The Supreme Court of Texas

The Supreme Court of Texas consists of nine justices who make decisions that affect the lives of all Texans on issues including voting rights, personal healthcare choices, and access to justice through the courts. All justices on the court have belonged to the same political party since 1998. Seven of the current justices were appointed by the governor to fill a vacancy created by a previous justice leaving before the end of their term. When appointed justices run for reelection, they have the power of incumbency on their side.

Seven justices were originally appointed to their positions when predecessors stepped down before the end of their terms.
Four former justices who stepped down before the end of their terms were appointed to federal judgeships or landed jobs at corporate defense law firms.
Five justices formerly worked for prominent corporate defense law firms in Texas.
Three justices formerly worked at the same corporate defense law firm: Baker Botts.

Supreme Court of Texas Justices

Place 1

Chief Justice Nathan L Hecht

Hecht is the only sitting justice who originally won his seat by defeating an opponent in a general election. He has served on the Supreme Court of Texas since 1988. In 2013, Governor Rick Perry appointed Hecht as Chief Justice.

Previous Experience

Before serving on the bench in Texas courts, Hecht worked at prominent corporate defense firm Locke Lord. He served as a District Court judge in Dallas County, a position he was appointed to by Governor Bill Clements in 1981. He was later elected to the Texas Court of Appeals for the fifth district of Texas at Dallas.

Predecessor

William Kilgarlin, the Democratic incumbent who lost to Hecht in 1988, taught as an adjunct professor of law at Texas Tech University starting in 1990.

Place 2

Justice Jimmy Blacklock

In 2018, Governor Greg Abbott appointed Blacklock to the Supreme Court of Texas when his predecessor resigned before the completion of his term.

Previous Experience

Blacklock served as General Counsel for Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a role he began during Abbott’s time as Texas Attorney General.

Predecessor

Justice Don Willett served on the Texas Supreme Court from 2005 until he resigned before the end of his term in January 2018. He was appointed to a seat on the Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals by then President Trump.

Place 3

Justice Debra Lehrmann

Lehrmann was appointed to the Texas Supreme Court by Governor Rick Perry when her predecessor stepped down before the end of her term.

Previous Experience

Before serving on the bench, As an attorney, Lehrmann was an active member of the American Bar Association and served on committees focused on family law and child abuse and neglect cases.

Predecessor

Justice Harriet O’Neill left her before the end of her term to open her own practice and serves as a mediator in complex, multi-party cases.

Place 4

Justice John Phillip Devine

Devine ran unopposed for his place on the Texas Supreme Court in 2012, the only justice aside from Chief Justice Hecht to originally earn his seat in an election.

Previous Experience

Before Devine began his judicial career, he worked at Brown and Root, an engineering consulting service now owned by KBR.He earned his law degree at South Texas College of Law while working at Shell Oil Co in Houston, TX.

Predecessor

In 2012, Devine defeated David M. Medina in a Republican runoff election. Medina now works for Chamberlain Hrdlicka, a corporate law firm focusing on tax law.

Place 5

Justice Rebeca Aizpuru Huddle

Governor Greg Abbot appointed Huddle to the Supreme Court of Texas in 2020 when her predecessor retired before the end of his term.

Previous Experience

Rebeca Huddle worked as an associate at prominent corporate defense firm Baker Botts before serving on the Court of Appeals for the First District of Texas. She returned to Baker Botts as a partner and ran the firms Houston office before her appointment to the Supreme Court of Texas.

Predecessor

Paul Green retired from the court before his term ended and became Partner at Alexander Dubose & Jefferson LLP, an appellate law firm.

Place 6

Justice Jane Bland

When Bland lost her re-election bid as a judge on the First Court of Appeals, Governor Greg Abbot appointed her to the Supreme Court of Texas after her predecessor stepped down before the end of his term.

Previous Experience

Bland clerked for Judge Thomas Gibbs Gee of the Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals and practiced law with Baker Botts, a prominent corporate defense law firm. Governor George W. Bush later appointed Bland to the District Court in Harris County, Texas. Governor Perry later appointed her to the First Court of Appeals.

Predecessor

Jeff Brown served on the Texas Supreme Court from 2013 until he resigned in January of 2019 after he was appointed to a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas by then President Trump.

Place 7

Justice Jeffrey S. Boyd

Boyd served as general counsel for Governor Rick Perry before being appointed to the Supreme Court of Texas when his predecessor stepped down before the end of his term.

Previous Experience

Boyd clerked for Judge Thomas M. Reavley on the Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. He worked as a trial lawyer for prominent corporate defense firm Thompson & Knight, LLP, and later worked for John Cornyn while he was Attorney General of Texas. He then continued working for Cornyn’s successor, Greg Abbott.

Predecessor

Justice Wainwright is now in private practice at Greenberg Trauig, LLP in Austin, TX after working as a Partner at corporate defense firm Bracewell and Giuliani LLP from 2012-2017.

Place 8

Justice J Brett Busby

After Busby lost a re-elction bid for his seat on the 14th Court of Appeals, Governor Greg Abbott appointed him to the Supreme Court of Texas.

Previous Experience

Justice Busby served as a law clerk for Judge Gerald Bard Tjoflat of the Eleventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, Associate Justice Byron White of the Supreme Court of the United States, and Associate Justice John Paul Stevens. After his clerkships, he entered private practice and then worked as a partner at the corporate defense law firms of Mayer Brown and Bracewell and Giuliani.

Predecessor

Justice Phil Johnson is now in private practice out of Lubbock, TX and was appointed by Governor Greg Abbott to serve on the Judicial Compensation Commission.

Place 9

Justice Evan A Young

Governor Greg Abbott appointed Young to the Texas Supreme Court in November 2021 after his predecessor stepped down mid-term.

Previous Experience

Young served as a law clerk for Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and Associate Justice Antonin Scalia of the Supreme Court of the United States. After his clerkships, Young worked as a counsel to the US Attorney General during the second George W. Bush administration. Young joined Baker Botts, a corporate defense law firm based in Houston, TX, as an associate in 2009. In 2014, he was promoted to partner and took on the role of chairing the firm’s Supreme Court and Constitutional Law practice group.

Predecessor

Eva Guzman resigned mid-term to run for Texas Attorney General. Guzman lost to current Attorney General Ken Paxton in the 2022 GOP primary. She is now a Partner at Wright Close & Barger, LLP a corporate defense law firm based in Houston, TX.

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