The Volokh Conspiracy
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Governor Abbott Appoints Kyle Hawkins As Justice Of The Supreme Court Of Texas
I am pleased to report that Kyle Hawkins is the newest member of the Texas Supreme Court. I got to know Justice Hawkins during his tenure as Texas Solicitor General. With principle and courage, he represented Texas before the United States Supreme Court and the Supreme Court of Texas. I, for one, was partial to his argument in California v. Texas, even if the Supreme Court was not.
Justice Hawkins will be a brilliant jurist and a committed originalist.
Texas is very lucky to have him. Dare I say, Texas might have the deepest state supreme court bench in the country?
Here is the announcement:
Governor Greg Abbott appointed Kyle Hawkins as Justice, Place 7, on the Supreme Court of Texas for a term set to expire on December 31, 2026.
"Kyle Hawkins is a proven defender of both the U.S. and Texas Constitutions," said Governor Abbott. "Most recently, as a lawyer for President Trump's Department of Justice, he fought for the freedom of states like Texas to administer Medicaid programs consistent with pro-life values. As Texas Solicitor General, he litigated critical cases at the highest levels of the state and federal judiciary, from challenging the federal overreach of Obamacare to defending Texas' election integrity measures. In private practice, he has handled complex civil disputes at the heart of our thriving economy. Hawkins' tremendous experience will be an asset to the highest court in Texas as he remains steadfast in his dedication to the rule of law and the preservation of the liberties granted by God and enshrined by our founders."
Kyle Hawkins of Austin is a partner at the firm Lehotsky Keller Cohn LLP. Hawkins has over 16 years of experience in public and private practice. Previously, he served as Counselor to the U.S. Solicitor General, the Texas Solicitor General, and as a commercial litigation partner in the Dallas and Houston offices of Gibson Dunn & Crutcher. He previously served as a law clerk to Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. of the U.S. Supreme Court and to Judge Edith H. Jones of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Additionally, he served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Texas Law School, where he taught seminars on constitutional law and oral advocacy. Hawkins received a Bachelor of Arts from Harvard College and a Juris Doctor from the University of Minnesota Law School.
