UH Law Center Recognizes Our Alumni Judges
and Visiting Jurists in Residence
We are honored to recognize our alumni judges, past and present, as well as visiting jurists in residence on a digital wall located on the first floor of the Law Center. The images on that wall are memorialized on this site. The judicial photos and biographies are an inspiration to our students every day.
The recognition of the members of the judiciary is an ongoing project made possible by your submissions. To be included on the digital judicial wall and this site, please CLICK HERE. For questions, to update an existing slide, or to add someone you know, please contact Kristina Van Arsdel at kgvanars@central.uh.edu.
Judge Ernest “Ernie” Aliseda (J.D. ‘91)
State District Judge
139th State District Court, 2004–2005
398th State District Court, 1999–2001
See Bio
Judge Eric Andell (J.D. ‘71)
Justice, First Court of Appeals, State of Texas, 1992–2000
See Bio
Judge Kelley Andrews (J.D. ‘07)
Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 6, 2019–Present
See Bio
Courtney Burch Arkeen (J.D. ‘99)
128th Judicial District Court, 2011-Present
See Bio
Judge David Ayala (J.D. ‘80)
U.S. Immigration Court, 1993-2017
See Bio
Judge Nancy J. Bailey (J.D. ‘85)
City of Houston Municipal Court, 1996-2012
See Bio
Justice Thomas J. Baker (J.D. ‘83)
Third Court of Appeals, 2019–2024
See Bio
Judge J. Manuel Bañales (J.D. ‘75)
105th Judicial District, 1987–2010
See Bio
Judge Stephanie S. Bascon (J.D. ‘91)
466th Judicial District Court, 2021–Present
See Bio
Judge Fortunato “Pete” Benavides (J.D. ‘72)
United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, 1994–2023
See Bio
Justice Gina M. Benavides (J.D. ‘88)
Thirteenth Court of Appeals Texas, 2006–2024
See Bio
Justice J. Wade Birdwell (J.D. ‘89)
Texas Court of Appeals, 2nd District, 2017–Present
See Bio
Justice Frances Bourliot (J.D. ‘07)
Fourteenth Court of Appeals, 2019-2024
See Bio
Judge Bob Brendel (J.D. ‘94)
Atascosa County Court at Law, 2019–Present
See Bio
Judge Chad Bridges (J.D. ‘94)
458th District Court in Fort Bend County, 2023–Present
240th District Court, 2015–2018
See Bio
Justice Jeffrey V. Brown (J.D. ‘95)
United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, 2019–Present
Supreme Court of Texas, 2013–2019
Sondock Jurist in Residence
See Bio
Honorable Karen K. Brown (J.D. ‘83)
United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas Houston Division, 1990–Present
See Bio
Judge Marc W. Brown (J.D. ‘87)
Justice, Fourteenth Court of Appeals, Texas, 2013–2018
See Bio
Judge Robin Brown (J.D. ‘81)
Harris County Criminal Court at Law, 1995-2018
See Bio
Chief Justice Darlene Byrne (J.D. ‘87)
Third Court of Appeals of Texas, 2021–Present
See Bio
Justice Cory L. Carlyle (J.D. ‘05)
Fifth District Court of Appeals, 2018–2024
See Bio
Judge Gary W. Chaney (J.D. ‘92)
506th Judicial District Court, 2021–Present
See Bio
Judge Jennifer C. Chiang (J.D. ‘09)
Sugar Land Municipal Court, 2015-Present
See Bio
Judge A. Reagan Clark (J.D. ‘67)
Fort Bend County Court at Law, 1976–1981
268th Judicial District Court, 1981–1988
Visiting Judge, 1990–2000
