Law in 1998. Landau’s career experience includes working as an adjunct professor of law with Texas Southern University and an associate with Vinson & Elkins, LLP. Justice Sarah Beth Landau was elected to the First Court of Appeals in 2018. Before taking the bench, Justice Landau worked in the appeals division of the Harris County Public Defender’s Office and for 10 years as an Assistant Federal Public Defender, doing trial and appellate work. Justice Landau has over 20 years of legal experience and has handled over 600 appeals as an advocate in state and federal courts. She is the first public defender to be elected to the court. A frequent presenter on criminal law issues and appellate advocacy, Justice Landau taught Appellate Litigation for six years at the Thurgood Marshall School of Law. Justice Landau worked for several years in complex commercial litigation at Vinson & Elkins LLP in Houston and at Coudert Brothers LLP in New York. She clerked for the Honorable Vanessa D. Gilmore in the Southern District of Texas after graduating from Columbia University School of Law. Justice Landau studied political science and quantitative economics at the University of Minnesota, graduating cum laude and as a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
Source: https://www.txcourts.gov/1stcoa/about-the-court/justices/justice-sarah-beth-landau/
Place 7 Justice Julie Countiss (i) was elected to the First Court of Appeals in 2018. She received her Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from University of Houston School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts from Southern Methodist University. She has practiced law–primarily civil litigation–for seventeen years and served as an assistant county attorney in Harris County prior to assuming the bench. She taught public school in the South Bronx, NYC as a Teach for America Corps member and continued teaching for two more years in Alief ISD upon her return to Texas.On May 28, 2019, Justice Countiss was appointed by the Supreme Court of Texas to serve on the Children’s Commission–a judicial commission for children, youth and families in Texas. She also serves as a judicial liaison to the Houston Bar Association’s Appellate Section and is a member of the National Association of Women Judges and the Judicial Section of the State Bar of Texas.
Source: https://www.txcourts.gov/1stcoa/about-the-court/justices/justice-julie-countiss/
Place 8 Richard Hightower (i) received his bachelor’s degree in English from Baylor University in 1978 and he received his law degree from Baylor Law School in 1980. While in law school, he served as a Notes and Comments Editor on the Baylor Law Review. In 2018, Justice Hightower was elected to the Texas First Court of Appeals. Justice Hightower began his legal career in Longview, Texas as an associate and then as a partner in the law firm of Sharp, Ward, Price, and Hightower. There, he was co-counsel in one case argued before the United States Supreme Court. In 1986, he relocated to Houston as a trial partner in the state-wide firm eventually known as Brown McCarroll & Oaks Hartline. In 2000, Justice Hightower opened his own law firm, Richard F. Hightower P.C., focusing on the interests of public-school districts and other educational entities and serving as a certified mediator in hundreds of legal disputes. Justice Hightower has argued in both state and federal appellate courts. He is rated AV Preeminent by Martindale Hubbell and has been recognized as a Texas Super Lawyer. He is a Life Fellow of the Houston Bar Association, a Fellow in the Texas Bar Foundation, and, prior to taking the bench, was an active member of the Texas Council of School Attorneys.
Place 8 Ysidra Kyles has a J.D. from Texas Southern University. She has her own law office in Houston. Practice Areas: Criminal, Litigation: Personal Injury.
Place 9 Justice Peter Kelly (i) earned a B.A. in history from Harvard University in 1985 and a J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law in 1990. Kelly’s career experience includes working as a partner with Kelly, Durham & Pittard, LLP and as an appellate justice. He has been affiliated with the following organizations:
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Member, Texas Supreme Court Advisory Committee
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Committee chair, member, and board member; Texas Trial Lawyers Association
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President, Houston Trial Lawyers Association
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Trustee, Texas Supreme Court Historical Society
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Life fellow, Texas Bar Foundation
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Co-author, appellate advocate; State Bar of Texas Appellate Section
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Member, Houston Bar Association
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Member, Bar Association of the Fifth Circuit
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American Bar Association
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American Association for Justice
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University of Texas School of Law Dean's Roundtable
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Fellow, American Bar Foundation and Texas Bar Foundation
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Director, Texas Appleseed
Place 9 Amber Boyd-Cora J.D. Law at Thurgood Marshall School of Law
and Studied at University of Oregon. you should know ----Article date Jan 4, 2024 (In a case of first impression, the incumbent Place 9 justice at the First District Court of Appeals is asking the Texas Supreme Court to resolve whether a challenger can remain on the Democratic Party primary ballot. In 2023, the Texas Legislature enacted H.B. 2384, which created a list of criteria intended to establish professional qualifications viewable to the public for any person seeking elected office as a district court judge or appellate court justice. Lloyd Earl Kelley, counsel for the real party in interest, candidate Amber Michele Boyd-Cora, said Boyd-Cora is one of four black judicial candidates he is representing that have had their status on a ballot challenged by incumbents that use the new law to selectively exclude challengers of African-American origin.) She is on the Democratic Primary Ballot and is marked "accepted".
Sources:
https://candidate.texas-election.com/Elections/getQualifiedCandidatesInfo.do
2nd Court of Appeals - Fort Worth
Jurisdiction:
Archer, Denton, Montague, Wichita, Clay, Hood, Parker, Wise, Cooke, Jack, Tarrant, Young
Place 1 Chief Justice
Appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott
Place 2
Appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott
Place 3
Appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott
Place 4
Appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott
Place 5
Appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott
Place 6
Appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott
Place 7
3rd Court of Appeals - Austin
Jurisdiction:
Bastrop, Comal, Lee, San Saba, Bell, Concho, Llano, Schleicher, Blanco, Fayette, McCulloch, Sterling, Burnet, Hays, Milam, Tom Green, Caldwell, Irion, Mills, Travis, Coke, Lampasas, Runnels, and Williamson
Place 1 Chief Justice Darlene Byrne (i) Her current term ends on December 31, 2026. Byrne received her J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center where she graduated magna cum laude and was a member of the law review’s editorial board and an Order of the Coif member.Justice Darlene Byrne served for 20 years as the presiding judge of the 126th Judicial District Court in Travis County. She was a general jurisdiction trial judge presiding over civil matters, but her passion was serving as the presiding judge over all the foster children in Travis County for 17 of her 20 years of service to the trial bench. In that role, she received not only local recognition for her work serving foster children and their families, but also statewide and national recognition for her court improvement work in this area. Justice Byrne is the founding judge of the Travis County Family Drug Treatment Court and the Travis County Model Court of Children, Youth and Families. She also pioneered the development of a Dual Status Youth docket, serving youth that were in the child welfare court and the juvenile justice court simultaneously. These programs have been serving and continues to serve children and families in the Travis County District Courts for over a decade resulting in better outcomes for these children and families. She was appointed by the Texas Supreme Court to serve as the first Vice Chair of the Texas Children’s Commission and continues to serve as a Commissioner. She is a past President of the National Council for Juvenile and Family Court Judges and a past Judge of the Year of National CASA, Texas CASA and CASA of Travis County. She is a past recipient of the many local, statewide and national awards due to her work in the area of child welfare, such as awards from the State of Texas’ Child Protection Roundtable, Foster Angels, Seedling Foundation, Texas Appleseed, University of Houston Law Center, Any Baby Can, Travis County Women’s Lawyers Association, Austin Child Guidance Center and the YMCA of Greater Austin. Justice Byrne currently serves as co-chair of the Judicial Council for National CASA, is an Advisory Council member for TexProtects, Partnerships for Children, Carrying Hope and the Seedling Foundation. She is the Chair of the Texas Statewide Collaborative for Trauma Informed Care, on the Editorial Review Board for NCJFCJ’s Juvenile and Family Court Journal and on the Advisory Committee for the national #WeToo project for Courts. She speaks locally, statewide, and nationally on many legal issues, but primarily on the children and families whose lives are impacted by the court system. Prior to her election in 2000, she practiced for thirteen years in the areas of employment, commercial and governmental entity litigation.
Source:https://www.txcourts.gov/3rdcoa/about-the-court/justices/chief-justice-darlene-byrne/
Place 2 Justice Edward Smith (i) earned a B.S. in political science from Texas A&M University in 2001 and a J.D. from Texas Wesleyan University School of Law in 2005. Smith’s career experience includes working as an associate attorney with Brayton Purcell and with Hissey Kientz. I’m a native Texan with a law practice that has spanned multiple jurisdictions. Justice Smith is a native Texan that has clerked with the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara and worked for both large and small personal injury firms representing injured workers and their families. Cases ranged from million dollar personal injury claims to typical business disputes. My career has aimed at solving problems with pragmatic solutions.
Community service:
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mentoring young professionals, high school, college, and law students
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giving back to the legal community by sharing my knowledge and expertiseas a speaker at many continuing legal education conferences
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member of the Barbra Jordan Inn of Court which is an organization that provides community building, education and professional development
He has also supported and volunteered with many local organizations such as Austin ISD schools, Austin Parks Foundation, ministries at University United Methodist Church and Community First! Village.
Source: https://www.smithforjustice.com
Place 2 Maggie Ellis Bachelor of Science UT Austin, J.D.Baylor University School of Law She survived a childhood marked by poverty, transience, homelessness, and educational deprivation to become the only one of her eight siblings to graduate from college. She was a teacher, a foster mother, a community volunteer, and put herself through law school, driving back and forth from Austin to Waco every day, as a mother with four teenagers. As an Administrative Law Judge, a civil, criminal, and appellate prosecutor, and an attorney representing individuals and families all over Central Texas, Maggie has extensive and relevant experience. Maggie will bring her experience of overcoming adversity, her hard work, her commitment to justice, and her compassion for others to the bench. A proud and very active member of the Central Texas community for over thirty-five years, Maggie has been a Democratic Party Precinct Chair, Volunteer Deputy Voter Registrar, an Officer with the Capital Area Progressive Democrats and the Austin Environmental Democrats, a volunteer with Meals on Wheels, Mobile Loaves and Fishes, Helping Hand Home, Leander ISD (PTA President, Vice President, Zoning Board), volunteer Spanish and English teacher and mentor, AISD HOSTS Mentor, and legal volunteer and advocate through Volunteer Legal Services, Hays County Pro Bono Clinic, Raices, Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid, Travis County Child Welfare Board, the Supreme Court Children's Commission Child Welfare and Juvenile Law work groups, and she currently serves as Chair Elect of the State Bar Juvenile Law Section Board.
