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Jane Bland, a former Republican appeals court judge in Houston who lost her seat in November amid a Democratic rout of urban-area appeals courts, is Gov. Greg Abbott’s pick for a vacancy on the Texas Supreme Court, he announced Monday.
Bland will assume the Place 6 seat of Justice Jeff Brown, a Republican who was confirmed late last month to the federal bench, after he formally resigns to begin his new post. Since the Legislature is not in session, she does not require confirmation by the Texas Senate, but will have to stand for election in 2020.
“Jane Bland is an experienced and proven legal expert whose respect for the Constitution is unmatched,” Abbott said. “As she assumes her new role on the Supreme Court, the people of Texas can rest assured that she will uphold the rule of law and be a good steward of the justice system. I am honored to appoint Jane to the highest court in Texas and am grateful for her service to our great state.”
Bland served as a judge for more than 20 years before becoming a partner at Vinson & Elkins, one of the state’s top law firms and a major contributor to Texas Supreme Court justices’ campaigns. A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Texas School of Law, Bland became a trial court judge in Harris County in 1997, and was elevated to the appellate bench by an appointment from Gov. Rick Perry in 2003.