Fort Bend County Drug Court, 2005–2007
Senior District Judge, 2007–Present
See Bio
Chief Justice Dori Contreras (J.D. ‘90)
13th Court of Appeals, 2002–2024
See Bio
Judge Adolfo E. Cordova, Jr. (J.D. ‘93)
Judge of the 197th District Court, 2019–Present
See Bio
Judge John Coselli (J.D. ‘77)
Texas District Court Judge, 1999–2009
See Bio
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, 2014–2022
Sondock Jurist in Residence
See Bio
Justice Julie Countiss (J.D. ‘02)
First Court of Appeals of Texas, 2019–2024
See Bio
Judge Jason Cox (J.D. ‘02)
Harris County Probate Court #3, 2018–Present
See Bio
Judge Lonnie Cox (J.D. ‘93)
56th District Court, Galveston, 2005–Present
See Bio
Judge Marcia A. Crone (J.D. ‘78)
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, 2003–Present
See Bio
Judge Richard D. Davis (J.D. ‘73)
294th Judicial District Court, 1981–1988
See Bio
Judge Lee Dever (J.D. ‘75)
Third District Court, Salt Lake County, State of Utah, 1994-2014
See Bio
Judge Joginder S. Dhillon (LL.M ‘99)
California Superior Court, Sacramento County, 2019–Present
See Bio
Judge William F. Downes (J.D. ‘74)
United States District Court for the District of Wyoming, 1994–2011
See Bio
Judge Steven M. Duble (J.D. ‘89)
Harris County Justice of the Peace (Precinct 1, Place 2), 2023–Present
See Bio
Chief Judge Jennifer Walker Elrod
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, 2007–Present
Sondock Jurist in Residence
See Bio
Judge Mike Engelhart (J.D. ‘95)
151st Civil District Court, Harris County, Texas, 2009–2024
See Bio
Judge Phyllis Randolph Frye (J.D. ‘81)
Associate Municipal Judge, City of Houston, Texas, 2010–2023
See Bio
Judge Eileen Marie Gaffney (J.D. ‘92)
312th District Court District Court, 2012–2018
See Bio
Judge Esmeralda Peña Garcia (J.D. ‘82)
Judge, City of Houston Municipal Courts, 1987–2020
See Bio
Judge Vanessa D. Gilmore (J.D. ‘81)
United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, 1994–2022
Sondock Jurist in Residence
See Bio
Associate Judge Tamecia Glover (J.D. ‘12)
400th Judicial District Court, 2021–Present
See Bio
Justice W. Scott Golemon (J.D. ‘87)
Chief Justice
9th District Court of Appeals, 2021–Present
See Bio
Justice Raul A. Gonzalez (J.D. ‘66)
Supreme Court of Texas, 1984–1998
See Bio
Judge Paula Goodhart (J.D. ‘93)
Harris County Criminal Court at Law #1, 2010–2018
Harris County Criminal Court at Law #2, 2023–Present
See Bio
Judge Patricia Grady (J.D. ‘91)
Presiding Judge 212th Judicial District Court, 2014–present
See Bio
Judge Tracy Booker Gray (J.D. ‘05)
Kaufman County Court at Law, 2019–Present
See Bio
United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, 2001–Present
Sondock Jurist in Residence
See Bio
Judge Katrina Griffith (J.D. ‘05)
Harris County Child Protection Court, 2014–Present
See Bio
Justice Amparo Guerra (J.D. ‘02)
First Court of Appeals, Texas, 2021-Present
See Bio
Judge Judith K. Guthrie (J.D. ‘80)
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, 1986–2013
See Bio
Judge Kathleen A. Hamilton (J.D. ‘87)
359th District Court, Conroe, 2003–Present
See Bio
Judge George C. Hanks, Jr.
