by Carol Sims | Feb 23, 2021 | Uncategorized
Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Ashley Wysocki as Judge of the 44th Judicial District Court in Dallas County for a term set to expire on December 31, 2022, or until her successor shall be duly elected and qualified. Ashley Wysocki of Dallas is a consulting attorney and mediator for litigation matters with an emphasis on family law, commercial law, and civil litigation. She previously served as Judge of the 254th Judicial District Court in Dallas County. She is a member of the American Bar Association, Dallas Bar Association, Dallas Association of Young Lawyers, and the State Bar of Texas and its Family Law Section. She is a former member of the Lubbock County Young Lawyers and West Texas Bankruptcy Association. Additionally, she is a former member of the American Red Cross South Plains Regional Chapter Board of Directors. Wysocki received a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from The University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Business Administration and Juris Doctor degree from Texas Tech University. This appointment is subject to Senate...
by Carol Sims | Feb 11, 2021 | Uncategorized
Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Dustin Howell as Judge of the 455th Judicial District Court in Travis County for a term set to expire on December 31, 2022, or until his successor shall be duly elected and qualified. Dustin Howell of Austin is the former Judge of the 200th Judicial District Court and 459th Judicial District Court, both in Travis County. He previously served as an associate at Baker Botts and McKool Smith P.C., and as an assistant solicitor general for the Office of the Texas Attorney General. He is board certified in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas and is a Barrister in the Lloyd Lochridge Inn of Court. He is a former board chair of the Texas Young Lawyers Association and board member of the Austin Young Lawyers Association. He currently serves on the Texas Lyceum Board of Directors, and is a former member of the Bookspring Board of Directors and the Texas Tech Law Alumni Executive Committee. Howell received a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from The University of Texas at Austin and a Juris Doctor degree from Texas Tech University School of Law. This appointment is subject to Senate...
by Staff CR | Jan 13, 2021 | Uncategorized
Governor Abbott Appoints Valenzuela To Fourth Court Of Appeals January 11, 2021 | Austin, Texas | Appointment Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Lori I. Valenzuela to the Fourth Court of Appeals for a term set to expire on December 31, 2022, or until her successor shall be duly elected and qualified. The Fourth Court of Appeals in San Antonio serves Atascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Brooks, Dimmit, Duval, Edwards, Frio, Gillespie, Guadalupe, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Karnes, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Kinney, La Salle, Mason, Maverick, McMullen, Medina, Menard, Real, Starr, Sutton, Uvalde, Val Verde, Webb, Wilson, Zapata, and Zavala counties. Lori I. Valenzuela of San Antonio is Judge of the 437th Judicial District Court in Bexar County, where she has served since 2009, and an adjunct professor at The University of Texas at San Antonio. Previously, she served as an attorney in private practice and as an assistant district attorney for the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office. She is a founder and co-presides over a Felony Veteran’s Treatment Court, chair of the Texas Center for the Judiciary Board of Directors, a former board member of the Federal Judicial Evaluation Committee, and fellow of the State Bar of Texas and the San Antonio Bar Association. Additionally, she was appointed by the Supreme Court of Texas as chair of the Court Reporter Advisory Committee, and is a member of the San Antonio Mexican American Bar Association and the Bexar County Juvenile Board. She previously served on the Child Fatality Review Board and the Boy Scouts of America Executive Board and is a member of the St. Mary’s University Alumni Association and Texas Exes....
by Staff CR | Mar 22, 2016 | Judicial Appointments, Uncategorized
Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Ryan Larson of Hutto as judge of the 395th Judicial District Court in Williamson County for a term set to expire at the next general election in November 2016. Ryan Larson is the head administrative law judge at the Railroad Commission of Texas and previously served as an assistant attorney general in the Texas Attorney General’s Office. He is a fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation and a member of the State Bar of Texas, State Bar of California, The Federalist Society, Williamson County Bar Association and the Austin Bar Association. Additionally, he is a Bible school teacher at Hyde Park Baptist Church (The Quarries Church), past president of the Lookout at Brushy Creek Homeowner Association and a past volunteer of the Round Rock Area Serving Center. Larson received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Los Angeles and a Juris Doctor from Southwestern Law...
by Staff CR | Jan 5, 2016 | Uncategorized
by MARK PULLIAM January 4, 2016 1:41 PM Trial lawyers make a cynical play for the Texas Supreme Court, Place 9 This is another post on the races currently underway for three seats on the Texas Supreme Court. I have previously written about the race between incumbent Justice Debra Lehrmann and challenger Justice Michael Massengale for Place 3, and the potentially confusing race between incumbent Justice Paul W. Green and challenger Rick Green for Place 5. In this post I discuss the race between incumbent Justice Eva Guzman and challenger Joe Pool Jr. for Place 9. Why am I writing about this? First of all, I am a (retired) lawyer and legal blogger living in Texas, and the composition of the state supreme court — although sometimes overlooked — is very important to all Texans. Second, thanks to landmark tort-reform legislation passed in 2003, Texas’s legal system is widely regarded as the most business-friendly in the United States, a welcome respite from the rampant plaintiff-orientation so common elsewhere. Texas’s legal system, including its judiciary, is a national model. Third, elections in Texas have national implications. Texas is the nation’s most populous and consequential Red state: All statewide elected officials (including both U.S. senators) are Republican; both chambers of the state legislature are controlled by lopsided GOP majorities; and, due to its 38 electoral votes (second greatest of any state, trailing only California), Texas is an influential player in presidential politics. Home of Bush 41 and Bush 43, Texas boasts recent (former governor Rick Perry) and current (Senator Ted Cruz) presidential candidates. Unlike Las Vegas, what happens in Texas doesn’t...
by Carol Sims | Dec 10, 2015 | Uncategorized
Editor’s note/disclosure: Former Representative Rick Green is challenging incumbent Justice Paul Green in the Republican primary. Justice Paul Green (R) has served on the Court since 2004, and has been endorsed by Texas Civil Justice League PAC. Friends and Fellow Patriots, For months I’ve been approached by conservative leaders across Texas and asked to consider running for Texas Supreme Court. Honestly, I wasn’t very excited about it at first. I have a fantastic job and my family is loving the opportunity we have to live out the liberty that we are given. My family has been blessed with opportunities to travel across the country and teach Americans about the Constitution and our founding fathers. It doesn’t get much better than that. But as the calls continued, my children started reminding me of the principle I have taught them: that every generation is in desperate need of leaders willing to sacrifice convenience for the sake of liberty. Today we have a Supreme Court, both nationally and at times in Texas, which has ignored the rule of law, has trampled on marriage and has refused to stand for the very freedom upon which our nation was founded. The deliberate violation of separation of powers is a threat to the liberty we all cherish. It’s time to put a constitutional watchdog on the Supreme Court. I am answering the call today with my family by my side, excited about the challenge and opportunity ahead. I NEED your support. Will you consider endorsing our campaign today? The grassroots have risen up across our state and elected strong conservative leaders like Ted Cruz and Dan Patrick, we must continue...