Place 2 Melissa Lorber Bachelors in Journalism and Political Science from University of Arizona and JD from the University of Texas School of Law with honors. Newspaper reporter for the Arizona Daily Star and the San Antonio Express-News reporting on Bexar County courts and the Texas Legislature. Editor in Chief of The Review of Litigation and as President of the Women’s Law Caucus. 22 years representing clients in hundreds of cases in Texas courts of appeals, including the Third Court of Appeals and Texas Supreme Court. She has the respect and support of Texas lawyers who practice before the courts of appeals and is Board Certified in Civil Appellate Law.. Worked a fellowship at a women’s shelter and with the District Attorney’s Office. Children’s Rights Clinic, where she was appointed as an attorney ad litem for children in foster care. Her legal research and writing seminar paper, which focused on child abuse and neglect, was published in the American Journal of Criminal Law. After law school Melissa became a volunteer advocate for CASA of Travis County and has continued her service for more than 20 years. Associate at Winstead PC, focusing on trial and appellate litigation. Melissa helped found Enoch Kever PLLC which specializes in appeals, administrative law, and civil litigation. Enoch Kever has grown to have more than 20 lawyers. The majority of both the lawyers and the partners are women, helping Enoch Kever earn the Travis County Women Lawyers' Association's "Outstanding Firm" award in 2018. At Enoch Kever, Melissa has been involved in more than 250 appeals and regularly presents oral arguments in the Texas courts of appeals, Texas Supreme Court, and U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. She is one of only a handful of attorneys who has presented two Texas Supreme Court arguments in the same day! Melissa has been Board Certified in Civil Appeals since 2017, served a five-year term in leadership of the Austin Bar Association Civil Appellate Section (including as Chair in 2019-2020), and regularly makes presentations on appellate, litigation, and other legal topics. She also serves on the Board for the Travis County Women Lawyers' Association and has been actively involved for many years with two Central Texas non-profit organizations: CASA of Travis County and Impact Austin, a women's collective giving organization that provides grants to Central Texas non-profits. As part of Impact Austin's Grants Leadership Team, Melissa helps lead female philanthropists through the process of reviewing grant applications from non-profit agencies serving the needs of Central Texans to select recipients of annual Community, Education, Equity, and Health & Well-Being grants.
Place 3 Justice Chari Kelly (i) earned a B.A. in political science and criminology from the University of Florida and a J.D. from the University of Texas at Austin. Justice Chari L. Kelly is Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization (TBLS) and the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA) in Criminal Law. She has served as both a defense attorney and a prosecutor and is also a seasoned civil litigator. Justice Kelly is a U.S. Army Veteran and former paratrooper. She was a captain in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps at Fort Hood, and was certified by the United States Naval Justice School to defend death penalty cases. Before her election to the Third Court, Justice Kelly served as an Assistant District Attorney for both Comal and Travis Counties, handling all aspects of felony criminal prosecutions. She has tried more than 35 jury trials, including aggravated sexual assault of a child, attempted capital murder, and kidnapping. In 2018, Justice Kelly was named the Mothers Against Drunk Driving Prosecutor of the Year for Travis County. Justice Kelly worked as both a Research Attorney and Law Clerk at the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, where she drafted majority and en banc opinions on Petitions for Discretionary Review and direct death penalty opinions. As a prosecutor, she authored direct and interlocutory appeals and argued before the Third and Thirteenth Courts of Appeals. Justice Kelly has also served as an Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Medicaid Fraud Division, where she was responsible for all aspects of investigation and litigation. She was the lead attorney in a healthcare fraud investigation against an international pharmaceutical company resulting in a $19.9 million settlement for the taxpayers of Texas. Justice Kelly is an Adjunct Professor in the Advocacy Department in The University of Texas School of Law, where she teaches trial techniques and procedures. She is a past-president of the Austin Young Lawyers Association, a director of the Austin Bar Association, and a member of the Robert W. Calvert Inn of Court.
Source:https://www.txcourts.gov/3rdcoa/about-the-court/justices/justice-chari-l-kelly/
Place 4 Justice Rosa Theofanis (i) Justice Theofanis received her bachelor's degree with a concentration in Comparative Literature from Brown University, where she was a Rose Writing Fellow and spent her junior year studying at the University of Salamanca in Salamanca, Spain. Justice Theofanis attended the University of Texas School of Law, where she was awarded an Endowed Presidential Scholarship in Law and interned in the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague. Working with lawyers from legal systems around the globe gave Justice Theofanis a grounding in fundamental precepts of law that continues to inform her career. Prior to being elected to Texas’ Third Court of Appeals in 2022, Rosa Theofanis served as an Assistant District Attorney for Travis County, including ten years in the appellate division. There, she represented the State of Texas in appeals of convictions for felony and juvenile offenses committed in Travis County, as well as in appeals of civil suits affecting parental rights, original proceedings, and post-conviction matters. Justice Theofanis began her career in public service as an Assistant County Attorney for Travis County, and subsequently worked for a non-profit agency in Washington, D.C. providing civil legal services to survivors of domestic violence. Justice Theofanis has prosecuted more than twenty jury trials with successful verdicts in both criminal and civil cases. She has handled appeals before nine of Texas' intermediate courts of appeals and has presented oral argument in the courts of appeals, the Court of Criminal Appeals, and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Justice Theofanis is admitted to practice in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and in the United States Supreme Court. Justice Theofanis attended the University of Texas School of Law, where she was awarded an Endowed Presidential Scholarship in Law and interned in the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague. Working with lawyers from legal systems around the globe gave Justice Theofanis a grounding in fundamental precepts of law that continues to inform her career. Justice Theofanis has served as an adjunct professor, teaching a course on legal writing at the University of Texas School of Law for three years. She has presented at professional conferences, including the Dawson Conference on Criminal Appeals.
Place 5 Justice Thomas J. Baker (i) He earned a B.A. in government from the University of Texas in 1980 and a J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center in 1983. Prior to serving on the court, Justice Baker had a civil practice, specializing in family law and including appellate practice, in Bell County and nearby Central Texas counties. He was Board Certified in Family Law in 2010 and has been a member of the College of the State Bar for more than 15 years. Justice Baker was admitted to the United States District Court, Western District, in 1995. He was previously admitted to the United States District Court, Southern District in 1984. He was admitted to practice in military courts in 1984. Justice Baker was most recently a partner and owner in the firm of Baker & Tisdale PLLC, with principal office in Killeen and satellite office in Belton. Prior to entering private practice, Justice Baker served as an Assistant County Attorney from 1992 to 1994 for Bee County, Texas. Justice Baker was commissioned in the United States Naval Reserve in 1983 and graduated from Naval Justice School in 1984, after which he served as a Lieutenant in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps. He served three tours of duty at Naval Legal Service Office, Naval Air Station Corpus Christi and Command Judge Advocate, Naval Air Station Agana, Guam, and Assistant Staff Judge Advocate, Naval Reserve Force Command, New Orleans, from 1984 to 1991. He was awarded two Navy Commendation Medals, the second for mobilization support for Operation Desert Storm in 1991. Justice Baker attended the University of Texas at El Paso and earned a Bachelor of Journalism with honors in 1979 and Bachelor of Arts in Government in 1980 with high honors at the University of Texas at Austin. He was awarded a Doctor of Jurisprudence at the University of Houston Law Center in 1983. Justice Baker served in the Lone Star Legal Aid Volunteer Lawyers Program for Bell County and in support of legal aid services to veterans and family violence victims.
Source:https://www.txcourts.gov/3rdcoa/about-the-court/justices/justice-thomas-j-baker/
Place 5 Judge Karin Crimp is a judge of the Texas 250th District Court. Crump received her undergraduate degree from the University of Texas, and her J.D. from St. Mary's University School of Law. Crump was an attorney focused on dispute resolution prior to becoming a judge.
A recognized leader, Judge Karin Crump has been honored by the State Bar of Texas for fostering collaboration within the legal community, appointed to the Editorial Board of the State Bar Litigation Section’s official publication, and is dedicated to diversifying the legal profession as a mentor and the judicial liaison for the Youth Justice Alliance. Her call to service has been just as broad: President of the Texas Young Lawyers Association, Board of Directors for the Texas Bar Foundation, Chair of a Texas Supreme Court Task Force to expand the delivery of legal services, and co-founder of the Austin Bar/AYLA Leadership Academy, which now has hundreds of graduates. Judge Crump is currently President of the Texas Association of District Judges. Judge Crump’s legal career has spanned the gamut: criminal law, complex civil litigation, family law, and dispute resolution, all while being recognized for her commitment to pro bono services. In 2014, she was elected to the bench, where she has since presided over the 250th District Court in Travis County.
