Justice Jimmy Blacklock, who has served on the Texas Supreme Court since he was appointed by the governor in 2018, has a new title.
He was named as the new Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court by Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday. Former Chief Justice Nathan Hecht retired from the court at the end of December after serving on the court for 36 years, including as chief justice since 2013.
In a statement issued by the Supreme Court Monday afternoon, Chief Justice Blacklock thanked the governor for the appointment.
“Chief Justice Hecht leaves behind an extraordinary legacy of service to the Court and to the people of Texas,” the statement reads. “I join all my colleagues in thanking him and honoring him for his wisdom and his leadership over the years. The Supreme Court of Texas belongs to the people of Texas, not to the judges or the lawyers. Our job at the Court is to apply the law fairly and impartially to every case that comes before us. My colleagues and I are committed to defending the rule of law and to preserving our Texas and United States Constitutions. I look forward to helping the Court continue to pursue equal justice under the law for all Texans.”
Chief Justice Blacklock won reelection to the court in the 2018 and 2024 general elections.
“Governor Abbott’s decision reflects his commitment to upholding the integrity and excellence of Texas’ judicial system,” Senior Justice Debra Lehrmann said on behalf of the Court.
To fill the position formerly held by Chief Justice Blacklock, Gov. Abbott also announced Monday he was elevating his general counsel, James P. Sullivan to the court. Justice Sullivan has been Gov. Abbott’s general counsel since November 2021, and was deputy general counsel for more than six years before that. He formerly served as an assistant solicitor general of Texas and was a law clerk to Judge Thomas B. Griffith of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.
Justice Sullivan earned a bachelor’s degree from Rice University in 2003 and is a 2006 graduate of Harvard Law School. He worked in private practice at Covington & Burling and King & Spalding.
A native of the Houston area, Chief Justice Blacklock grew up in Missouri City and graduated from Elkins High School.
Chief Justice Blacklock graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a bachelor’s degree in 2002 and is a 2005 graduate of Yale Law School. He is a former law clerk to Judge Jerry E. Smith of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
He began his legal career at Vinson & Elkins before serving for one year as counsel to the assistant attorney general at the U.S. Department of Justice.
From there, Chief Justice Blacklock went to work for the Texas attorney general, moving up from assistant solicitor general, where he began in September 2009, to deputy attorney general for legal counsel in January 2015. He also served as general counsel to the governor prior to his appointment to the state’s high court.