Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Jimmy Blacklock as Chief Justice and James P. Sullivan as Justice, Place 2, on the Supreme Court of Texas for terms set to expire on December 31, 2026.
“With more than 35 years on the bench, Chief Justice Nathan Hecht is the state’s longest-serving Justice on the Supreme Court of Texas, and I am grateful for his dedication to the rule of law and his service to our great state,” said Governor Abbott. ”Jimmy Blacklock has been a principled jurist while serving on the highest court in Texas and will be steadfast in his commitment to the rule of law as the Court’s next Chief Justice. As General Counsel for the Office of the Governor, James Sullivan has provided superior legal advice and rendered opinions on some of the most consequential legal issues in Texas. He has the integrity, temperament, and experience Texas needs as a Texas Supreme Court Justice. The Supreme Court of Texas plays a crucial role to shape the future of our great state, and Jimmy Blacklock and James Sullivan will be unwavering guardians of the Texas Constitution serving on our state’s highest judicial court.”
Jimmy Blacklock of Austin, a native of Houston, has served on the Texas Supreme Court since January 2018. He honed his legal skills serving as a clerk for Judge Jerry Smith on the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. He practiced civil litigation and appeals in private practice in Houston and Austin. Before he served as Governor Abbott’s General Counsel, Blacklock served six years in the Texas Attorney General’s office, where he assisted on Obamacare litigation, religious liberty, and right to life issues. He is a member of the Federalist Society and a deacon at Tarrytown Christian Church. Blacklock received a Bachelor of Arts from The University of Texas at Austin and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School.
James P. Sullivan of Austin has served as Governor Abbott’s General Counsel since November 2021. Previously, he served as Deputy General Counsel to the Governor, as Assistant Solicitor General of Texas, and as a law clerk to Judge Thomas B. Griffith on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, in addition to stints as an adjunct professor at George Mason University and an appellate litigator in private practice. He is a member of the Federalist Society and Teneo. Sullivan received a Bachelor of Arts from Rice University and a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School.
