Nathan L Hecht

Nathan L Hecht

Supreme Court of Texas
Biography

Nathan L. Hecht is the 27th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas. He has been elected to the Court six times, first in 1988 as a Justice, and most recently in 2014 as Chief Justice. He is the longest-serving Member of the Court in Texas history and the senior Texas appellate judge in active service. Throughout his service on the Court, Chief Justice Hecht has overseen revisions to the rules of administration, practice, and procedure in Texas courts, and was appointed by the Chief Justice of the United States to the federal Advisory Committee on Civil Rules. Chief Justice Hecht is also active in the Court's efforts to assure that Texans living below the poverty level, as well as others with limited means, have access to basic civil legal services.

Chief Justice Hecht was appointed to the district court in 1981 and was elected to the court of appeals in 1986. Before taking the bench, he was a partner in the Locke firm in Dallas. Chief Justice Hecht holds a B.A. degree with honors in philosophy from Yale University, and a J.D. degree cum laude from the SMU School of Law, where he was a Hatton W. Sumners Scholar. He clerked for Judge Roger Robb on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and was a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Reserve Judge Advocate General Corps.

Chief Justice Hecht is a Life Member of the American Law Institute and a member of the Texas Philosophical Society.

His term ends December 31, 2020.

Professional Experience
Chief Justice
Supreme Court of Texas
- Current
Justice
Supreme Court of Texas
-
Justice
Court of appeals
-
Judge
District court
-
Education
Yale University
B.A. | philosophy
Honors: with honors
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SMU School of Law
Honors: cum laude; Hatton W. Sumners Scholar
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Professional Associations
American Law Institute
Life Member
Current
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American Law Institute
Life Member
Current
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Texas Philosophical Society
Member
Current
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Websites & Blogs
Website
Supreme Court of Texas
Website
Court biography
Contact & Map
Supreme Court of Texas
Supreme Court Building
201 W. 14th Street, Room 104
Austin, TX 78701
Telephone: (512) 463-1312
Fax: (512) 463-1365