Supreme Court
TEXAS SUPREME COURT advisory
Contact: Osler McCarthy
512.463.1441 or email
@OslerSCTX
Justice Eva Guzman has announced her intent to resign effective June 11, 2021. Governor Greg Abbott will choose her successor.
Justice Guzman is the first Latina to be elected to the Supreme Court of Texas and the first Latina to be elected to statewide office in Texas. A three-time gubernatorial appointee, she served on the 309th District Court of Harris County and the Houston-based Fourteenth Court of Appeals before joining the Texas Supreme Court in 2009. She is the Court’s Senior Justice. During her 22‑year tenure on the bench, Justice Guzman has ruled on thousands of cases.
Chief Justice Nathan L. Hecht extolled Justice Guzman as “a nationally recognized champion for the rule of law and justice for all.” Although judicial work has been the cornerstone of Justice Guzman’s public service, Chief Justice Hecht noted that her civic‑engagement endeavors have been equally impactful: “Besides her significant contributions to the law of Texas, Justice Guzman has been a powerful and effective advocate for improving access to justice for the poor and others and for developing strategies to enhance our judicial system’s ability to serve adults and children facing mental health and intellectual disability challenges. Her exceptional leadership has been a great service to the State of Texas and the Supreme Court of Texas.”
Her statement.
As chair of the Supreme Court of Texas Permanent Judicial Commission for Children, Youth and Families, Justice Guzman has worked for over a decade with national and state leaders to improve safety and permanency outcomes and to foster the well-being of Texas’s most vulnerable children and families. As an adjunct to those efforts, Justice Guzman helped found the Texas Judicial Commission on Mental Health to help improve the lives of individuals with mental‑health needs, substance‑use disorders, and intellectual and developmental disabilities. Since 2013, Justice Guzman has also served as the Court’s liaison to the Texas Access to Justice Commission, an organization dedicated to expanding legal access in civil legal matters for low-income Texans.
While serving in the judiciary, Justice Guzman’s commitment to legal excellence has been recognized by national, state, and local organizations. Her numerous honors and awards include:
- John Ben Shepperd Public Leadership Institute’s Outstanding Texas Leader Award
- Texas Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists’ Appellate Judge of the Year Award
- National Hispanic Bar Association’s Latina Judge of the Year
- O.L.I.C.E., Inc.’s Appellate Justice of the Year
- Houston Police Officers Union’s Appellate Justice of the Year
- Lone Star Legal Aid’s Pro Bono Excellence Award
- Texas Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Champion for Texas Children
Justice Guzman serves on the Board of Trustees for The Center for American and International Law, the Board of Trustees for South Texas College of Law, and the Duke University School of Law Bolch Judicial Institute’s Leadership Council. She is an elected member of the American Law Institute, and a frequent speaker on civic‑responsibility, civility, and continuing legal education. Most recently, Justice Guzman has joined national leaders from other state high courts to educate the public about the justice system through a groundbreaking podcast series, Lady Justice: Women of the Court.
Before taking the bench, Justice Guzman enjoyed a successful ten-year career in private practice in Houston. She holds a B.B.A. from the University of Houston, a J.D. from South Texas College of Law, and an LL.M. from Duke University School of Law.
“Serving the people of Texas at three levels of the judiciary has been the honor of a lifetime,” Justice Guzman said. “To have the opportunity to apply my conservative judicial philosophy to the most pressing legal issues in Texas has been a genuine privilege. As I begin a new chapter, I pledge to continue to work for Texas families, and I remain dedicated to advancing the rule of law.”
Justice Guzman’s current term ends December 31, 2022.