Awards
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Outstanding Young Lawyer of Dallas
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Best Lawyers in Dallas Under 40, D Magazine
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Texas Super Lawyer - Rising Star in Litigation and Alternate Dispute Resolution, Texas Monthly Magazine (7 times)
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Outstanding Mentor of the Year, Austin Young Lawyers Association
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Pathfinder, Travis County Women Lawyers Association
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Pro Bono Award
Associations
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Past president, Texas Young Lawyers Association
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Past member, State Bar of Texas Board of Directors Executive Committee
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Past member, Texas Bar Journal Board of Editors
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Past chair, Supreme Court’s Task Force to Expand Legal Service Delivery
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Past president, Grandview Hills PTA
Sources: https://ballotpedia.org/Karin_Crump, https://www.judgekarincrump.com/?fbclid=IwAR0MQUjtHXdxlA2TcHtOLMwFxZu3D-ZfAfG1o5S_HLyZNUyYDZCBwAVi8tU
Place 6 Justice Gisela D. Triana (i) graduated magna cum laude and earned a B.A. from the University of Texas at San Antonio and a J.D. from the University of Texas Law School and has conducted training sessions for judges all over Texas on legal matters such as emergency protective orders, arraignment, magistration, and legal procedures. She has been a faculty member of The University of Texas International Office’s U.S. Law Program, which instructs foreign judges and lawyers on United States Law. Triana’s career experience includes working as Trial Division director with the Travis County Attorney’s Office and as staff attorney with the Texas Secretary of State’s Election Division. Prior to being elected to the Texas Third Court of Appeals in 2018, Justice Gisela D. Triana had served on every level of Texas trial courts. She comes to the Third Court with over 23 years of experience on a trial bench, in both criminal and civil courts. Most recently, Justice Triana served for 14 years as the 200th District Court Judge, presiding over hundreds of cases involving complex civil cases. Before that, Justice Triana served as a Travis County Court at Law Judge. In that Court of criminal jurisdiction, she is recognized for stabilizing the Court’s docket and disposing of a massive backlog. Justice Triana has also served as a City of Austin Municipal Court Judge and as a Travis County Justice of the Peace. Justice Triana began her legal career as a prosecutor in the Travis County Attorney’s Office, where her work included representing victims of domestic violence and later served as the Director of the Trial Division in that office. Justice Triana also served as a Staff Attorney in the Texas Secretary of State’s Election Division and ran her own private law firm, Hanko & Triana, focusing on criminal and family law. Justice Triana’s service to our community also extends beyond her years of work on the bench. She has participated in Austin Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts, Volunteer Legal Services, Legal Line, the Pro-Bono College, Habitat for Humanity, Special Olympics, the Children’s Justice Act Task Force, Travis County Juvenile Board, Travis County Child Protective Services Board, Austin Recovery, and Chaired Middle Earth (helping homeless youth in Travis County).
Source: https://www.txcourts.gov/3rdcoa/about-the-court/justices/justice-gisela-d-triana/
4th Court of Appeals - San Antonio
Jurisdiction:
Atascosa, Gillespie, Kinney, Starr, Bandera, Guadalupe, La Salle Sutton, Bexar, Jim Hogg, McMullen, Uvalde, Brooks, Jim Wells, Mason, Val Verde, Dimmit, Karnes, Maverick, Webb, Duval, Kendall, Medina, Wilson, Edwards, Kerr, Menard, Zapata, Frio, Kimble, Real, and Zavala
Place 1 Chief Justice Rebecca Martinez graduated from Incarnate Word Academy with honors and later earned distinction as a University Scholar at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. Chief Justice Martinez received her law degree from Boston University School of Law in Boston, Massachusetts and upon graduation was the honored recipient of the Faculty Award. After clerking with a large prestigious Boston law firm, Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky & Popeo, P.C., Chief Justice Martinez returned to Texas to serve with U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Southern District Eduardo de Ases, and later for Justice Federico Hinojosa on the Thirteenth Court of Appeals. Chief Justice Martinez's private practice began as associate counsel at Thornton, Summers, Biechlin, Dunham Brown. She provided representation and trial defense to individuals, small businesses, and large corporations. Her practice included every aspect of defending cases involving personal injury, premises and products liability, construction defect, oil and gas, environmental and toxic tort, as well as multi-party class action defense in both state and federal courts. Chief Justice Martinez also served as Of Counsel to the Law Offices of Ramon Garcia, P.C. in Edinburg, Texas, one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in Texas. As President of her own litigation practice for almost 14 years, managing 3 offices and as many as 16 employees, Rebeca continued to represent individuals and entities involved in multi-party litigation both in state and federal court, including actions involving toxic tort, product defect, premises and property liability claims. After moving to San Antonio, Chief Justice Martinez enlarged her practice to include family law and criminal defense in civil and criminal trial courts in Bexar County and across South Texas. As a member of the State Bar Pro Bono College, the College of the State Bar, the Joseph M. Pritchard Inn, the William S. Session Inns of Court, among others, Chief Justice Martinez has been recognized for her outstanding service to the legal profession and to the public. She is a Sustaining Life Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation and the San Antonio Bar Foundation and has served on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Woman Judges, the Curriculum Committee for the Texas Center for the Judiciary, and the Mexican American Bar Association, to name just a few. She is a frequent author and speaker at continuing legal education programs hosted by the State Bar and affinity groups. Chief Justice Rebeca Martinez currently serves on the Dean’s Advisory Board of her alma mater, Boston University School of Law, the Purple Campaign, and the University of Texas’ LBJ School of Public Policy’s Women’s Campaign School. She is serving a second term on the Board of Directors of the State Bar of Texas Judicial Section.
Martinez began her career as a law clerk. She then worked as a private practice attorney until her judicial election in 2012.
Awards and associations
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Member, College of the State Bar
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Member, Pro Bono College of the State Bar
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Member, American Bar Association
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Member, Joseph M. Pritchard Inn
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Member, Texas State Bar Association
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Member, Bexar County Women’s Bar Association
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Member, San Antonio Bar Association
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Member, Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association
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Member, San Antonio Criminal Defense Lawyers Association
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Member, State Bar of Texas Litigation Section, Appellate Section, Criminal Justice Section
Source: https://ballotpedia.org/Rebeca_Martinez, https://www.txcourts.gov/4thcoa/about-the-court/justices/chief-justice-rebeca-martinez/
Place 2 Justice Beth Watkins(i) earned a B.A. from the University of Missouri - Columbia in 1999 and a J.D. from St. Mary's University School of Law in 2002. While in law school, Beth competed on St. Mary’s moot court team and won the American Bar Association National Appellate Advocacy Competition and was recognized as the best speaker in the nation. She was also inducted into the National Order of Barristers and received the Patricia L. Scott Award—an accolade reserved for St. Mary’s most outstanding advocate.Watkins' career experience includes working as a briefing attorney with the Texas Fourth District Court of Appeals and as an attorney for Watkins Appeals PLLC. Beth is board certified in civil appellate law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Beth is the only justice currently sitting on the Fourth Court of Appeals who is board certified in civil appellate law. She has served as President of the San Antonio Bar Association, the San Antonio Bar Foundation, and the Community Justice Foundation. She currently serves on the State Bar of Texas’s Grievance Committee, and on the Board of Editors for the State Bar’s Texas Bar Journal. Beth currently serves on the amicus committee of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association, and has served on the Board of Directors of the San Antonio Trial Lawyers Association.
Beth Watkins was board certified in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in 2008, and was re-certified in 2013 and again in 2018.
Other Admissions:
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US Supreme Court (2007)
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US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (2003)
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US District Court for the Western District of Texas (2003)
Place 2 Judge Velia J. Meza earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Columbia University in 1995 and a J.D. degree from St. Mary's University School of Law in 2000. Her career experience includes owning her own practice, Velia J. Meza, Attorney at Law, P.C. Meza has practiced in Federal Courts in the Western District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, and in the Southern District of Illinois. is a judge of the Texas 226th District Court. She assumed office on January 1, 2019. Her current term ends on December 31, 2026. Velia Meza was re-elected to continue serving as Judge of the 226th District Court of Bexar County, Texas on November 8, 2022. Prior to winning election to serve, Velia practiced as a private attorney in for 16 years. Velia has represented citizens accused of crimes in more than 30 counties across the State of Texas. Velia's expertise includes trials of major crimes, criminal appeals, family law, and other civil and administrative matters. Velia has practiced in Federal Courts in the Western District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, as well as in the Southern District of Illinois. In the past five years, Velia has been very active in teaching and mentoring to young/new lawyers in Bexar County. Velia enjoys presenting at Continuing Legal Education seminars as well as volunteering to teach trial advocacy to inner city high school students.
Place 3 Judge Cynthia Marie Chapa is a judge of the Texas 288th District Court. She assumed office on January 1, 2019. Her current term ends on December 31, 2026. Cynthia Marie Chapa earned a bachelor's degree in political science from St. Mary's University in 2002 and a J.D. degree from St. Mary's University School of Law in 2006. Her career experience includes working as a partner at the Law Offices of Arellano and Chapa and serving as the district director of State Representative Joaquin Castro since 2003.
Awards and Recognitions:
St. Mary's Law School
Hispanic Law Alumni Association
Sister Grace Walle Mentor of the Year Award
Communitee Outreach:
District Court Committee Assignments and Board
Auditor Oversight
Purchasing Board
Children’s Court Oversight
Technology
Bexar County Dispute Resolution Center
Advisory Board
Juvenile Board
Family Violence Prevention Program Sub-Committee
Source: https://www.chapafor288.com/
Place 4 Justice Luz Elena Chapa (i) received her undergraduate degree and her J.D. from St. Mary's University.she was the youngest serving Hispanic justice in the State of Texas. Prior to her election, Justice Chapa practiced on both sides of the civil docket in counties across Texas, with a concentration in products liability litigation.
Career
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2013 - Present: Judge, Texas Fourth District Court of Appeals
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2010-2012: Attorney, Chapa Law Group, P.C.
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2005-2010: Attorney, Chapa & Nevarez, P.C.
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2002-2005: Attorney, Hartline, Dacus, Barger, Dreyer & Kern, L.L.P.
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2001-2002: Attorney, Barger, Hermansen, McKibben & Villarreal, L.L.P.
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2000-2001: Attorney, Oaxaca, Bernal & Associates
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1998-1999: Law clerk, Lyons & Rhodes, P.C.
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1997-1998: Law clerk, Law Offices of Frank Herrera, Jr.
