Hon. Wallace B. Jefferson

Partner at Alexander Dubose & Jefferson

Wallace B. Jefferson is a partner at Alexander Dubose & Jefferson.  Prior to joining the firm in October 2013, he served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas. Appointed to the Supreme Court in 2001 and named Chief Justice in 2004, Jefferson made Texas judicial history as the Court’s first African-American Justice and Chief Justice. He led the Court’s efforts to fund access to justice programs; helped reform juvenile justice; and inaugurated a statewide electronic filing system for Texas courts. During his time on the bench, Jefferson was elected President of the Conference of Chief Justices, an association of chief justices from the 50 states and U.S. territories. A graduate of the James Madison College at Michigan State University and the University of Texas School of Law, Jefferson is the namesake for Wallace B. Jefferson Middle School in San Antonio. 

Jefferson is Chair of the Texas Commission to Expand Civil Legal Services, a Fellow of the by-invitation-only American Academy of Appellate Lawyers, and a Council member of the American Law Institute. He serves on the Board of Lexitas and the Project on Government Oversight. Jefferson has been certified in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 1993 and has twice won cases he argued in the Supreme Court of the United States.

He is licensed to practice in the United States Supreme Court, the Supreme Court of Texas, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.