Guides: Judicial & Lawyer Biographical Sources: General Information

About This Guide

This guide provides an overview of online and print resources for finding information about Texas judges and attorneys. It includes biographical resources from 1800s to the present day, directories, oral histories, online databases, and more.

Historical Print Resources

These historical volumes provide profiles or short biographies of notable Texas jurists through 1936.

A history of Texas and Texans [print book]
Call Number: KFT 350 J64

Five-volume set containing profiles of notable Texans, including judges in the nineteenth century. Available online through HathiTrust.
Personnel of the Texas State government, with sketches of representative men of Texas [print book]
Call Number: KFT 4930 D26

Contains brief biographical sketches and some portraits of noted members of state government until 1892.
Texas jurists [print book]
Call Number: KFT 352 S6

Depicts judges and others active in the legal profession in Texas from 1845-1936.
Texas: her resources and her public men [print book]
Call Number: KFT 358 D4

Contains information about Texas lawyers and judges around 1858. Original edition available online through HathiTrust.
The bench and bar of Texas [print book]
Call Number: KFT 354 L85

Contains biographies of noted Texas lawyers and judges from 1824-1885. Available online through HathiTrust.
The history of the Supreme Court of the state of Texas [print book]
Call Number: KFT 353 D3

Provides a history of the Texas Supreme Court from 1824-1917.

Contemporary Print Resources

These contemporary titles provide profiles or short biographies of notable Texas jurists from 1800s through modern times.

Centennial history of the Texas bar, 1882-1982 [print book]
Call Number: KFT 332 S7

A collection of articles on topics in Texas legal history to celebrate the Centennial of the State Bar of Texas in 1982. Some entries contain biographical information on noted lawyers and judges.
Judges of the Republic of Texas (1836-1846) : a biographical directory [print book]
Call Number: KFT 353 E7

Per the publisher, this book is a "biographical directory with data on approximately 1,500 men who served as judges - from the County Justice of the Peace to the Supreme Court. Also contains rosters of judges by office and county and a bibliography indicating where additional information may be found."
Lone star law : a legal history of Texas [print book]
Call Number: KFT 242 A75

Traces unique legal history of Texas from the early 1700s to the early 2000s. Included is a chapter on the history of the legal profession which mentions noteworthy jurists.
A Reference guide to Texas law and legal history [print book]
Call Number: KFT 242 B6

Provides references to judicial biographical sketches contained in Texas Reporters, p.79
Texas judge reviews [print book]
Call Number: KFT 8775 C68

Provides profiles and evaluations of select Texas District Court judges. Library holds 1998-1999. Publication is no longer updated.
The Texas Supreme Court : a narrative history, 1836-1986 [print book]
Call Number: KFT 353 H35

This work is written in a narrative style, emphasizing stories, drama, and the people who contributed to Texas' legal history in the first 150 years of statehood.
The Texas Supreme Court : an index of selected sources on the Court and its members, 1836-1981 [print book]
Call Number: KFT 353 T45

This bibliography, published by the Tarlton Law Library at the University of Texas provides extensive citations to sources about the Texas Supreme Court in general and the justices who served until 1981.

Oral Histories

The resources below are primarily print transcripts. Oral history interviews focus on the interviewees' careers, personal lives, and particular events.

A Texas Supreme Court trilogy [print book]
Call Number: KFT 354 S9 B7

This three-volume set provides oral histories of Robert W. Calvert, Joe R. Greenhill, Sr., and Jack Pope.

Oral Histories of Texas Appellate Court Justices
The law firm Haynes Boone produced this collection of 14 interviews between 1998-2006. Library has transcripts and select interviews are available on CD.
Oral History Interviews (Texas Bar Foundation)
The Texas Bar Foundation interviews each of the winners of their "Outstanding Fifty Year Lawyer Award." The library holds transcripts of interviews from 1998-current.

Online Resources

Handbook of Texas
Provided by the Texas State Historical Association, this website provides brief encyclopedic entries on important topics in Texas history.
Texas Jurists Photographs Collected by Jack Pope
Tarlton Law Library's collection of jurist portraits mostly used by Ocie Speer in the book Texas Jurists, 1836-1931.
Library Databases
The Library offers access to many databases containing journal articles, e-books, legal forms, newspapers, government information, and much more.
Southwestern Historical Quarterly
This journal, published by the Texas State Historical Association since 1897, contains articles on many topics related to Texas history. Previous issues are searchable through the Portal to Texas History.
Texas Bar Journal
The State Bar of Texas provides online access to all issues of this journal (1939-current). The library also has volumes in print on the mezzanine.

Directories

Directories provide brief information such as position held and contact information.

Texas legal directory [print book]
Call Number: KFT 192 T43

Updated annually. Library holds 1936-current (some missing years).
The American bench: judges of the nation [print book]
Call Number: KF 8700 A19 A42

Contains contact information and position held. Some entries contain additional biographical description such as education, previous employment, personal interests and civic activities. Library holds 2001-2012.
The Martindale-Hubbell law directory [print book]
Call Number: KF 190 H81

Updated annually. Library holds selected volumes from 1912-current. From 1931-current, library only retains the Texas volume of the full set.

State Bar of Texas Member Directory
Search for current contact information for members of the State Bar of Texas.

Note The library cannot tell you what the law means for your situation.