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1997: Law clerk, The Center for Legal and Social Justice
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1995-1996: Legislative correspondent, Congressman Frank Tejeda
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1995: Intern, Congressman Lloyd Doggett
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1995: Intern, Cauthorn, Hale, Hornberger, Sheehan, Fuller & Becker
Associations
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El Paso Bar Association, Former Member
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El Paso Young Lawyers Association, Former Member
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Mexican American Bar Association-El Paso, Former Member
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Texas Women Lawyers, Former Member, Board of Directors & Treasurer
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Corpus Christi Bar Association, Former Member
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Corpus Christi Young Lawyers Association, Former Member
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Coastal Bend Women Lawyers Association, Former Member
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St. Mary’s University Alumni Association, Member
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St. Mary’s University School of Law Alumni Association, Member
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State Bar of Texas, Member
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San Antonio Bar Association, Member
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Bexar County Women’s Bar Association, Member
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Bexar County Democratic Women, Member
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Mexican American Bar Association-San Antonio, Member
Place 5 Liza A. Rodriguez (i) She earned a B.A. in political science and communications from the University of North Texas and a J.D. from St. Mary's University School of Law. Rodriguez’s career experience includes working as a county court administrator with Bexar County and an attorney with her own law firm. Prior to being elected to her current office in November of 2018, she was a solo practitioner with a focus on Criminal Defense and Family Law. Justice Rodriguez was also previously elected as a County Court at Law Trial Judge in 2010, during which time she was instrumental in the establishment of the first designated DWI Court in Bexar County. Early in her career she served the community as an Assistant District Attorney for ten years before going into private practice.She has been honored in Washington D.C. with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Distinguished Alumnus Award and has been featured on San Antonio’s “Rising Stars” radio program. She is currently a member of the San Antonio Bar Foundation and has served as a board member for the Mexican American Bar Association of San Antonio. Justice Rodriguez is the proud mother of two teenagers and is very involved with their extra-curricular activities.
Source: https://www.txcourts.gov/4thcoa/about-the-court/justices/justice-liza-a-rodriguez/
Place 6 Irene Alarcon Rios Rios received her undergraduate degree from Texas Tech University and her J.D. from St. Mary's University School of Law. In 1999, she was appointed by the Bexar County Commissioners Court as Judge of Bexar County, County Court at Law No. 10, where she served for 14 years. As a trial judge, Justice Rios presided over civil cases involving multiple areas of law, including consumer, contract, employment, tort, and landlord-tenant law. She also assisted with Drug Court and in cases involving the neglect and abuse of children, reviewed appeals of Administrative Law and Municipal Court judicial decisions, and presided over appeals from Justice of the Peace Courts. During her tenure at County Court at Law No. 10, Justice Rios additionally served as the 2007 Administrative Judge for the twelve county courts at law. Justice Rios has served on the Board of Trustees of St. Mary’s University and is a past President of St. Mary’s Law Alumni Association and Hispanic Law Alumni Association. She is a Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation and has served as a Special Master of Major Litigation.
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Justice (2017-2022) Fourth Court of Appeals
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Judge (1999-2013), Bexar County Court at Law No. 10
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Administrative Judge (2007), Elected by Bexar County court at law judges to handle administrative matters and represent 12 courts
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Licensed (1990) by the Supreme Court of Texas
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Board Member (2018-2020), Texas Center for the Judiciary
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Trustee (2015-2016), St. Mary’s University
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Special Master of Major Litigation (2016)
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President (2014), Law Alumni Association, St. Mary’s University School of Law
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Member (2014), Law School Dean Search Committee, St. Mary’s University School of Law
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Vice-Chair (2007-2013), San Antonio Municipal Court Advisory Committee
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President (1996), Hispanic Law Alumni Association, St. Mary’s University School of Law
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Fellow, Texas and San Antonio Bar Foundations
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Graduate (1990), St. Mary’s University School of Law
Source: https://www.txcourts.gov/4thcoa/about-the-court/justices/justice-irene-rios/
Place 7
Appointed by Greg Abbott
5th Court of Appeals - Dallas
Jurisdiction:
Collin, Grayson, Kaufman, Dallas, Hunt, and Rockwall
Place 1 Chief Justice Dennise Garcia has a bachelors from SMU, and a J.D. from SMU Dedman School of Law. She has been a Texas judge for over 16 years. Previously Justice Garcia had presided over thousands of trials as Judge of the 303rd District Court. She was selected by her colleagues to be Presiding Judge of all Dallas County Family District Courts for two terms. She is double board certified in Family law and Child Welfare law. Justice Garcia is active in the legal community and currently serves on the Texas Supreme Court Family Law Advisory group for pandemic issues, the State Bar Committee on Disciplinary Rules and Referenda, and the State Bar Pattern Jury Charge Family/Probate committee. She participates as member in several legal organizations such as the Annette Stewart Inn of Court, the Texas Bar College, and the Dallas Bar Association. She has a long history contributing to legal education. She previously served on the Bench Book Committee for the Texas Center for the Judiciary, and the Texas Advanced Family Law Course planning committee for the State Bar. Justice Garcia has also taught Family Law and Texas Matrimonial Property at SMU’s Dedman School of Law as visiting faculty. She is active on the Texas legal speaking circuit for organizations such as the State Bar, the Texas Center for the Judiciary, and the Texas Bar College. Over the years she has written and taught on topics such as family law, child welfare, legal ethics, litigation strategy, discovery, evidence, judgments, mental health in the legal profession, and docket management. During her time on the bench, she was recognized by her peers and colleagues as an Outstanding Jurist by the Texas Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, and was previously named Best Judge by Dallas Observer. Plus 2x awarded the Merrill Hartman Judicial Pro Bono Service Award.
https://www.txcourts.gov/5thcoa/about-the-court/justices/justice-dennise-garcia/
Place 1 Staci Williams for Chief Justice is a judge of the Texas 101st District Court. Her current term ends on December 31, 2026. Williams received her bachelor's degree from Smith College in Massachusetts and her J.D. from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.
Before assuming the bench, Judge Williams had over 10 years of judicial experience and 27 years of legal experience including:
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Judicial Clerkship in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
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In-house counsel positions with corporations in the defense, telecommunications, and retail industries.
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Trial Attorney and Administrative Judge with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
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Arbitrator for NASD/FINRA, U.S. Postal Service, Dallas Area Rapid Transit “DART”, Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service “FMCS”, and the Washington Metropolitan Airport Board
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Counsel, U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee
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Municipal Court Judge, City of Dallas
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Private practice handling employment, commercial, business, personal injury, and criminal matters.
Williams has worked as corporate counsel in the defense telecommunications and retail industries. She has served as a trial attorney and an administrative judge for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, counsel to the United States Senate Judiciary Committee, a municipal judge in Dallas and an attorney in private practice. Williams has also been on the arbitrator panels for the U.S. Postal Service, Dallas Area Rapid Transit, Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (formerly the National Association of Securities Dealers).
Source: https://ballotpedia.org/Staci_Williams, https://judgestaci.com/
Place 2 Justice Robbie Partida-Kipness (i) is the first Hispanic to serve on this court. She received her law degree from St. Mary’s University School of Law in 1998 and put herself through law school while clerking for The Law Offices of Jeffrey Anderson in San Antonio focusing on medical malpractice cases in both federal and state court. After graduating from law school, Justice Partida-Kipness moved to Dallas to begin her legal career as a civil litigator with the medical malpractice law firm Morgan & Weisbrod, L.L.P. She later joined the law firm Silber Pearlman, L.L.P. where she litigated thousands of products and premises liability cases throughout Texas. She gained extensive experience in settlement negotiations and mediations. In 2008, Justice Kipness opened The Kipness Law Firm, P.C., where she specialized in automobile accidents, premises liability, and medical malpractice cases. She brings 21 years of civil litigation experience to the bench. In 2020, Justice Partida-Kipness was appointed to serve on the Supreme Court of Texas Children’s Commission. She continues to serve as a Commissioner and serves on the Children’s Commission Training Committee. Justice Partida-Kipness has continued to serve on the American Bar Association’s Appellate Judges Education Institute Education planning committee since 2020. Justice Partida-Kipness is also a Texas Bar Foundation Sustaining Life Fellow, Dallas Bar Foundation Life Fellow, an active member in the Dallas Hispanic Bar Association and Texas Latinx Judges. Her passion is mentoring law students and young lawyers.
Place 3 Justice Bonnie Lee Goldstein (i) sitting judge of the 5th District Court of Appeals. B.A. from Hood College in 1984, with a double major in Law and Society (pre-law) and Spanish, and a J.D. from The George Washington University, She is on the Primary Texas Ballot for 2024 Texas Supreme Court Place 6. The National Law Center in 1990, and licensed in Texas the same year. Prior to her election to the 5th Court, she served as the Presiding Judge of the 44th Judicial District Court in Dallas County. She commenced her legal career in Dallas with the law firm of Vial, Hamilton, Koch and Knox practicing in a variety of areas including complex commercial litigation, construction, surety, fidelity and state and local government law. For the eleven years prior to her election to the 44th Judicial District Court, Justice Goldstein was a solo practitioner, representing cities as a City Attorney and municipal court prosecutor. In addition, she has served as a Municipal Court Judge for the cities of Cockrell Hill, Dallas, Royse City and the Town of New Hope. In June of 2014, Justice Goldstein was the recipient of the Judge Michael L. O’Neal Outstanding Jurist Award from the Municipal Judges Section of the State Bar of Texas. In 2017, Justice Goldstein served as the Judicial Director for the Dallas Bar Association. She has worked with the Dallas Bar Association and Dallas Association of Young Lawyers establish professional development programs for young lawyers such as the Lawyers on Loan Program (prosecutors for local city and county governments) and Civil Second Chair (second chair criminal defense lawyers), as well as volunteered as a mentor in a combined program with the DAYL and Dallas Association of Women Lawyers. In addition, Justice Goldstein has been working with DBA committees, local law schools and members of the judiciary to provide services to self-represented litigants to navigate within the civil legal system. Justice Goldstein is fluent in Spanish, having been an exchange student with the American Field Service (AFS) to Costa Rica, and studied a semester abroad in Cadiz, Spain. She was appointed Legal Counselor to the Mexican Consulate in Houston in March of 1998, for her work representing a Mexican National on Death Row.
Source: https://www.txcourts.gov/5thcoa/about-the-court/justices/justice-bonnie-lee-goldstein/
Place 4 Justice Maricela Moore Breedlove up for re-election in 2028. Justice Breedlove received her Bachelors of Science from Boston College and her law degree from the George Washington University National Law Center in Washington, D.C. She previously served as the Presiding Judge of the 162nd Civil District Court and the Local Administrative District Judge. As the Local Administrative District Judge, she oversaw thirty-nine district court judges in Dallas County, Texas. She also previously served as the Presiding Judge of the Central Jury Room. In 2019, she was named the Dallas Judge of the Year by the American Board of Trial Advocates, a nonpartisan national association of trial lawyers dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the Seventh Amendment right to a jury trial. Prior to her judicial service, Justice Breedlove practiced commercial litigation with an emphasis on trade secret, breach of contract, and employment litigation. She is board certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in labor and employment law. Justice Breedlove is a member of the College of the State Bar of Texas and a Master of the Bench in the Mac Taylor Inn of Court. She has served in leadership roles in many organizations, including, President of the Dallas Hispanic Bar Association, President of the Dallas Hispanic Law Foundation, and President of MABA-Texas. She also served as a Director on the Dallas Bar Association Board of Directors.