United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, 2015–Present
Sondock Jurist in Residence
See Bio
Judge Naomi R. Harney (J.D. ‘57)
Judge of the County Court at Law and 251st District Court for Potter and Randall Counties, 1975-1989
See Bio
Judge Margaret Stewart Harris (J.D. ‘86)
Harris County Criminal Court at Law Number Five, 2003-2018
See Bio
Supreme Court of Texas, 1988-2024
Sondock Jurist in Residence
See Bio
Judge Janet B. Heppard (J.D. ‘93)
387th State District Court, Fort Bend County, 2021–2024
See Bio
Judge James Horwitz (J.D. ‘78)
Harris County Probate Court No. 4, 2019–Present
See Bio
Judge Clark Huey (J.D. ‘85)
Associate District Judge for Jackson County, 1995–2021
See Bio
Judge Marvin Isgur (J.D. ‘90)
United States Bankruptcy Court, 2004–Present
See Bio
Judge Erin L. Jackson (J.D. ‘07)
Associate Judge, City of Arlington Municipal Court, 2015–2023
Associate Judge, City of Kennedale Municipal Court, 2020–Present
See Bio
Judge Aneeta M. Jamal (J.D. ‘83)
314th Juvenile District Court, Harris County, Texas, 2003 to 2019
See Bio
Justice Terry Jennings (J.D. ‘88)
Court of Appeals for the First District of Texas, 2001–2018
See Bio
Justice Kevin D. Jewell (J.D. ‘93)
Fourteenth Court of Appeals, 2016–Present
See Bio
United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, 2012–Present
Sondock Jurist in Residence
See Bio
Judge Michael P. Joyce (J.D. ‘88)
Johnson County, Kansas District Court, 2012–Present
See Bio
United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, 1999-2021
Sondock Jurist in Residence
See Bio
Judge Mary Lou Keel (J.D. ‘85)
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, 2017–Present
See Bio
Justice Evelyn Keyes (J.D. ‘87)
First Court of Appeals, 2002–2020
See Bio
Judge Steven Kirkland (J.D. ‘90)
334th District Court, Harris County, Texas, 2017–2020
215th District Court, Harris County, Texas, 2009–2012
Houston Municipal Courts, 2001–2008
See Bio
Judge James F. Kovach (J.D. ‘91)
Harris County Civil Court at Law No. 2, 2018-Present
See Bio
Judge Claudia Laird (J.D. ‘00)
Presiding Judge, Montgomery County Probate Court Number One (formerly County Court at Law Number Two), 2011–Present
See Bio
Judge Mark P. Lane (J.D. ‘87)
United States Magistrate Judge, 2012–Present
See Bio
Associate Justice, California Supreme Court, 2011–Present
Sondock Jurist in Residence
See Bio
Judge Tristan H. Longino (J.D. ‘11)
245th District Court, 2019–2022
See Bio
Judge Jose A. Lopez (J.D. ‘91)
49th District Court of Webb and Zapata Counties, 2007–Present
See Bio
Judge Erin Elizabeth Lunceford (J.D. ‘88)
61st Judicial District Court of Harris County, Texas, 2015-2016
See Bio
Judge Joe Maldonado, Jr. (J.D. ‘03)
Webb County Associate District Judge, 2024–Present
See Bio
Judge Kristalee G. Mata (J.D. ‘03)
Associate Judge, Hidalgo County Probate Court, 2023–Present
See Bio
Judge Sara Maynard (J.D. ‘95)
Smith County Court at Law No. 2, 2023–Present
See Bio
Judge F. Steven McClure (J.D. ‘84)
Johnson County Court at Law Number Two, 2014–Present
See Bio
Judge Tyra Jones McCollum (J.D. ‘94)
Fort Bend County Court at Law No. 2, 2023–Present
See Bio
Judge Bob McCoy (J.D. ‘82)
48th District Court, 1995–2003
Second Court of Appeals, 2003–2014
Tarrant County Criminal Court #3, 2014–Present
See Bio
Judge Susan Heygood McCoy (J.D. ‘92)
Judge 153rd District Court, 2013–Present
See Bio
Justice George Miller (J.D. ‘51)
County Criminal Court at Law #1, 1961-1967
113th Civil District Court, 1967-1978
Fourteenth Court of Appeals, 1978-1982
See Bio
Judge Gray H. Miller (J.D. ‘78)
United State District Court for the Southern District of Texas, 2006- Present
United States District Judge, 2006-2018
Senior United States District Judge, 2019-Present
Sondock Jurist in Residence
See Bio
Judge Michelle Moore (J.D. ‘06)
314th Judicial District Court, 2019–Present
See Bio
Judge E. Lee Morris (J.D. ‘93)
United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas, 2018–Present
See Bio
