Qualifications
What training, experience, and characteristics qualify you for this position?
Based on my experience as a board-certified appellate lawyer and record as a fair judge, every Democrat and Republican in the Texas Senate voted unanimously in favor of my Supreme Court appointment.
Ethics
How will you ensure your rulings remain impartial and free from both political pressure and the interests of your campaign donors?
My 14-year judicial record shows that I honor my oath by giving everyone the fair day in court they deserve and ruling impartially based on the law and the facts—not on politics, pressure, or personal preference. Compare the reviews we receive from lawyers who know our work: they consistently rate me among the best, hardest working, and most impartial appellate judges in Texas in anonymous polls.
Equity
What barriers prevent Texans from accessing the court system, and what can courts do to reduce those barriers?
With legal costs rising much faster than overall inflation, many Texans can’t afford lawyers. I’m leading efforts to reform outdated regulations so that qualified paraprofessionals who pass an exam can become certified to help Texans with simple legal needs at reasonable prices. Like nurse practitioners for limited legal services, they would be trained and tested to ensure quality and ethics.
Issues
What do you see as the most pressing challenge facing the courts today, and how would you propose addressing it?
Court dockets are growing quickly as more Texans try to use AI to represent themselves. But court systems were designed to be used by lawyers, and AI-generated filings are often not on point or include mistakes. I am taking action to make courts easier for non-lawyers to use without AI by updating rules and procedures, creating plain-language forms, and educating Texans about available resources.
Philosophy
What qualities are most critical for a judge to possess for fair administration of justice?
A Justice must give each side a fair hearing, study their arguments carefully, decide the case impartially based on the law and the evidence, and write a clear opinion so everyone can understand their rights and obligations under the law. A Justice must also work hard to improve the fairness, efficiency, and accessibility of the whole justice system by making changes like those just discussed.
