AUSTIN (KXAN) — Gov. Greg Abbott appointed Justice Jimmy Blacklock to serve as chief justice on the Supreme Court of Texas, the governor’s office announced Monday.
Blacklock’s term as chief justice runs through Dec. 31, 2026.
A Houston native, Blacklock has served on the court since January 2018, per Abbott’s announcement. He previously clerked for Judge Jerry Smith on the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals and worked in civil litigation and appeals at a private practice in Houston and Austin.
Before serving as part of the governor’s general counsel, Blacklock also spent six years working in the Texas Attorney General’s Office on c ases like the Affordable Care Act litigation, religious liberty and “right to life” issues, according to Abbott’s announcement.
Blacklock earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from The University of Texas at Austin and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School.
Chief Justice Nathan L. Hecht, the Supreme Court of Texas’ previous chief justice, retired on Dec. 31. He is regarded as the longest-serving member of the court in the state’s history and spent 36 years on the court and served as chief justice since 2013, according to a release from the Supreme Court of Texas.
Abbott will officially swear Blacklock in as chief justice during a private ceremony on Tuesday.
“I am grateful to Governor Abbott for this appointment and for his leadership of our great state,” Justice Blacklock said in the announcement. “Chief Justice Hecht leaves behind an extraordinary legacy of service to the Court and to the People of Texas. I join all my colleagues in thanking him and honoring him for his wisdom and his leadership over the years. The Supreme Court of Texas belongs to the People of Texas, not to the judges or the lawyers. Our job at the Court is to apply the law fairly and impartially to every case that comes before us. My colleagues and I are committed to defending the rule of law and to preserving our Texas and United States Constitutions. I look forward to helping the Court continue to pursue equal justice under the law for all Texans.”
Alongside his chief justice selection, Abbott also appointed James P. Sullivan to serve as a justice on the state’s highest court and fulfill Blacklock’s vacancy. Sullivan has worked as part of Abbott’s General Counsel since 2021 and previously served as the Assistant Solicitor General of Texas and Deputy General Counsel to the governor.
Sullivan received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Rice University and is a graduate of Harvard Law School. He previously clerked for Judge Thomas B. Griffith on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit as well as worked as an adjunct professor at George Mason University as well as an appellate litigator within a private practice.
“James Sullivan is a brilliant, hard-working lawyer who has served the People of Texas with distinction for many years. He will make an excellent addition to our state’s Supreme Court,” Blacklock said in a release. “On behalf of the entire Court, I extend Mr. Sullivan a warm welcome and thank Governor Abbott for this important appointment. Together all the members of the Court will continue to work hard to defend the rule of law and pursue equal justice for every Texan.”