Wallace B. Jefferson

Wallace Bernard Jefferson is a former chief justice of the Supreme Court of Texas, who served from 2004 until October 1, 2013. In October 2013, he joined the law firm Alexander Dubose & Jefferson LLP as a name partner and now practices appellate law. He sits on the council of the American Law Institute and became its treasurer in May 2014. A member of the Republican Party, Jefferson was the first African American justice to serve on the Texas Supreme Court, the state's court of last resort for civil and juvenile appeals. Early life and education Jefferson is a graduate of John Jay High School in San Antonio, Texas, the James Madison College at Michigan State University Historic judicial appointments and elections In 2001, then Texas Governor Rick Perry initially appointed Jefferson to become the first African American member of the Texas Supreme Court. Jefferson was appointed on April 18, 2001, to fill the vacancy left by Alberto R. Gonzales, who resigned to become White House counsel to U.S. President George W. Bush.