Sources: https://ballotpedia.org/Maricela_Moore;
https://www.txcourts.gov/5thcoa/about-the-court/justices/justice-maricela-moore-breedlove/
Place 5 Justice Erin A. Nowell (i) Justice Nowell is a graduate of Wake Forest University and the University of Texas School of Law. Her bar admissions include: State Bar of Texas (2003); USDC, Northern District of Texas (2009); USDC, Eastern District of Texas (2009); United States Supreme Court (2016). She began her career at a nationally recognized plaintiffs’ firm specializing in toxic-tort litigation where she developed the skills to manage and litigate large-scale mass torts. In 2007, Justice Nowell joined an international firm to explore other avenues of litigation and quickly developed an interest in class action litigation. She cultivated significant experience by participating in the defense of several class action cases in federal courts throughout the country. In early 2010, Justice Nowell returned to a plaintiffs’ practice, again specializing in mass torts and catastrophic injury cases. While in private practice, Justice Nowell was actively
involved in the Dallas legal community, serving on various committees and boards. She is a member of the Dallas Bar Association and previously served on its Board of Directors. She has also served as chair of the Public Forum Committee, vice-chair and chair of the Minority Participation committee, vice-chair and chair of the Admissions and Membership committee, and co-chair of the Equal Access to Justice Campaign. She is also a past president of the J.L. Turner Legal Association. Justice Nowell was selected as a Texas Monthly Magazine Super Lawyers Rising Star in 2015, 2016 and 2017. She was also named one of the National Bar’s Association Top 40 Advocates under 40 in 2016, and received the Texas Women Lawyers’ Rising Star Award in 2018.
Place 6 Justice Craig Smith received his B.B.A. from the University of Texas Austin in 1973 and his J D from Texas Tech University in 1976. Term ends 2026. He was the Presiding Judge of the 192nd Civil District Court in Dallas County. Before taking the trial court bench in 2007, Justice Smith spent over 26 years as a civil trial lawyer. He is “Board Certified’ by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in both Civil Trial Law and Personal Injury Law. He has served on various State Bar Committees and currently serves on the State Bar Court Administration Task Force Committee and the Pattern Jury Charge Committee. He is an “Advocate” member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. He served on the ABOTA National Board of Directors (2002 - 2006). He is a Life Fellow at the Texas Bar Foundation. He was named as “Texas Super Lawyer” in 2003 - 2007, by Texas Monthly. He was awarded the ABOTA “Judge of the Year” for 2008 and the Dallas Bar Association “Pro Bono Services Judge of the Year” for 2008. As a practicing attorney, he was a frequent lecturer at continuing legal education events on various trial topics including Direct Examination, Cross Examination, Evidence and Discovery. As a Judge, he was a frequent lecturer on a variety of civil trial and procedure matters including Legal Ethics as well as the “Vanishing Jury”.
Sources: https://ballotpedia.org/Craig_Smith_(Texas); https://www.txcourts.gov/5thcoa/about-the-court/justices/justice-craig-smith/
Place 7 Justice Nancy Kennedy graduated from Sam Houston State University with a Bachelor of Arts in political science. She received her Juris Doctorate from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law. During law school, she received the Maguire Center for Ethics and Public Responsibility fellowship along with the Martin Samuelsohn fellowship. Her terms end in 2028. She is Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and has been re-certified. Her current term will end 2028. She was the presiding judge of Criminal District Court #2. Justice Kennedy created the felony outpatient competency restoration specialty court and also presided over the STAR court specialty program. Before serving as a Justice Kennedy practiced exclusively in criminal law for 15 years, initially as a prosecutor and then as a criminal defense attorney throughout Texas with over 100 trials as the lead attorney. She handled appeals in the 5th and 6th Courts of Appeal. As a criminal defense attorney, Justice Kennedy practiced in both state and federal courts and was licensed in the Northern, Southern, and Eastern Districts of Texas. She was recognized as a Rising Star by Texas Monthly magazine in criminal defense. Justice Kennedy taught trial advocacy at the law school as an adjunct professor in both 2007 and 2008. She has been privileged to also serve on the faculty at the Center for American and International Law in their trial skills course. While in private practice, Justice Kennedy spent countless pro bono hours representing clients in post-conviction matters and volunteering for several non-profit organizations.
Sources: https://ballotpedia.org/Nancy_Kennedy_(Texas); https://www.txcourts.gov/5thcoa/about-the-court/justices/justice-nancy-kennedy/
Place 8 Dennise Garcia has a bachelors from SMU, and a J.D. from SMU Dedman School of Law. She is on the Primary Ballot for 2024 for Chief Justice of this court. Her term for this position is up in 2026. She has been a Texas judge for over 16 years. Previously Justice Garcia had presided over thousands of trials as Judge of the 303rd District Court. She was selected by her colleagues to be Presiding Judge of all Dallas County Family District Courts for two terms. She is double board certified in Family law and Child Welfare law. Justice Garcia is active in the legal community and currently serves on the Texas Supreme Court Family Law Advisory group for pandemic issues, the State Bar Committee on Disciplinary Rules and Referenda, and the State Bar Pattern Jury Charge Family/Probate committee. She participates as member in several legal organizations such as the Annette Stewart Inn of Court, the Texas Bar College, and the Dallas Bar Association. She has a long history contributing to legal education. She previously served on the Bench Book Committee for the Texas Center for the Judiciary, and the Texas Advanced Family Law Course planning committee for the State Bar. Justice Garcia has also taught Family Law and Texas Matrimonial Property at SMU’s Dedman School of Law as visiting faculty. She is active on the Texas legal speaking circuit for organizations such as the State Bar, the Texas Center for the Judiciary, and the Texas Bar College. Over the years she has written and taught on topics such as family law, child welfare, legal ethics, litigation strategy, discovery, evidence, judgments, mental health in the legal profession, and docket management. During her time on the bench, she was recognized by her peers and colleagues as an Outstanding Jurist by the Texas Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, and was previously named Best Judge by Dallas Observer. Plus 2x awarded the Merrill Hartman Judicial Pro Bono Service Award.
https://www.txcourts.gov/5thcoa/about-the-court/justices/justice-dennise-garcia/
Place 9 Judge Tina Clinton-Currently Presiding Judge of the Criminal District Court 1 She earned her Bachelor's degree in philosophy From University of Texas at Austin. He J.D. is from Southern Methodist University Deadmen's School of Law. Judge Clinton has more than 15 years of judicial experience in North Texas. She currently presides over Texas Criminal District Court 1, a felony district court. Prior to this, she served as Judge of Dallas County Criminal Court 8, a misdemeanor court. She has also served as a municipal judge for area cities. Judge Clinton is one of Dallas County’s longest-tenured criminal court judges. She has earned a reputation for hard work and efficiency, and she has handled hundreds of criminal trials of all kinds. Her judicial peers honored her by electing her to the Board of the Texas Center for the Judiciary. Judge Clinton has a nationwide reputation in criminal law and a track record of serving her profession. She has taught criminal law throughout the United States. She has testified before the Texas Senate Subcommittee on Criminal Justice and the Texas House Committee on Probation and Parole. Her memberships have included: Dallas Bar Association, The DFW Asian American Citizens Council, The Dallas Association of Young Lawyers, the National While Collar Crime Center, and the 24 Hour Club. She has been involved with the Texas Center for Judiciary, the Good Street Legal Clinic, the Greater Dallas Crime Commission, and the United Methodist Council on Korean-American Ministries.
Source: https://judgeclintoncampaign.com/; https://trellis.law/judge/tina.yoo.clinton; https://www.dallascounty.org/government/courts/criminal_district/court1/
Place 9 Theresa Bui Creevy was born in Saigon, Vietnam and grew up in Vietnam and Laos where she spoke Vietnamese, French, and Laotian. She emigrated from Vietnam as a young child after the Vietnam War, when Saigon fell in 1975. She came with her father and siblings to the US as refuges. She obtained a bachelor's degree from the University of Southern California in 1989 and a J.D. from the Texas Wesleyan University School of Law (now know as Texas A&M University School of Law) in 1996. She was a litigation attorney for more than 25 years. She practiced in most areas of the law (civil, family, criminal, real estate, probate, immigration, CPS, juvenile, and more). She is active with several Asian and Vietnamese social organizations to help promote unity, learn about the various Asian cultures, and share information that could help others.
Place 10 Justice Amanda Reichek (i) earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and political science from Texas Tech University, a Master’s degree in sociology from North Carolina State University, and her Juris Doctor from Texas Tech University, where she graduated with honors. Justice Reichek worked for several prominent plaintiff-side employment law firms before starting her own practice where she continued to represent employees in employment disputes and unions in labor disputes. While in private practice, Justice Reichek held numerous leadership positions within the labor and employment law field, including Immediate Past Chair (2018), Chair (2017), Vice-Chair (2016), Treasurer (2015), and At-Large Councilmember (2010-2014) of the Labor and Employment Law Council of the Dallas Bar Association; Board Member of the Texas Employment Lawyers Association (2012-2014); and President of the Dallas-Fort Worth Employment Lawyers Association (2014). She was also a frequent speaker on labor and employment law matters. She is Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
Source: https://www.txcourts.gov/5thcoa/about-the-court/justices/justice-amanda-l-reichek/
Place 11 Justice Cory Carlyle (i) earned a B.A. in Government and History from the University of Texas at Austin and a J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center. He is a commissioner on the Texas Judicial Commission on Mental Health. He started his legal career in the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office Appellate Section. For two years, Justice Carlyle represented the State in appeals, evaluated past convictions for DNA testing, and handled the State’s responses in writs of habeas corpus. Though he never planned to leave the Great State, a confluence of personal and professional opportunities led Justice Carlyle to Washington, DC. Following a stint drafting appellate opinions for an administrative law judge at the Department of Veterans Affairs, Justice Carlyle was offered a chance to return to criminal work, prosecuting cases for the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia. Jumping at the chance to resume his career in criminal litigation, he worked for a year in that office, then opened his own practice representing indigent criminal defendants both in trial matters and before the District’s specialized mental health court. Justice Carlyle’s solo practice quickly grew from trial representation to appellate and other post-conviction representation and, upon returning to Texas, he added state civil appellate and federal criminal appellate litigation to his practice.
