Supreme Court of Texas
Jeffrey S. Boyd has served as a Justice on the Supreme Court of Texas since December 2012. Prior to this role, Boyd was Chief of Staff and General Counsel in the Office of the Governor of Texas from January 2011 to December 2012. Boyd's legal career includes serving as a Senior Partner at Thompson & Knight LLP from 2003 to 2010, and as the Deputy Attorney General for Civil Litigation at the Texas Attorney General's Office from 2000 to 2003. Boyd also held positions at Thompson & Knight LLP as a Partner and Trial Associate between 1992 and 2000, and worked as a Judicial Clerk to Judge Thomas M. Reavley at the US 5th Circuit Court of Appeals from 1991 to 1992. Boyd began a ministry role as a Youth and Family Minister at Brentwood Oaks Church from 1983 to 1988. Education includes a JD in Law from Pepperdine University (1991) and a B.A. in Religion from Abilene Christian University (1983).
Supreme Court of Texas
Composed of the Chief Justice and eight Justices, the Supreme Court of Texas is the court of last resort for civil matters in the State of Texas. The Justices of the Supreme Court are elected to staggered six-year terms in state-wide elections. When a vacancy arises the Governor may appoint a Justice, subject to Senate confirmation, to serve out the remainder of an unexpired term until the next general election. All members of the Court must be at least 35 years of age, a citizen of Texas, licensed to practice law in Texas, and must have practiced law (or have been a lawyer and a judge of a court of record together) for at least ten years (see Tex. Const., Art. 5, Sec. 2). By statute the Court has administrative control over the State Bar of Texas. Tex. Gov't Code § 81.011. The Court is also the sole authority for licensing attorneys in Texas and appoints the members of the Board of Law Examiners which administers the Texas bar examination. Tex. Gov't Code §§ 82.00, 82.004. The Court promulgates the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, the Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure, the Texas Rules of Evidence and other rules and standards.