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2020 Judicial Comparison
Texas Fifth Court of Appeals
Place 6




Stephen Craig Smith
(Democrat)




John Browning
(R-Dallas)



SOCIAL

Website
Facebook


Website
LinkedIn



CAMPAIGN CONTACT

Judge Craig Smith Campaign
P.O. Box 130993
Dallas, Texas 75313-0993


(214) 454-6563
Email



CURRENT OCCUPATION

Presiding Judge
192nd Civil District Court
[Dallas County]
2006-present


Attorney
Passman & Jones, P.C.



UNDERGRAD SCHOOL/YEAR

B.B.A., Business Administration
University of Texas
1973


B.A. History
Rutgers University (Rutgers College
*General & departmental honors
1986

B.A., Comparative Literature
Rutgers University (Rutgers College)
*General & departmental honors
1986



JURIS DOCTOR

Texas Tech University
School of Law
1976


University of Texas School of Law
1989



YEAR STATE BAR LICENSURE

1977


1989
(also licensed in Oklahoma)



JUDICIAL EXPERIENCE - APPELLATE








JUDICIAL EXPERIENCE - OTHER

Presiding Judge
192nd Civil District Court
Dallas County
2006-present


Appointed by the Supreme Court of Texas to the Professional Ethics Committee  of the State Bar, a 9-member quasi-judicial body that writes and issues the ethics opinions governing the legal profession in Texas.



LEGAL EXPERIENCE - NONJUDICIAL


    Over the course of nearly 28 years of practicing law, I have had extensive trial and appellate experience throughout Texas and beyond. My experience covers a broad range of areas, including personal injury and wrongful death; product liability; commercial litigation; employment law; family law; probate law; defamation and media law; consumer protection law; health care; professional liability; cyberliability and data privacy; class action litigation; and all types of intellectual property litigation, including patent infringement, trademark infringement, and copyright infringement. My appellate cases have not only been before the Fifth Court of Appeals, but also other appellate courts throughout Texas. In addition, my work has been cited as authority by the Fifth Court of Appeals and by other appellate courts. I have practiced as an associate, and later a partner of a midsized firm; operated my own small firm for nearly 10 years; moved my practice to the Dallas office of a large national firm; was recruited to be the managing partner and open the Dallas office of another national law firm; and I am currently a partner in one of Dallas' oldest law firms.



    JURY TRIAL EXPERIENCE

    • Four terms presiding over the 192nd Civil District Court in Dallas County


    BOARD CERTIFICATIONS

    Civil Trial Law
    Personal Injury Trial Law


    None sought



    COURTS ADMITTED TO

    • All Texas state courts
    • U.S. Dist. Court, Northern Dist. of Texas
    • U.S. Court of Appeals
    • U.S. Fifth Circuit
    • U.S. Dist. Court, Southern Dist. of Texas
    • U.S. Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals
    • Also licensed in Florida

    • All state courts in Texas
    • All state courts in Oklahoma
    • U.S. Supreme Court
    • US Claims Court
    • U.S. Court of International Trade
    • U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
    • Federal Circuit Court of Appeals
    • U.S. District Court, Dist. of Colorado
    • U.S. Dist. Court, Western Dist. of Oklahoma
    • U.S. Dist. Court, Eastern Dist. of Texas
    • U.S. Dist. Court, Northern Dist. of Texas
    • U.S. Dist. Court, Southern Dist. of Texas
    • U.S. Dist. Court, Western Dist. of Texas


    HONORS & AWARDS

    • AV-Preeminent rating, Martindale-Hubbell
    • 2008: Trial Judge of the Year, American Board of Trial Advocates, Dallas
    • 2008: Dallas Bar Association Hartman Judicial Pro Bono Service Award
    • 2019: Texas Tech School of Law Distinguished Alumni
    • Five-time Texas Super Lawyer, 2003-2007

