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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.

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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.

Texas Representative Elliott Naishtat Receives Texas Access to Justice Legislative Hero Award

The Texas Access to Justice Commission and Texas Access to Justice Foundation honored Representative Elliott Naishtat with the Texas Access to Justice Legislative Hero Award for his contributions to improving

January 7, 2013 Mark Curriden

Haynes and Boone’s Purvi Patel Elected to INTA Board of Directors

Purvi Patel, chair of Haynes and Boone’s Trademark Practice Group, has been elected to the International Trademark Association’s (INTA) Board of Directors. The appointment of the 2013-2015 board was made

January 6, 2013 Mark Curriden

Decker Jones Names Kelly Decker Shareholder

Attorney Kelly W. Decker has been promoted to shareholder at Decker Jones McMackin McClane Hall & Bates. She follows the footsteps of her late grandfather Robert W. Decker, who is

January 6, 2013 Mark Curriden

Powers & Frost Joins Wilson Elser

Wilson Elser is adding Houston law firm Powers & Frost, nearly doubling the number of attorneys in its Houston office. Eight Powers & Frost attorneys and staff started working under

January 4, 2013 Mark Curriden

Powers & Frost Joins Wilson Elser

Wilson Elser is adding Houston law firm Powers & Frost, nearly doubling the number of attorneys in its Houston office. Eight Powers & Frost attorneys and staff started working under

January 4, 2013 Mark Curriden

Beirne, Maynard & Parsons Adds New Orleans-based Lemle & Kelleher

Beirne, Maynard & Parsons, a Houston-based civil litigation law firm, has added New Orleans-based Lemle & Kelleher, increasing their presence in the Gulf Coast. The merger allows the Houston-based firm

January 4, 2013 Mark Curriden

Beirne, Maynard & Parsons Adds New Orleans-based Lemle & Kelleher

Beirne, Maynard & Parsons, a Houston-based civil litigation law firm, has added New Orleans-based Lemle & Kelleher, increasing their presence in the Gulf Coast. The merger allows the Houston-based firm

January 4, 2013 Mark Curriden

Akin Gump Promotes 11 to Partnership, Two in Texas

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld announced the election of 11 new partners, effective Jan. 1. Two of those lawyers are from the firm’s Texas offices. Gabriel J. Procaccini is

January 3, 2013 Mark Curriden

Ramey & Browning Announces New Location and Of Counsel

Ramey & Browning announced its new location at 5020 Montrose Blvd., Suite 750 in Houston. The firm also added Harry Laxton Jr. as of counsel to the firm. Laxton Jr.,

January 3, 2013 Mark Curriden

Ramey & Browning Announces New Location and Of Counsel

Ramey & Browning announced its new location at 5020 Montrose Blvd., Suite 750 in Houston. The firm also added Harry Laxton Jr. as of counsel to the firm. Laxton Jr.,

January 3, 2013 Mark Curriden

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Features

  • P.S. — J.L. Turner Legal Association Hosts Sold-Out Inaugural Juneteenth Celebration in Dallas - In this edition of P.S., we highlight the success of the J.L. Turner Legal Association’s first official Juneteenth Celebration, held at the Dallas African American Museum. The Dallas African American bar association, named for one of the city’s first Black lawyers, shared with The Texas Lawbook why it was compelled to emphasize the importance of Juneteenth in an event that was open to people of all professions and not just the legal community. Meanwhile, the State Bar of Texas is kicking off its annual meeting on June 19 amid controversy over its decision to disinvite the NAACP president from speaking at its Bar Leaders Recognition Luncheon. Former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas, Wallace B. Jefferson, will deliver a keynote address commemorating the legal history and significance of Juneteenth. And we highlight other upcoming Juneteenth celebrations, as well. June 13, 2025Krista Torralva

GCs, Lawyers & Firms

  • Sorrels Law Adds Trial, Appellate Partner in Dallas - E. Lawrence “Larry” Vincent joined the firm after nine years at Burns Charest. During his time there, he was the co-lead attorney in a successful representation of a group of Houston homeowners alleging government mismanagement of reservoirs lead to flooding of their properties during Hurricane Harvey.
  • Holland & Knight’s Recent Lateral Partner Additions Strengthen RE, Financial Services Offerings
  • Rice Taps Munck Wilson Attorney to be Associate Athletic Director
  • Veteran Energy Lawyer Christopher Richardson to join Paul Hastings
  • Troutman Pepper Locke Snags Two Key Houston PE Partners
  • Jackson Walker Hires Bracewell Partner to Lead Appellate Group
  • Husch Blackwell Hires Veteran Real Estate Partner in Dallas
  • Bracewell Partner Becomes Shareholder in Greenberg Traurig’s Houston, New York Offices
  • Bradley Hires Former EVP, CLO of Texas Regional Bank
  • Dell Technologies In-house Counsel Joins Yetter Coleman IP Group
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Lawyers in the News

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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

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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

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