Sources: https://ballotpedia.org/Cory_Carlyle; https://www.txcourts.gov/5thcoa/about-the-court/justices/justice-cory-l-carlyle/
Place 11 Judge Kim Cooks has a Bachelor of Science degree in biology , Medical technology, and business management from UT at Arlington and her J.D. at Texas Southern University, Thurgood Marshall School of Law. She was a judge of the Texas 255th District Court. She assumed office on January 1, 2015. She left office on December 31, 2022.
2023 Dallas Black Police Association Community Leader and Partner Award
2023 Upsilon Lambda Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc Social Justice Chair
2022 NAACP Presidential Distinguished Leadership Award
2022 Fresh Start Foundation Community Influencer Award
2021 WPS TV Leadership Recognition Award; A Servant of the People and Community Leader
2021 CASA Champion for Children; The Best interest of the children was the Court’s priority
2020 Dallas Lawyers Magazine Outstanding Service in the Judiciary and Community Award
2020 CASA Champion for Children; The Best interest of the children was the Court's priority
2019 Dallas Lawyers Magazine Community Outreach Award for educating the community about the Court
2019 Elite News Women of Wisdom Outstanding Leader in the Community
2019 CASA Champion for Children; Best interest of the children was the Court's priority
2019 Thurgood Marshall Law School Exemplary Service to the Judiciary & Legal Community in Family Law
2018 CASA Champion for Children; Best interest of the children was the Court's priority
2018 Dallas ISD Certificate of Appreciation for outstanding commitment to impact students, classroom
2017 Queens Inspiring Queens & Future Queens By Mentoring Women and Girls in the Community
2017 CASA Champion for Children; Best interest of the children was the Court's priority
2016 Dallas County Dispute Resolution Service Award in support of mediation to resolve court cases
2016 Dallas County Auditors Recognition for Number One Family Court for Budget Management
2015 Stonewall Democrats of Dallas recognition for support of LGBTQ Marriages
2015 Bishop Dunne Community Honor for Excellence in Serving the Dallas Community
2014 KOWIN Keynote Speaker at the Korean Gala in support of the Korean and Asian Community
2013 Rena Mae LaRussa Humanitarian Award
Sources: https://judge4justice.com/about, https://trellis.law/judge/kim.cooks#:~:text=Cooks%20earned%20a%20B.S.%20in%20biology%2C%20medical%20technology%2C,Texas%20Southern%20University%2C%20Thurgood%20Marshall%20School%20of%20Law.
Place 12 Justice Ken Molberg (i) received his Bachelor of Arts degree, with high honors, from the University of North Texas in 1973, where he served as an editor-in-chief of the North Texas Daily. Justice Molberg received his J.D. degree from Southern Methodist University in 1976. While attending SMU, he served a term as Managing Editor of what is now the SMU Law Review and was a member of The Barristers. Justice Molberg began the active practice of trial law in 1975–the year before his graduation from law school. He obtained his law license in May 1976 and spent the first five years of his legal career with the Law Offices of James C. Barber. In 1981, he became a founder of and shareholder in the law firm of Wilson, Williams & Molberg, P.C. The principals of the firm, other than Justice Molberg, included noted trial lawyers John B. Wilson and Roger G. Williams, both now deceased. The firm dissolved some 28 years later following Justice Molberg’s election to the district bench in 2008. For the previous 10 years, he was the Judge of the 95th Judicial District Court of the State of Texas. For four of those years he served as the Local Administrative District Judge of Dallas County with responsibilities for the county’s 39 district courts. He was previously the Presiding Judge of the Civil District Courts of the county for three terms. Justice Molberg was a trial lawyer for more than 33 years. He was named “Jurist of the Year” for 2017 by TEX-ABOTA, the statewide parent organization for the Texas chapters of the American Board of Trial Advocates. In 2011, he received the “Trial Judge of the Year” award from the Dallas Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates and he was named to the Dallas Bar Association Board of Directors for 2012, by appointment of the Association’s president. He is also the 2016 recipient of the Charles J. Murray Outstanding Jurist Award, presented annually by the Tarrant County Trial Lawyers Association. Justice Molberg is a former member of the State Bar’s Pattern Jury Charge Committee, where he co-chaired the subcommittee on Labor and Employment Law; a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates; a former long-time member of the U.S. Fifth Circuit District Judges Association Advisory Committee on Pattern Jury Charges for Labor and Employment Law; a founder and past- president of the Texas Employment Lawyers Association; a former longstanding member of the Dallas Trial Lawyers Association; a past director and director emeritus of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association; a Life Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation; a Life Senior Fellow of the Dallas Bar Foundation; and a former member of the Dallas County Juvenile Board and the Dallas County IT Executive Governance Committee. While in practice, Justice Molberg handled and tried hundreds of civil matters in state and federal court (e.g., personal injury, products liability, civil rights, contract claims, election law, voting rights), with a special concentration in the area of Labor and Employment Law. He also had substantial state and federal appellate experience.
Source: https://www.txcourts.gov/5thcoa/about-the-court/justices/justice-ken-molberg/
Place 13 Judge Tonya Parker has a B.A. from the University of North Texas. J.D. at Southern Methodist University, Dedman School of Law. The Hon. Tonya Parker is Judge of the 116th Judicial District Court, a position she has held since 2011. Elected by her judicial colleagues, she has twice served as the Presiding Judge for the Dallas County Civil District Courts. Judge Parker has also served as the president of the Texas Association of District Judges. She is a member of the American Law Institute, and serves as an Adviser to the Institute's Restatement of the Law Third, Torts: Remedies project. Judge Parker is consistently recognized for her performance and temperament on the bench. In the Dallas Bar Association Judicial Evaluation Polls for 2013-2019, her overall approval ratings exceed 92 percent, and are among the highest ratings of the judges evaluated in the polls. Judge Parker serves with distinction, and she is recognized at the local, state and national levels for her contributions. In January 2021, the Dallas Bar Association awarded Judge Parker the MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. JUSTICE AWARD in recognition of the barriers she has broken in the legal community and her commitment to the principal of equal justice under the law. For the second time in the last five years, the State Bar of Texas African-American Lawyers’ Section awarded her its DISTINGUISHED JURIST AWARD at its 2019 Annual Meeting in acknowledgment of the leadership role Judge Parker played in spearheading the Implicit Bias Project in the Dallas Civil District Courts. In 2018, the Dallas NAACP awarded her the PRESIDENT’S AWARD FOR LEGAL EXCELLENCE. In 2017 she won four prestigious awards: the STONEWALL AWARD from the American Bar Association’s Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Commission, the DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD FOR JUDICIAL SERVICE from SMU Dedman School of Law, the MAURA WOMEN HELPING WOMEN AWARD from the Dallas Women’s Foundation, and the TRAILBLAZER AWARD from IGNITE. Judge Parker has also been named TRIAL JUDGE OF THE YEAR by the Dallas Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates.While in private practice she earned the esteem of her peers. She was recognized as one of the top lawyers in Texas by being voted a SUPER LAWYERS RISING STAR three years in a row from 2006 to 2008, and again for a fourth time in 2010 just before she was elected to office. Also in 2010, she received OUTSTANDING MENTOR AWARDS from both the J.L. Turner Legal Association and the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers. A few years prior, the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers also named Judge Parker OUTSTANDING YOUNG LAWYER OF DALLAS. The Dallas Bar Association recognized her with its OUTSTANDING MINORITY ATTORNEY AWARD and an AWARD OF EXCELLENCE. Judge Parker is also a former AMERICAN MARSHALL FELLOW, in which capacity she traveled throughout Europe for a period in 2005 to promote transatlantic relations and learn about the social, political and economic systems of various European countries.
6th Court of Appeals - Texarkana
Jurisdiction:
Bowie, Camp, Cass, Delta, Fannin, Franklin, Gregg, Harrison, Hopkins, Hunt, Lamar, Marion, Morris, Panola, Red River Rusk,Titus, Upshur, and Wood
Place 1 Chief Justice
Term ends 2028
Place 2
Term ends 2024
Appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott
Place 3
Term ends 2028
Appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott
7th Court of Appeals - Amarillo
Jurisdiction:
Armstrong, Bailey, Briscoe, Carson, Castro, Childress, Cochran, Collingsworth, Cottle, Crosby, Dallam, Deaf Smith,
Dickens, Donley, Floyd, Foard, Garza, Gray, Hale, Hall, Hansford, Hockley, Hardeman, Hartley, Hemphill, Hutchinson,
Kent, King, Lamb, Lipscomb, Lubbock, Lynn, Moore, Motley, Ochiltree, Oldham, Parmer, Potter, Randall, Roberts,
Sherman, Swisher, Terry, Wheeler, Wilbarger, and Yoakum
Place 1 Chief Justice
Appointed by Gov. Rick Perry
Place 2
Appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott
Place 3
Appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott
Place 4
Appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott
Term ends Dec.2028.
8th Court of Appeals - El Paso
Jurisdiction:
Andrews, Brewster, Crane, Crockett, Culberson, El Paso, Hudspeth, Loving, Pecos, Presidio, Reagan, Reeves,Terrell, Upton,
Ward, and Winkler
Place 1 Chief Justice
Appointed by Gov. Gregg Abbott
Place 1 Chief Justice Maria Salas-Mendoza is currently a judge of the Texas 120th District Court with a term ending 2026. She has a A.B. from Harvard University in History and Literature and a J.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law. She served as the President of the El Paso Bar Association and is the recipient of the Texas Women Lawyers Pathfinder Award. She was named a Border Hero by the Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center. She personally supports the Make-A-Wish Foundation, mentors young women at Job Corps, and volunteers with the Lions Club.
