U.S. Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz selected PY’s David Prichard to serve as Chairman of the bipartisan Federal Judicial Evaluation Committee. FJEC is composed of leading Texas attorneys who will screen and recommend nominees for vacancies on the federal bench and in the U.S. Attorney offices in Texas.
Texas currently has six vacancies in its federal district courts. There will be one more seat vacated on a Texas district court in July.
“Texans deserve able, fair, and independent prosecutors and judges, and I’m proud to join Sen. Cruz in reconstituting this bipartisan committee to ensure individuals who are of the highest caliber are confirmed expeditiously and can begin serving Texas as soon as possible,” said Sen. Cornyn.
“It is crucial that we ensure Texans have the best, most qualified judges and prosecutors defending their rights in court,” said Sen. Cruz. “I am glad to work alongside Sen. Cornyn in reestablishing this committee, and thank the attorneys willing to serve this effort and ensure the timely filling of court vacancies.”
Chairman – David Prichard (San Antonio, partner, Prichard Hawkins Young)
Vice Chair – Hon. Raul Gonzalez (Austin, solo practitioner)
Vice Chair – James Ho (Dallas, partner, Gibson Dunn)
– David Beck (Houston, partner, Beck Redden LLP)
– John Beckworth (Houston, partner, Watt Beckworth)
– Maria Wyckoff Boyce (Houston, partner, Baker Botts)
– Zach Brady (Lubbock, partner, Brady & Hamilton LLP)
– George Bramblett (Dallas, partner, Haynes & Boone)
– David Cabrales (Dallas, partner, Locke Lord)
– James Cousar (Austin, partner, Thompson & Knight)
– Erin Nealy Cox (Dallas, executive managing director, Stroz Friedberg)
– Steve Cox (Houston, corporate counsel, Apache Corporation)
– Janet Dhillon (Plano, general counsel, JC Penney)
– Brady Edwards (Houston, partner, Morgan Lewis)
– Charles Eskridge (Houston, partner, Susman Godfrey LLP)
– Jaime Esparza (El Paso, district attorney, 34th Judicial District)
– Larry Finder (Houston, partner, Baker & McKenzie)
– Allyson Ho (Dallas, partner, Morgan Lewis)
– Gaylord Hughey (Tyler, solo practitioner)
– Bill Jones (Austin, owner, The Jones Firm)
– Dee Kelly Jr. (Fort Worth, managing partner, Kelly Hart)
– Bradley Knippa (Austin, partner, Jackson Walker LLP)
– W. Gregory Looser (Houston, senior vice president, Pride International Inc.)
– George McWilliams (Texarkana, solo practitioner)
– Connie Pfeiffer (Houston, partner, Beck Redden LLP)
– Tom Phillips (Austin, partner, Baker Botts)
– Adam Ross (Dallas, founder & CEO, Goldcrest Investments)
– Kelly Shackelford (Plano, president & CEO, Liberty Institute)
– Kent Sullivan (Austin, partner, Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP)
– Steve Susman (Houston, partner, Susman Godfrey LLP)
– Andy Taylor (Houston, founder, Andy Taylor & Associates, P.C.)
– Michael Truncale (Beaumont, partner, Orgain Bell & Tucker, LLP)
– Lori Valenzuela (San Antonio, judge, 437th District Court)
– Manny Vela (Harlingen, president & CEO, Valley Baptist Health System)
– Margaret Wilson (Austin, general counsel, Texas Department of Motor Vehicles)