    • "AV Preeminent" rated by Martindale-Hubbell (5.0 out of 5.0)
    • "Texas Super Lawyer." by Texas Monthly (2005-17
    • Presidents' Certificate of Merit (2016)
    • Lola Wright Foundation Award (2016)
    • Jim D. Bowmer Professionalism Award, Texas Bar College (2014)
    • Dan Rugeley Price Award, Texas Bar Foundation's (2013)
    • Texas Bar CLE's "Standing Ovation" Award (2012)
      Outstanding Law Review Article of the Year, Texas Bar Foundation (2012)
    • Texas Bar College's Outstanding CLE Article of the Year Award (2012)
    • Duffield Smith Outstanding Publication of the Year, Defense Research Institute (2016)
    • Burton Award for Distinguished Achievement in Legal Writing (2009, 2010, 2012, and 2014)
    • "Litigator of the Week" by Texas Lawyer
    • "Top Technology Lawyer," American Lawyer Magazine
    • "Top Business Litigation Attorney," American Lawyer magazine


    PRIOR ELECTION RESULTS

    2018 Texas General Election
    Judge, 192nd Judicial District
    100%; unopposed

    2014 Texas General Election
    Judge, 192nd Judicial District
    100%; unopposed

    2010 Texas General Election
    Judge, 192nd Judicial District
    100%; unopposed

    2006 Texas General Election
    Judge, 192nd Judicial District
    53.47% v. Dawn Estes

    2018 Texas Republican Party Primary Election
    Fifth Court of Appeals, Place 11
    57.06% v. Tom Nowak (R), Dan Wyde (R)



    MOST RECENT BAR POLL RESULTS

    2020 Texas State Bar
    Winner, 59.82%



    KEY ENDORSEMENTS


      • Cathie Adams of Texas Eagle Forum (former Republican Party of Texas chair)
      • Numerous elected officials like Rockwall County District Attorney Kenda Culpepper
      • Key Tea Party leaders like Ray Myers and John White
      • Harriet Miers (former White House Counsel)
      • Frank Stevenson (former State Bar President)
      • Bob Black (former State Bar President)
      • Jerry Alexander (former Dallas Bar Assoc President)
      • Ike Vanden Eykel (former Dallas Bar Assoc President)
      • Peter Vogel (former Dallas Bar Assoc President)
      • Robert Driegert (former Dallas County Republican Party chair)


      JUDICIAL PHILOSOPHY




      Like my friend and mentor, the late Justice Antonin Scalia, I am an originalist who advocates judicial restraint and who believes in applying the law as it is - as it was written - and not as some would like it to be. I believe that judges must exhibit consistent and unwavering respect for the rule of law, and not legislate from the bench or attempt to rewrite laws and statutes. A judge should protect, defend, and interpret our laws without bias, not attempt to create law.



      OTHER INFORMATION

      • 2010-13: President, Texas Association of District Judges
      • 2012-present: Member, Dallas County Juvenile Board

      Throughout my career, I have been a servant leader in the bar and the community. I have been a county bar president, and held or currently hold leadership positions in the Dallas Bar, the State Bar of Texas, and in national bar organizations. I have also served or still serve on various civic and charitable boards. I am a nationally-recognized legal scholar and writer, and serve as an adjunct law professor at 3 law schools - SMU, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech. I have been a sought-after speaker and author on many legal subjects, including not just civil law but criminal law and evidence as well. I am regularly called upon to teach not only lawyers, but judges as well, and I'm a faculty member of the Texas Center for the Judiciary, the Appellate Judges Educational Institute, and the Federal Judicial Center. I have litigated cases in all six counties that comprise the Fifth Court of Appeals' jurisdiction, While leaving my successful private practice involves financial sacrifice, I believe in public service and I believe it should be a sacrifice. I am running because I believe in public service, and because protecting the rule of law is too important to entrust to those without the experience, qualifications, or judicial temperament to do the job.



      INFORMATION APPROVED BY CANDIDATE ON:

      Sourced from public information


      8/31/17



      Last Updated:


      Last Updated:

      11/26/19


      10/3/18


      Information gathered from various public sources, and may not yet be approved by the candidate.
      Please send any corrections to info@tcjl.com


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      Please send any corrections to info@tcjl.com

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