Dori Contreras (J.D. ’90)
Oct. 28, 2025 - Dori Contreras, a former Chief Justice of the Texas 13th Court of Appeals, recently received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the State Bar of Texas' Judicial Section. Contreras, a 1990 alumna of the University of Houston Law Center, served as a justice and chief justice for 22 years until she retired at the end of 2024.
Prior to serving on the bench, Contreras specialized in civil litigation, with a focus on cases involving personal injury, employment and contract disputes.
“It was a high honor to be recognized statewide by my peers,” Contreras said. “It was a privilege to be able to serve in the capacity as a judge so I’m very honored. Having served as the first Latina chief on the court is important to me, because I always hoped to serve as a role model to younger women and Latina women in particular.”
Contreras is maintaining an active legal career, and now operates her own alternative dispute resolution services business.
“Even though I made the decision to retire from the court, I feel that I still have more to offer in terms of my skills and my abilities,” Contreras said. “I knew that I wanted to continue staying engaged and involved somehow. I figured mediation would be a good way to do that. I am available to provide arbitration services as well. I launched my mediation practice in February and have had about 30 cases since then. It's enough to keep me busy.”
Contreras also remains active through numerous professional organizations. She is the immediate past president of the Texas Latinx Judges and the incoming president-elect of the Council of Chief Judges for the State Courts of Appeal. Contreras will be the first Hispanic person to lead the Council of Judges for the State Courts of Appeal when she will be elevated to president in 2027.
When reflecting on her time as a Law Center student, Contreras recalled numerous lasting friendships that she made. She also expressed gratitude for the school’s Part-Time Program.
“I started in the night program,” Contreras said. “I had two children at home, so I could not go to law school full-time at that point in my life. I'm very fond of the night program because it gave me an opportunity to attend law school. I met so many great people that were in that program that were in a second or third career,” said Contreras, who worked as an accountant for a number of years before deciding to go to law school.
“I think very highly of that program. Not all law schools offer a night program,” she added. “I think it's very important because you tap into a group of people that otherwise would not be able to pursue a law school education.”
