(Houston, TX) Texans for Lawsuit Reform applauded Gov. Rick Perry’s appointment of Justice Nathan Hecht as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas today. Hugh Rice Kelly, TLR General Counsel said:

“Governor Perry’s appointment of Nathan Hecht to the office of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas means that our Court will be led by one of the nation’s most outstanding appellate judges.  Justice Hecht has been recognized both in Texas and nationally.  He brings to this office a rare combination of intellect, experience, judgment, and hard work.  Long a leader among the members of the Court, Justice Hecht’s leadership will prove of great value to the Court in the years to come. 

“The word outstanding is not strong enough to describe Justice Hecht’s qualifications to serve as Chief Justice. After graduating with honors from Yale and SMU law school, Justice Hecht served as law clerk on the prestigious federal appeals court for the District of Columbia.  He was in private practice and a shareholder in the Locke, Lord firm in Dallas when appointed to the District bench in 1981.  After serving two years on the Dallas Court of Appeals, Justice Hecht was first elected to the Supreme Court in 1988, making him the longest-serving active appeals court justice in Texas.”

Justice Hecht has won re-election four times. During his time on the Court, Justice Hecht has authored more than 350 opinions.   

TLR is the largest civil justice reform organization in Texas and the most successful tort reform group in the nation.  TLR is a bipartisan, volunteer-led coalition with more than 17,000 supporters residing in 818 Texas communities and representing 1,266 different businesses, professions and trades.