Source: https://trellis.law/judge/maria.a.salas.mendoza
Place 2 Justice Lisa Soto (i) Term ends 2024. She attended Stanford University where she earned her bachelor’s degree in public policy with honors in education. She moved on to the University of Texas School of Law, from which she earned her Doctor of Jurisprudence and during which time she interned at the Texas Supreme Court. She has 25 years of civil law experience from practicing in Texas and California. In Texas, she worked for an Austin-based firm where she represented employees, small businesses, and organizations primarily in contracts and labor and employment cases in various forums and venues. In California, she represented school districts, colleges, and governmental entities in administrative processes, litigation and appeals, and contract negotiations. Immediately preceding her election to the bench, Lisa Soto was a contract attorney at the Eighth Court of Appeals. While practicing law, she also served as Professor of Practice at the UTEP Patti and Paul Yetter Center for Law for many years, where she taught legal writing, legal analysis, and advocacy and created hands-on innovative clinical programs that brought students into the courtroom to learn advocacy through helping vulnerable populations in El Paso County. She is a former chair of the State Bar of Texas Diversity in the Profession Committee, an alumna of the American Inns of Court, and a current member of local bar and civic groups. She is also presently a Texas Bar Foundation Sustaining Life Fellow and a long-time Siguiendo los Pasos de Jesús board member. In 2016, the State Bar of Texas passed a resolution honoring Lisa Soto for her service to the community and to the legal profession.
Source: https://www.txcourts.gov/8thcoa/about-the-court/justices/justice-lisa-soto/
Place 3 Justice Gina Palafox (i) received her doctor of jurisprudence from Pepperdine University School of Law, her master of public administration from the University of Texas at El Paso, and her bachelor of science in accounting from Sever College of Pepperdine University. Before her judicial service, Justice Palafox engaged in the private practice of law, worked in health care management, and taught at the university level, among other professional activities. As a solo practitioner, she primarily represented clients in civil and business matters, family law, and civil rights cases. In healthcare, she worked for the University Medical Center of El Paso, a public safety-net institution, and for a private physician practice. As an adjunct lecturer, she taught business law and ethics to undergraduate and MBA students of the University of Texas at El Paso. She also served a term as a commissioner and later as a reviewing attorney for the El Paso County Ethics Commission.
Source:https://www.txcourts.gov/8thcoa/about-the-court/justices/justice-gina-m-palafox/
9th Court of Appeals - Beaumont
Jurisdiction: Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Montgomery, Newton, Orange, Polk, San Jacinto, Tyler
Place 1 Chief Justice
Term ends 2026
Place 2
Appointed by Gov. Rick Perry
Term ends 2024
Place 3
Appointed by Gov. Rick Perry
Term ends 2024
Place 4
Term end in 2028
10th Court of Appeals - Waco
Jurisdiction: Bosque, Brazos, Burleson, Coryell, Ellis, Falls, Freestone, Hamilton, Hill, Johnson, Leon, Limestone, Madison,
McLennan, Navarro, Robertson, Somervell, Walker
Place 1 Chief Justice
Term ends 2024
Place 2
Term ends 2026
Place 3
Appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott
Term ends 2028
11th Court of Appeals - Eastland
Jurisdiction:
Baylor, Borden, Brown, Callahan, Coleman, Comanche, Dawson, Eastland, Ector, Erath, Fisher, Gaines, Glasscock, Haskell, Howard, Jones, Knox, Martin, Midland, Mitchell, Nolan, Palo Pinto, Scurry, Shackelford, Stephens, Stonewall, Taylor, and Throckmorton
Place 1 Chief Justice
Appointed by Gov. Rick Perry
Term end 2024
Place 2
Term ends in 2026
Place 3
Term end 2028
12th Court of Appeals - Tyler
Jurisdiction: Anderson, Angelina, Cherokee, Gregg , Henderson, Houston, Nacogdoches, Rains, Rusk, San Augustine, Sabine Shelby, Smith, Trinity, Upshur, Van Zand, and Wood
Place 1 Chief Justice
Term ends in 2026
Place 2
Term ends in 2028
Place 3
Appointed by Gov. Rick Perry
Term end 2024
13th Court of Appeals - Corpus Christi
Jurisdiction: Aransas, Bee, Calhoun, Cameron, De Witt, Goliad, Gonzales, Hidalgo, Jackson, Kleberg, Refugio, Kenedy, Lavaca, Live Oak, Matagorda, Nueces, San Patricio, Victoria, Wharton, and Willacy
Place 1 Chief Justice Gina Benavide graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1985 from the University of Texas at Austin. She then graduated from law school at the University of Houston Law Center in 1988 and was admitted into the State Bar the same year. She is currently Justice of Place 5 on the 13th Court of Appeals. Term ends 2024. Prior to joining the Court, Justice Benavides was a litigator with more than 17 years of courtroom experience. Immediately after law school, Justice Benavides began her legal career at the Adams & Graham Law Firm in Harlingen, Texas in 1988. At this primarily insurance defense firm, she tried more than 30 cases throughout the state of Texas in the areas of toxic tort, products liability, commercial litigation, and personal injury. After 12 years, she joined the law firm of Gonzalez & Associates, P.C. in McAllen, Texas where she continued to litigate, but as a plaintiffs' lawyer representing individuals and families. Justice Benavides also began an appellate practice at this time. As a private attorney, Justice Benavides was recognized in Texas Monthly as a Super Lawyer in 2003 and 2004 by her peers as one of the best lawyers in the state of Texas. She is currently the Senior Justice on the Court. During her tenure as an appellate judge, Justice Benavides has authored more than 1500 opinions on issues involving civil and criminal matters.
Source: https://www.txcourts.gov/13thcoa/about-the-court/justices/justice-gina-m-benavides/
Place 2 Justice Nora Longoria (i) graduated from Texas A&M University in College Station in 1986 with a B.A. in Political Science and a minor in History. In 1990, Justice Longoria received her Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from the University of Texas School of Law. Before her election to the Thirteenth Court of Appeals, Justice Longoria was a partner with the law firm of Hockema & Longoria, LLP in McAllen, Texas where she focused her practice on civil litigation and mediation. In recognition of her accomplishments as a trial attorney, Justice Longoria was nominated and became a member of the prestigious American Board of Trial Advocates in 2005. Her legal career, from 1990 to 2012, included representing clients, individual and corporate, in numerous practice areas including commercial transactions, banking, real estate, personal injury, products liability, insurance defense, family law, and criminal law. In 2019, Justice Longoria was bestowed the honor of Life Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation. Justice Longoria is licensed to practice in all Texas State Courts and is admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas and the U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota. She is a member of the State Bar of Texas, Hidalgo County Bar Association, Cameron County Bar Association, and the Corpus Christi Bar Association. She has served as a director of the Hidalgo County Bar Association and is an active participant in local bar activities. Justice Longoria is also a member of the Appellate Law Section of the State Bar of Texas. Justice Longoria is active in her community and in alumni activities. She is a graduate of Leadership McAllen and is a member of the International Women's Board at the University of Texas Pan American and the Center for Women in Law at the University of Texas Law School. Justice Longoria is a member of Texas Exes, The Association of Former Students of Texas A&M and the Hidalgo-Starr County Texas A&M Club.
Term ends 2024
Sources: https://www.txcourts.gov/13thcoa/about-the-court/justices/justice-nora-longoria/
Place 3
Switched parties from Democrat to Republican
Term ends 2028
Place 4 Jose Martinez Term ends 2024 Joe Martinez is a Valley native who has spent his life and career dedicating himself to providing fair and honest legal representation to hundreds of clients over his career of over forty years. Martinez is a UT Alum who graduated with honors and continues his education to this day. His community involvement speaks to his commitment to the Rio Grande Valley and his profession. He is a member of the following organizations; State Bar of Texas Hidalgo Co. Bar Association, Leadership McAllen, Keep McAllen Beautiful and The International Order of Alhambra. He is a long-time member of the Our Lady of Sorrows and Sacred Heart Parishes.
Place 4
Appointed by Greg Abbott
Term ends 2024
Place 5 Regina Compian Richardson J.D. Texas Southern University Bio pending. Will add as soon as I locate it. She does have a Facebook page.
Place 6
Term end 2026
14th Court of Appeals - Houston
Jurisdiction: Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Colorado, Grimes, Fort Bend, Harris, Harris, Galveston, Washington, and Waller
Place 1 Chief Justice
Term ends 2026
Place 2
Term ends 2028
Place 3 Velda Faulkner Bachelor of Science in Political Science and Government Cum Laude Honors from Hampton University: J.D. from Thurgood Marshall School of Law, Texas Southern University. I have 30 years of civil and criminal trial court experience, which includes family law and juvenile cases. I also have civil and criminal appellate experience. I have presented oral argument before the highest criminal court in the State of Texas-the Court of Criminal Appeals. I bring knowledge, wisdom and understanding of the law and an ability to properly apply the law to the facts of criminal and civil cases. I have volunteered countless pro bono hours in our underserved communities. I am a member of my church’s legal ministry. I am a volunteer board member of a community development, with the responsibility of enforcing the architectural scheme of the community. I volunteer to provide legal advice and representation to our elderly community, start-up corporations, businesses and families. I determine to obtain the pulse of the people, to assess their needs and interest, to give them an understanding of our judicial system. I encourage diverse young progressives to have integrity and prowess in the legal profession, to know that Justice is not for sale and Judges cannot infer their political or personal thoughts in rendering opinions. We are gatekeepers of the law, not politicians.
Source:https://www.offthekuff.com/wp/?p=112747&fbclid=IwAR3uESabG6iw5yy
Place 3 Mark Ritchie
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Admitted to practice in Texas, New York, and Washington, D.C., the Southern District of Texas, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court of the United States.
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Solicitor for the Senior Courts of England and Wales.
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Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) and the Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (ACICA).
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Public arbitrator for the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), and as a panelist for the International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution (CPR), the New Zealand International Arbitration Centre (NZIAC), the New Zealand Dispute Resolution Centre (NZDRC), the Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC), and the Vienna International Arbitral Centre (VIAC).