Judge Gladys Marie Oakley (J.D. ‘57)
Austin County Court at Law, 1988–2006
See Bio
Judge Jim Parsons (J.D. ‘68)
Senior District Judge, Texas 3rd District Court, 1996–2007
See Bio
Judge Stuti Trehan Patel (J.D. ‘96)
District Court Associate Judge, Fort Bend County, 2015–Present
See Bio
Judge Surendran K. Pattel (LL.M. ‘10)
240th Judicial District Court, 2023–Present
See Bio
Judge Lawrence “Larry” Phillips (J.D. ‘90)
59th Judicial District Court, 2018–Present
See Bio
Judge Dennis Powell (J.D. ‘82)
163rd Judicial District Court, Orange County, 2001–2020; Senior Judge, 2021–Present
See Bio
Judge Dion Ramos (J.D. ‘85)
55th Judicial District Court, 2008–2010
See Bio
Judge Josefina M. Rendón (J.D. ‘76)
165th District Court, State of Texas, 2009–2012
See Bio
Justice Veronica Rivas–Molloy (J.D. ‘01)
First Court of Appeals, 2021–Present
See Bio
Court of Appeals, State of New York, 2013–Present
Sondock Jurist in Residence
See Bio
Judge Ronique Bastine Robinson (LL.M. ‘96)
Stafford Municipal Court, 1999–2021
See Bio
United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, 1992- Present
Sondock Jurist in Residence
See Bio
Judge Eleanor L. Ross (J.D. ‘94)
United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, 2014–Present
See Bio
Judge Mark J. Rusch (J.D. ‘83)
401st Judicial District Court, Collin County, 2000–2020
See Bio
Judge Lupe S. Salinas (J.D. ‘72)
Harris County’s 351st Criminal District Court, 1989–1996
See Bio
Judge Nelly Treviño Santos (J.D. ‘93)
Director and Presiding Judge,
City of Houston Municipal Courts, 2025-Present
See Bio
Judge Michael H. Schneider (J.D. ‘70)
United State District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, 2004-2016
See Bio
Judge Jim Schweitzer (J.D. ‘76)
Presiding Judge Galveston Municipal Court, 2007–Present
See Bio
Justice Charles Seymore (J.D. ‘83)
Fourteenth Court of Appeals, 2001-2012
See Bio
Judge Michelle M. Slaughter (J.D. ‘04)
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, 2019–2024
See Bio
Justice Ruby Kless Sondock (J.D. ‘62)
Supreme Court of Texas, 1982
See Bio
Judge Jeff R. Steinhauser (J.D. ‘90)
155th District Court of Austin and Fayette County, 2011–Present
See Bio
Judge John B. Stevens, Jr. (J.D. ‘79)
Jefferson County Criminal District Court, 2007–Present
See Bio
Chied Judge Jeffery Sutton
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, 2003–Present
Sondock Jurist in Residence
See Bio
Judge Mitch Templeton (J.D. ‘91)
172nd State District Court, 2019–Present
See Bio
Judge George C. Thomas (J.D. ‘02)
Austin Municipal Court, 2014-Present
See Bio
Judge Sherri K. Tibbe (J.D. ‘94)
453rd District Court, 2021–Present
See Bio
Judge Mary Ann Turner (J.D. ‘79)
County Court at Law No. 4, 2002–Present
See Bio
Judge Juan F. Vasquez (J.D. ‘77)
Senior Judge of the United States Tax Court, 1995–Present
See Bio
The Honorable Fernando M. Villarreal (J.D. ‘83)
Justice of the Peace, Precinct 5, 1992–2022
See Bio
Justice Brian K. Walker (J.D. ‘03)
Second Court of Appeals, 2021–Present
See Bio
Justice Jim Wallace (J.D. ‘57)
Supreme Court of Texas, 1981-1988
See Bio
Judge Mike Wallach (J.D. ‘79)
Texas Court of Appeals, 2nd District, 2019–Present
See Bio
Judge Doug Warne (J.D. ‘83)
311th Judicial District Court, 1999–2010
See Bio
Judge Judy Warne (J.D. ‘83)
Presiding Judge
257th Judicial District Court, 2005–2018
See Bio
Judge Laura A. Weiser (J.D. ‘85)
County Court at Law No. 1, Victoria County, 1990–2013
See Bio
Judge Holly Williamson (J.D. ‘97)
Justice of the Peace, Precinct 8, Place 1, Harris County, Texas, 2009–Present
See Bio
Justice Ken Wise (J.D. ‘94)
14th Court of Appeals, 2013–Present
See Bio
Judge Loyd Wright (J.D. ‘81)
Harris County Probate Court No. 1, 2010–2018
See Bio
Judge Dan York (J.D. ‘10)
King County (WA) Superior Court, 2026-Present
See Bio
Judge Alvin L. Zimmerman (J.D. ‘67)
State District Judge, 1977–1984
See Bio
Someone missing from the list? please contact Kristina Van Arsdel at kgvanars@central.uh.edu.
