• Subscribe
  • Log In
  • Sign up for email updates
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Texas Lawbook

Free Speech, Due Process and Trial by Jury

  • Appellate
  • Bankruptcy
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Corp. Deal Tracker/M&A
  • GCs/Corp. Legal Depts.
  • Firm Management
  • White-Collar/Regulatory
  • Pro Bono/Public Service/D&I
Avatar photo

Mark Curriden

Mark Curriden is a lawyer/journalist and founder of The Texas Lawbook. In addition, he is a contributing legal correspondent for The Dallas Morning News.

Email Mark

Mark Curriden

Mark Curriden is a lawyer/journalist and founder of The Texas Lawbook. In addition, he is a contributing legal correspondent for The Dallas Morning News.

Mark is the author of the best selling book Contempt of Court: A Turn-of-the-Century Lynching That Launched a Hundred Years of Federalism. The book received the American Bar Association’s Silver Gavel Award and numerous other honors. He also is a frequent lecturer at bar associations, law firm retreats, judicial conferences and other events. His CLE presentations have been approved for ethics credit in nearly every state.

From 1988 to 1994, Mark was the legal affairs writer for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, where he covered the Georgia Supreme Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. He authored a three-part series of articles that exposed rampant use of drug dealers and criminals turned paid informants by local and federal law enforcement authorities, which led to Congressional oversight hearings. A related series of articles by Mark contributed to a wrongly convicted death row inmate being freed.

The Dallas Morning News made Mark its national legal affairs writer in 1996. For more than six years, Mark wrote extensively about the tobacco litigation, alleged price-fixing in the pharmaceutical industry, the Exxon Valdez litigation, and more than 25 cases before the Supreme Court of the United States. Mark also authored a highly-acclaimed 16-part series on the future of the American jury system. As part of his extensive coverage of the tobacco litigation, Mark unearthed confidential documents and evidence showing that the then Texas Attorney General, Dan Morales, had made a secret deal with a long-time lawyer and friend in which the friend would have profited hundreds of millions of dollars from the tobacco settlement. As a direct result of Mark’s articles, the U.S. Department of Justice opened a criminal investigation, which led to the indictment and conviction of Mr. Morales.

For the past 25 years, Mark has been a senior contributing writer for the ABA Journal, which is the nation’s largest legal publication. His articles have been on the cover of the magazine more than a dozen times. He has received scores of honors for his legal writing, including the American Bar Association’s Silver Gavel Award, the American Judicature Society’s Toni House Award, the American Trial Lawyer’s Amicus Award, and the Chicago Press Club’s Headliner Award. Twice, in 2001 and 2005, the American Board of Trial Advocates named Mark its “Journalist of the Year.”

From 2002 to 2010, Mark was the senior communications counsel at Vinson & Elkins, a 750-lawyer global law firm.

Mark’s book, Contempt of Court, tells the story of Ed Johnson, a young black man from Chattanooga, Tenn., in 1906. Johnson was falsely accused of rape, railroaded through the criminal justice system, found guilty and sentenced to death – all in three weeks. Two African-American lawyers stepped forward to represent Johnson on appeal. In doing so, they filed one of the first federal habeas petitions ever attempted in a state criminal case. The lawyers convinced the Supreme Court of the United States to stay Johnson’s execution. But before they could have him released, a lynch mob, aided by the sheriff and his deputies, lynched Johnson. Angered, the Supreme Court ordered the arrest of the sheriff and leaders of the mob, charging them with contempt of the Supreme Court. It is the only time in U.S. history that the Supreme Court conducted a criminal trial.

You can reach Mark at mark.curriden@texaslawbook.net or 214.232.6783.

Federal Circuit Allows EDTX Patent Party to Continue… for Now

The Eastern District of Texas will remain the patent lawsuit capital of America, thanks to a decision Friday by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Tech companies hoped the court would overturn a 26-year-old decision that gives patent owners wide latitude on where to file their suits. It did not.

May 1, 2016 Mark Curriden

Akin Gump and UT Law Team Up in Pro Bono School Police Brutality Lawsuit

The parents of three schoolchildren have filed suit against the City of Abilene and its school district for allowing an Abilene Police Department peace officer to use excessive force against the students – including one in kindergarten at the time of the attacks.

April 29, 2016 Mark Curriden

Houston Bakery Settles Hiring-Bias Suit for $1 million

Lawler Foods, a Humble firm celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, has agreed to pay $1 million to compensate hundreds of unsuccessful job seekers after federal officials accused the company of telling black, white and other applicants that it would not hire them in favor of Hispanics.The EEOC sued the company in 2014 for race and national origin discrimination.

April 29, 2016 Mark Curriden

Kirkland, Sidley and V&E Advise in $1B Private Stock Offering

Ohio-based MPLX said Wednesday that it will raise $1 billion through a private placement of 6.5 percent Series A convertible preferred units.

April 28, 2016 Mark Curriden

Kirkland, Sidley and V&E Advise in $1B Private Stock Offering

Ohio-based MPLX said Wednesday that it will raise $1 billion through a private placement of 6.5 percent Series A convertible preferred units.

