Houston’s First Court of Appeals began the first work week of 2021 with six sitting women justices. We already knew two new justices, Veronica Rivas-Molloy and Amparo Guerra, would join the court after the 2020 election, but now there is a third: April Farris.
Gov. Greg Abbott announced his appointment of Farris, who had been an appellate partner at Houston litigation boutique Yetter Coleman, just before the Christmas holiday. And last week, Farris officially swore her oath into public office. Farris was sworn in by Judge Jennifer Walker Elrod of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, whom Farris clerked for at the beginning of her career.
Farris replaces Justice Evelyn Keyes, who retired at the end of 2020 with two years of her term remaining.
Farris, who also worked for one year in the Texas Attorney General’s Office as an assistant solicitor general before spending a decade in private practice, said the aspect of her new job that she most looks forward to is returning to public service.”
“On the first day of appointment, I swore an oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution and laws of Texas and the United States,” Farris told The Texas Lawbook. “My goal is to keep that oath. I also want to make sure that every party gets a fair day in court and is treated with respect.
Farris said she’s spending her first week “reviewing briefs and getting to know all of the staff members of the court.”
While practicing at Yetter Coleman, the Harvard educated lawyer successfully argued cases in the Fifth Circuit, Sixth Circuit, the Supreme Court of Texas and various intermediate appellate courts in Texas. Areas of the law Farris specialized in included contract disputes, business torts, the Texas Citizens Participation Act and government law issues.
She won an $25 million appellate victory for IBM in the Sixth Circuit, a summary judgment reversal for iPic in an antitrust battle against AMC, a key procedural victory in the Texas Supreme Court on behalf of the San Jacinto River Authority in a $500 million public bond dispute and an appeal for West Texas LPG related to a $10 million contract dispute with Occidental.
“This appointment is a wonderful recognition of April’s skills and integrity, and it’s a reflection of her hard work, many successes and stellar reputation,” Yetter Coleman founding partner Paul Yetter said.
“While we will miss her at the firm, we are incredibly proud of her and know this is a huge gain for the First Court of Appeals,” said Connie Pfeiffer, head of Yetter Coleman’s appellate practice.
Although Farris has some large wins under her belt, she said she considers every matter she’s handled as equally important — a lesson she’ll surely take with her to the First Court.
“My time in private practice taught me that there is no such thing as a small case,” she said. “An appeal — no matter how big or small — may be the most stressful event going on in a person’s life. I learned to treat all cases with care and attention.”
As with every Texas court, Farris acknowledged that the coronavirus pandemic has created challenges for the First Court, but she said the court has been able to adapt by a boost in the court’s technology.
“I am grateful for our clerk’s office for quickly adopting the technology that allows us to keep up with our workload without missing a beat,” she said.