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Certificate in International Commercial Arbitration through American University/Washington College of Law.
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Qualified mediator - 40-hour training required under Texas law completed through the Harris County Dispute Resolution Center, and member of the Texas Association of Mediators.
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Active member of ADR, International, and Appellate sections of the State Bar of Texas and the Houston Bar Assocation, the ADR and International Law sections of the New York State Bar Association, and the Texas Bar College.
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Member of the Australian American Chamber of Commerce.
Place 3 Chuck Silverman received both his undergraduate degree and J.D. from Tulane University. Silverman has worked in private practice and as General Counsel for a large cookware manufacturer. After receiving hisB.A., M.B.A. and law degree from Tulane University he began his legal career in Houston, Texas in 1986. I actively represented litigants in federal and state trial and appellate courts for 30 years. he was involved in several hundred cases filed in Harris County. In addition to my litigation experience, he represented clients in administrative hearings and alternative dispute resolution forums throughout Texas. He is also a certified mediator and currently serve as an Associate Judge. He was elected District Judge of the 183rd Criminal District Court in 2018 and presided over hundreds of cases. A representation of cases tried include Capital Murder, Murder, Aggravated Assault, Fraud, DWI and many others. He ran his court efficiently, was highly rated by those who appeared in his court and treated all with impartiality and respect. A judge must be an effective administrator and a fair-minded decision maker. He is confident that he is both. He has a solid understanding of the law and rules of evidence and will be able to effectively conduct appellate hearings. He also have a broad range of legal experience which will serve him well as an appellate court Justice.
Source: https://www.chuck4judge.com/meet-chuck
Place 3 Justice Jerry Zimmerer (i) He received his Juris Doctor from South Texas College of Law and two Masters of Law degrees (International Law and Health Law) from the University of Houston Law School. He completed an internship in the Ethics Section at the MD Anderson Cancer Center and is credentialed by the A.A. White Institute in domestic and international commercial arbitration. Prior to taking the bench, Justice Zimmerer served in various roles as an attorney/litigator, Board Member, Managing Director, and owner of several business interests. He served as a member of the Board of Advisors to the Health Law and Policy Institute at the University of Houston Law Center and remains an occasional guest lecturer. Jerry believes his multifaceted education and life experience help him serve the people of the State of Texas. He is certified in several areas of Tech including he was able to amassed vital technical education and experiences working in networking and communications as a very successful Network Engineer with certifications including: Cisco Certified Network Professional, LLM, PMP, GBSS, JD, CCNP, MCSE, CCDA, CCIE. Justice Zimmerer served in various roles as an attorney / litigator, Board Member, Managing Director, and owner of several business interests. He served as a member of the Board of Advisors to the Health Law and Policy Institute at the University of Houston Law Center and remains an occasional guest lecturer. Active in Texas Democratic Lawyers Association as well as the Harris County Democratic Lawyers Association Jerry works to promote and recruit qualified local Democrats in seeking positions of public office, to educate the Democratic Bar in ways in which it can promote Democratic ideas and candidates, and to assist the Harris County Democratic Party in all ways consistent with Democratic values. In service to his professional community, Jerry sits on the Board of Advisors to the Health Law and Policy Institute at the University of Houston Law Center and was formerly an Officer of The Katy Bar Association.
Sources: https://www.jerry4justice.com/about; https://www.txcourts.gov/14thcoa/about-the-court/justices/justice-jerry-zimmerer/
Place 4 Derek Obialo I hold a Juris Doctor from the University of Miami, MBA from the Houston Baptist University (Houston Christian University), Barrister-at-Law from the Nigeria Law School, and Bachelor of Laws from the Abia State University. I started my legal career as a lawyer in a small town in Nigeria. Later relocating to Houston where I worked for several companies including a stint as a contract worker at a now defunct major energy company. While working as a consultant in a construction litigation and risk management consulting firm, I decided to return to law school in order to pursue my life’s passion – the practice of law. I have assisted various construction industry clients in my practice – from general contractors to subcontractors and owners – earning a well-deserved reputation of excellence amongst peers and clients. I am a member of the College of the State Bar and State Bar Construction Law and Litigation sections. In 2020, I ran for the office of the Judge of the 400th District Court in Fort Bend County in the Democratic Party primary and I have been engaged in the community ever since.
Place 4 Justice Charles Spain (i) He graduated from Sharpstown High School, Rice University, and Baylor School of Law. After law school, he served as a briefing attorney for the Honorable C.L. Ray on the Supreme Court of Texas. He worked at Fulbright & Jaworski and Graves Dougherty Hearon & Moody before working for both the Third and First Courts of Appeals. He has been board certified in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 1993. He was appointed to serve as an associate municipal court judge by Houston Mayor Annise Parker and served in that position until becoming a justice on the court of appeals. He is the first openly LGBTQ appellate judge in Texas. Justice Spain’s interests include Texas history, the study of flags, and Scouting. He is a co-founder and past chair of the State Bar of Texas LGBT Law Section, which is the first such section of a state bar in the nation. He is a recipient of the Judge Norman W. Black Award from the State Bar of Texas LGBT Law Section and a recipient of the Texas Award for Historic Preservation from the Texas Historical Commission for establishing standard designs for the state seal and Six Flags of Texas. He has written legislation that has been enacted by both the Texas Legislature and U.S. Congress, including an act to include Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in the U.S. Flag Code. He is proud to be the father of an Eagle Scout and has served as the Scoutmaster of his son’s troop.
Source: https://www.txcourts.gov/14thcoa/about-the-court/justices/justice-charles-a-spain/
Place 5 Justice Frances Bourliot (i) Justice Bourliot received her J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center and a Bachelor of Arts from Tufts University. Justice Bourliot began her legal career as a staff attorney with the Texas Defender Service and the Texas Innocence Network, representing indigent capital clients on federal and state habeas appeals. She was also an Adjunct Faculty Member at the University of Houston Law Center for several years overseeing the Death Penalty Clinic and co-teaching Innocence Investigations. She then joined the Appellate Division of the Harris County Public Defender’s Office when it opened in 2011 and continued to work as an Assistant Public Defender in the appellate, mental health, and felony trial divisions until 2017 when she started her own practice. She joined a plaintiff’s law firm in 2018 and represented clients in personal injury, medical malpractice, and appellate matters. Justice Bourliot has taught CLEs on Batson challenges, jury charge issues, mitigation, and mental health related topics.
Place 6 Justice Meagan Hassan (i) earned an M.A. from Georgetown University in 2004 and a J.D. from the James E. Beasley School of Law at Temple University in 2007. Prior to her election, she was a partner at a small constitutional rights law firm for eight years, where she also represented indigent criminal defense clients. During that time, she secured two clearly established rights at the Fifth Circuit (to film police officers and to pre-compliance review of Texas Medical Board subpoenas to doctors). Before taking the bench, she secured victories in cases involving the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, cyber-defamation, administrative law, and Anti-SLAPP. She had been recognized by Texas Super Lawyers as a Rising Star for 5 years, was awarded the Texas Civil Rights Project pro bono award in 2015, and was honored by her law school in 2012. She served as a board member for the Houston Young Lawyers Association, Houston Volunteer Lawyers, and the Women in the Law Section of the Texas Bar. She has taught a CLE on piercing grand jury secrecy to the National Police Accountability Project, has guest lectured concerning civil rights, police practices, and free speech at Texas Southern University and South Texas College of Law, and has provided counsel concerning a developing country’s proposed cyber-crime statute.
Source: https://www.txcourts.gov/14thcoa/about-the-court/justices/justice-meagan-hassan/
Place 6 Sara Padua Cordúa Sara received her A.B. in Psychology from Harvard University and her J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law with honors. After excelling at elite BigLaw firms, Sara Padua Cordúa ventured up with her brother Alejandro Padua as his Managing Partner at Padua Law Firm, PLLC. At Padua Law Firm, Mrs. Cordúa serves her myriad domestic and international clients at the highest level in select corporate, civil litigation, general counsel and immigration matters. She enjoys advising entrepreneurs with their startup businesses –including structuring their ventures, private equity, intellectual property, real estate, financing, and employment agreements, and has helped her clients go from formation to growth to exit. Mrs. Cordúa also works tirelessly to promote access to justice for all and has represented myriad victims of crime, fraud, or tragic events in their civil litigation claims to achieve justice. Prior to her boutique private practice, Mrs. Cordúa began her legal career at Shearman & Sterling, Weil Gotshal, and Skadden Arps, where her representations included the development and financing of renewable energy and infrastructure projects in the Americas and beyond. Sara is passionate about helping children and refugees as a pro bono attorney, including through volunteer work for Tahirih Justice Center, Kids in Need of Defense, and The Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law. Sara currently serves on the board of the Harvard University Club of Houston and has formerly served on the boards of the M.D. Anderson Family YMCA and Casa Cultural de las Americas.
Place 7
Appointed by Gov. Rick Perry
Term ends in 2026
Place 8 Justice Margaret Poissant (i) Justice Poissant received her J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center and her B.S. from LeMoyne College. She has over 30 years of experience as a trial lawyer, having served as lead counsel in hundreds of cases in a broad range of civil and criminal matters in many counties in the State of Texas. Her legal expertise includes personal injury, wrongful death, premises liability, complex business cases, commercial litigation, HOA representation, family law, contracts, administrative law, probate, employment law, representing parties on both sides of the docket, as well as representation of clients in appeals and in criminal cases. Justice Poissant has practiced in state and federal courts in Texas, and is licensed to practice in New York State, where she has represented Texas clients in legal matters in New York. Justice Poissant is known for having served her community by representing many individuals pro bono in various matters throughout her legal career, providing legal representation to those who otherwise would have no representation. Her legal work has earned Justice Poissant many recognitions, including a special commendation from the Humble Police Association, and an award for Presidential Excellence from ALH, a nonprofit organization, for her work as President of the Board of Directors. Justice Poissant was selected by the State Bar of Texas to chair the Liability and Disclaimer Subcommittee for the State Bar Mentorship Program, and has served pro bono as legal officer and counsel for a national foundation and on several nonprofit boards.
Place 9
Appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott
Term ends in 2028