Former SCOTX Justice Eva Guzman to Join Chamberlain Hrdlicka

Former Texas Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman is joining Chamberlain Hrdlicka as a shareholder, the firm announced on Monday.

Guzman, who resigned from the state’s high court in June and has since declared she is running for Texas Attorney General, officially joins Chamberlain Hrdlicka on Wednesday and will work in the firm’s Houston and San Antonio offices. She is one of two Republican challengers, along with Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush, seeking to unseat Ken Paxton in 2022.

“We are very pleased to welcome Justice Guzman to our litigation team,” Larry Campagna, managing shareholder of Chamberlain Hrdlicka, said in a statement. “Her extensive experience as a litigator, a trial judge, a court of appeals judge and as a Texas Supreme Court justice make her an invaluable asset to our firm and our clients.” 

After receiving her law degree from the South Texas College of Law in 1989, Guzman practiced family and civil law in Houston for a decade before being appointed by then-Governor George W. Bush to the Harris County family district court bench. Two years later then-Governor Rick Perry slated her for the Fourteenth Court of Appeals. 

In 2009, Perry elevated her to the Texas Supreme Court. A year later she became the first Hispanic woman elected to statewide office. The Texas Lawbook reported on Guzman’s legacy on the court after her resignation this summer. 

Guzman is recognized for being a champion of legal aid to the poor and served as the Supreme Court’s liaison to the Texas Access to Justice Commission. Lone Star Legal Aid and Texas CASA each honored Guzman with awards in 2020. 

“I have worked to improve outcomes for the most vulnerable in our justice system, and as the liaison to the Access to Justice Commission, I have worked to increase access to justice for low-income Texans,” Guzman said in her June 7 resignation letter. “Through the ongoing commitment of all those who join in these efforts, this shared legacy will continue to grow and benefit the people of Texas.” 

Guzman has reportedly already raised more than $1 million in her bid for Texas Attorney General, but Paxton, despite his numerous controversies, recently received the endorsement of President Donald Trump. Still, Guzman is expected to pose a formidable challenge – her then-record-setting vote total in her 2016 reelection to the Texas Supreme Court established her as one of the state’s most popular Republicans.