May 10, 2023 – The Citizen Lawyer: The Role of Lawyers in Sustaining Our Constitutional Republic with Judge Cory T. Wilson

Event: The Citizen Lawyer: The Role of Lawyers in Sustaining Our Constitutional Republic with Judge Cory T. Wilson
Date: Wednesday, May 10, 2023
Time: 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.
Location: Arts District Mansion
CLE Credit: CLE credit is pending

Hon. Cory T. Wilson has served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit since 2020.

A native of Moss Point, Mississippi, Judge Wilson graduated summa cum laude with a B.B.A. in Economics from the Ole Miss School of Business in 1992.  He then graduated from the Yale Law School, where he was a member of the Yale Law Journal.  After law school, Judge Wilson clerked for Judge Emmett R. Cox on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.  Over most of the intervening 25 years, Judge Wilson was a litigator in private practice in the Jackson, Mississippi area.

Before he was appointed to the Fifth Circuit, Judge Wilson also served in a variety of capacities in both state and federal government.  Most recently, he served as a judge on the Mississippi Court of Appeals.  Earlier in his career, Judge Wilson served as Chief of Staff for Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann and as Senior Advisor and Counsel to Mississippi Treasurer Lynn Fitch while maintaining his law practice on a part-time basis.

From 2016 until his appointment to the Mississippi Court of Appeals, Judge Wilson served in the Mississippi House of Representatives.  During his time in the House, he was the Vice-Chairman of the Judiciary A Committee and served on the Education, Elections, Transportation, and Accountability & Efficiency Committees.

Judge Wilson and his wife, Stephanie, have one son and remain active in their church, Highlands Presbyterian.

April 18, 2023 – Views from the Bench with Judges Pittman, Jordan, Brown & Starr

Event: Views from the Bench with Judges Pittman, Jordan, Brown & Starr
Date: Tuesday, April 18, 2023
Time: 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.
Location: Arts District Mansion
CLE Credit: CLE credit is pending

Hon. Mark T. Pittman:  Before taking the federal bench, Judge Pittman served as a Judge on the Second Court of Appeals and the 352nd District Court in Fort Worth.  Before his judicial service, Judge Pittman practiced law at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas in the metroplex, and the U.S. DOJ’s Commercial Division Branch in Washington, D.C.  Judge Pittman also practiced at Kelly Hart & Hallman in Fort Worth.  He received his BA, magna cum laude, from Texas A&M University, and his JD from the University of Texas School of Law.  After law school, he clerked for Judge Eldon Brooks Mahon on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas.
  
Hon. Sean D. Jordan:  Prior to becoming a judge, Judge Jordan was a partner in the Austin, Texas, office of Jackson Walker, where he served as the Co-Chair of the firm’s Appellate Practice Group.  Before that, Judge Jordan served as Principal Deputy Solicitor General for the State of Texas, representing the State in appeals in both federal and state courts.  He also served in the United States Army as an infantryman and paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division.  Judge Jordan received his BA, summa cum laude, from the University of Texas at Austin and his JD, with Honors, from the University of Texas School of Law.
 
Hon. Ada Brown:  Before joining the federal bench, Judge Brown served as a Judge on the Fifth Court of Appeals and on the Dallas County Criminal District Court in Dallas.  Before joining the state bench, Judge Brown also served as an Assistant District Attorney for Dallas County, where she was a felony prosecutor for the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit.  Judge Brown also practiced at McKool Smith in Dallas and was an adjunct professor of trial advocacy at SMU.  She earned her BA, magna cum laude, from Spelman College, and her JD from Emory University School of Law.
 
Hon. Brantley Starr:  Prior to taking the bench, Judge Starr served as the Deputy First Assistant Attorney General of Texas, from 2016 to 2019, under Jeff Mateer.  Starr also served as a staff attorney to Justice Eva Guzman of the Supreme Court of Texas, and worked as an Assistant Attorney General, Assistant Solicitor General, and Deputy Attorney General for Legal Counsel, all in the office of the Attorney General of Texas.  Judge Starr also practiced law at King & Spalding in Austin.  Judge Starr received his BA, summa cum laude, from Abilene Christian University, and earned his JD from the University of Texas School of Law.  After graduating from law school, he was a law clerk to then-Justice Don Willett of the Supreme Court of Texas.