Former Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court Tom Phillips
Today former Chief Justice Tom Phillips endorsed Justice Jeff Brown who is seeking the Republican Party nomination for Place 3 on the Texas Supreme Court.
Im endorsing Jeff because he is a man of integrity and a true legal scholar who has a deep respect for the rule of law and will bring great experience to the Texas Supreme Court said Phillips.
Phillips was the first Republican Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court in modern times. In the State Bar of Texas 2002 Judicial Poll Phillips outpolled the combined votes for his two opponents by more than a two-to-one margin winning the general election that year in a landslide. Phillips won numerous honors as Chief Justice and under his leadership the Texas Supreme Court took its place in American law as one of the best most respected courts in the nation.
For over sixteen years Phillips served as Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court. Before serving on the Texas Supreme Court he served for six years as judge of the 280th District Court in Harris County. Initially appointed to both judicial offices by Governor William P. Clements he was elected without opposition to the district bench in 1982 and 1986 and elected in contested races to the Supreme Court in 1988 1990 1996 and 2002.
After nearly a quarter century of judicial service he joined the Austin office of Baker Botts in 2005. Some of Phillips past honors include: American Judicature Society Justice Award Houston Bar Association Award for Outstanding Judicial Service and Leadership National Center for State Courts Harry L. Carrico Judicial Innovation Award and the Texas Equal Access to Justice Foundation Harold F. Kleinman Award.
In announcing the endorsement Justice Brown said Im honored to have earned the endorsement of such an accomplished jurist and a real Texas legal giant. The Chiefs leadership and impeccable ethics restored honor balance and integrity to the Texas Supreme Court and I look forward to working with him as I talk to voters about the importance of keeping our states highest court as one of the best in the country.
Justice Brown currently serving on the Texas Fourteenth Court of Appeals is seeking the Republican Party nomination for Place 3 on the Texas Supreme Court a position held by Justice ONeill who recently announced she would not seek reelection. The Republican primary election will be held March 2 2010.
Justice Brown was appointed to the Fourteenth Court of Appeals in December 2007 and subsequently elected in 2008. Prior to serving on the Court of Appeals he was appointed District Judge of the 55th District Court of Harris County and subsequently was elected in 2002 and reelected in 2006. Ever since he first took the bench Justice Brown has consistently been ranked among the most outstanding jurists in Harris County (according to the Houston Bar Associations Judicial Evaluation Polls 2003-2009).
Before joining the 55th District Court Justice Brown tried jury cases across Southeast Texas as an associate in the trial department of Baker Botts. After graduating law school with honors he served for a year as a briefing attorney on the Texas Supreme Court for Justices Greg Abbott and Jack Hightower.
Jeff and Susannah Brown have been married for 17 years and have three children Kathleen Rob and Gus. The Browns are active members of Bellaire United Methodist Church.