April 28, 2016 Mark Curriden

Kirkland, Latham and Thompson & Knight Advise on $375M Investment

Houston-based Indigo Minerals said Thursday that it completed an equity capital raise worth $375 million that came from a group of new investors and existing investors that have backed Indigo since its 2006 inception.

April 28, 2016 Mark Curriden

Kirkland, Latham and Thompson & Knight Advise on $375M Investment

Houston-based Indigo Minerals said Thursday that it completed an equity capital raise worth $375 million that came from a group of new investors and existing investors that have backed Indigo since its 2006 inception.

April 28, 2016 Mark Curriden

After Big Jury Verdict, Both Sides May Dislike Judge’s Latest Rulings

By Jeff Bounds Both a Plano chip business and a one-time suitor turned rival could be pardoned if they both felt some disappointment about a federal district judge’s rulings Tuesday

April 27, 2016 Mark Curriden

Deason and Koch Give $7 million to SMU Dedman Law for Criminal Justice Reform

Doug Deason, the son of ACS founder Darwin Deason, was 17 in 1979 when he held a party at a neighbor’s house while they were gone. Booze flowed. Music was loud. Cops were called. Deason was charged with felony burglary. A well-connected lawyer convinced prosecutors to reduce the charge to a misdemeanor, which was expunged a year later. Deason said a felony could have ruined his life.

On Tuesday, Deason donated $3.5 million to SMU Dedman School of Law to create a legal institute that conducts innovative research and educational outreach efforts designed to promote criminal justice reform. Charles Koch gave another $3.5 million for the effort. This article has full details.

April 26, 2016 Mark Curriden

Enterprise Products Names Hap Weitzel as GC

Houston-based Enterprise Products has named career commercial litigator Harry “Hap” Weitzel, a 1987 graduate of Texas Christian, as its general counsel, according to the company’s website. The oil and gas pipeline company also named Craig Murray, who served as the company’s GC for the past 15 months, as its new vice president of regulatory affairs.

April 26, 2016 Mark Curriden

  • « Go to Previous Page
  • Go to page 1
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Go to page 293
  • Go to page 294
  • Go to page 295
  • Go to page 296
  • Go to page 297
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Go to page 547
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Features

  • P.S. — Pro Bono Work Honored at State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting - Advancing access to justice in rural Texas, advocating for domestic violence survivors and ensuring Spanish speakers aren’t left out are among the pro bono initiatives for which lawyers and a judge were honored during the State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting in San Antonio.   July 4, 2025Krista Torralva

GCs, Lawyers & Firms

  • Willkie Adds Blake Winburne to its Houston Office - Winburne was global head of the energy and infrastructure group at Orrick where he worked for more than nine years. He has been named co-chair of Willkie's energy and infrastructure practice.
  • Hines CLO Joins Greenberg Traurig in Houston
  • Thomas Verity Vaults to Norton Rose Fulbright
  • Veteran Houston Partner Jumps from Latham to Simpson
  • Skadden Hires Two M&A Partners from White & Case
  • V&E Adds Three Partners: Two from Kirkland, One from Baker Botts
  • Houston Texans Associate GC Jumps to Munsch Hardt
  • Gray Reed Hires Longtime Houston Exec to Lead Operations and Growth
  • Sorrels Law Adds Trial, Appellate Partner in Dallas
  • Holland & Knight’s Recent Lateral Partner Additions Strengthen RE, Financial Services Offerings
More GCs, Lawyers & Firms

Lawyers in the News

Hover right to see full list

Barry Barnett
Wes Bearden
Emily Westridge Black
Michael Burke
Alicia Campbell
John Campbell
Madeleine Carpenter
Alexander Clark
Dawn Pittman Collins
Richard Finneran
Elizabeth Freeman
David Gail
Elizabeth Gibson
David Jones
Frank Lopez
Abbe Lowell
Neal Manne
Billy Marsh
Tom Melsheimer
Tasha Moser
Justin Nelson
Reed O'Connor
Kate Pennartz
John “J.” Pieratt
Danielle Reyes
Christopher Richardson
Randy Sorrels
Harry Susman
Larry Vincent
Victor Vital
Brent Walker
Matt Weybrecht
Melody Wilkinson
Alex Wolens

Firms in the News

Hover right to show full list

A&O Shearman
Bryan Cave
Cozen O'Connor
Haynes Boone
Holland & Knight
Jackson Walker
King & Spalding
Kirkland & Ellis
Law Office of Liz Freeman
Paul Hastings
Porter Hedges
Sorrels Law
Susman Godfrey
Toyota
Troutman Pepper Locke
Willkie
Vinson & Elkins
Weil
Winston & Strawn

Footer

Who We Are

  • About Us
  • Our Team
  • Contact Us
  • Submit a News Tip

Stay Connected

  • Sign up for email updates
  • Article Submission Guidelines
  • Premium Subscriber Editorial Calendar

Our Partners

  • The Dallas Morning News
The Texas Lawbook logo

1409 Botham Jean Blvd.
Unit 811
Dallas, TX 75215

214.232.6783

© Copyright 2025 The Texas Lawbook
The content on this website is protected under federal Copyright laws. Any use without the consent of The Texas Lawbook is prohibited.