A native of Waco, Chief Justice Brister has served at nearly every level of the Texas judiciary, including six years on the Texas Supreme Court, three years as Justice and Chief Justice of Houston’s First and Fourteenth Courts of Appeals, and eleven years as Presiding Judge of the 234th District Court in Harris County.

Justice Scott Brister

He and his wife, Julie, have been married for 37 years, and lived in the Austin for 20 years. They have four daughters, all of whom have completed college and graduate school.

Misc | Chair, Texas Public School Finance Commission (2017)
Member, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, Austin (2005–present)

15th Court of Appeals, Chief Justice | Texas Judges

Scott Brister is a native of Waco. He is a member of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Austin. He and his wife, Julie, have been married for 37 years, have four daughters, and have lived in Austin for 20 years.

Scott is a native of Waco. He is a member of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Austin. He and his wife, Julie, have been married for 37 years, have four daughters, and have lived in Austin for 20 years.

Legal Experience - Nonjudicial | Senior Partner, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP, 2009-2024
Andrews, Kurth, Campbell, & Jones—law firm (1981-1989)
Supreme Court of Texas — law clerk (1980-1981)

Chief Justice Brister received his J.D. with honors from Harvard Law School in 1980, after which he served as briefing attorney for then-Chief Justice Joe Greenhill of the Texas Supreme Court. He received his undergraduate degree with highest honors from Duke University in 1977, and his high school diploma from Richfield High School in Waco, Texas. He is board-certified in civil appellate law, civil trial law, and personal injury trial law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Chief Justice Scott Brister | Texas Judicial Branch

Scott Brister previously worked as a senior partner at Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP, at the law firm Andrews, Kurth, Campbell, & Jones, and as a law clerk for the Supreme Court of Texas. He is board-certified in civil appellate law, civil trial law, and personal injury trial law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Chief Justice Scott Brister - Texas Courts

Scott previously worked as a senior partner at Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP, at the law firm Andrews, Kurth, Campbell, & Jones, and as a law clerk for the Supreme Court of Texas. He is board-certified in civil appellate law, civil trial law, and personal injury trial law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Chief Justice Scott Brister was appointed by Governor Abbott as the first Chief Justice of the Fifteenth Court of Appeals effective September 1, 2024. He previously served on four other trial and appellate courts in Texas for 20 years: 6 years on the Texas Supreme Court (2003–09), 3 years as a Justice and Chief Justice of the First and Fourteenth Courts of Appeals in Houston (2001–03), and 11 years as Presiding Judge of the 234th District Court in Harris County (1989–2000).

Prior Elections | 2004 General Election: Justice, Texas Supreme Court - 59% vs David Van Os
2002 General Election: Chief Justice, Fourteenth Court of Appeals - Unopposed
2000 General Election: Justice, First Court of Appeals - 53.5% vs Mary Thompson
2000 Republican Primary: Justice, First Court of Appeals - 64% vs Richard Hall

Scott currently serves as chief justice of the Fifteenth Court of Appeals, having been appointed effective September 1, 2024. He previously served on the Texas Supreme Court from 2003 to 2009 and on Houston’s First and Fourteenth Courts of Appeals from 2001 to 2003. He was elected justice of the First Court of Appeals in 2000, chief justice of the Fourteenth Court of Appeals in 2002, and justice of the Texas Supreme Court in 2004.

Scott Brister currently serves as chief justice of the Fifteenth Court of Appeals, having been appointed effective September 1, 2024. He previously served on the Texas Supreme Court from 2003 to 2009 and on Houston’s First and Fourteenth Courts of Appeals from 2001 to 2003. He was elected justice of the First Court of Appeals in 2000, chief justice of the Fourteenth Court of Appeals in 2002, and justice of the Texas Supreme Court in 2004.

2026 Texas General Election

2026 Texas General Runoff

Nonpartisan

Before returning to the bench in 2024, Chief Justice Brister was a partner at the law firm of Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP. During those years, he continued his public service as a volunteer as Chair of the Texas Commission on Public School Finance, a blue-ribbon panel of lawmakers and educators tasked with making recommendations that the Texas Legislature adopted the next year.

Served as a law clerk for the Texas Supreme Court from 1980 to 1981, researching legal precedent and assisting with court work.

As chief justice of Texas’s Fifteenth Court of Appeals, reviews lower-court rulings for legal or procedural errors.

Served six years as a Texas Supreme Court justice, reviewing legal questions and lower-court rulings.

Served three years as a justice and chief justice on Houston’s First and Fourteenth Courts of Appeals, reviewing lower-court rulings.

Served 11 years as presiding judge of Harris County’s 234th District Court, presiding over cases and issuing rulings and orders.

Worked as a senior partner at Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP from 2009 to 2024, providing legal advice and representation to clients.

- Served as a law clerk for the Texas Supreme Court from 1980 to 1981, researching legal precedent and assisting with court work.
- As chief justice of Texas’s Fifteenth Court of Appeals, reviews lower-court rulings for legal or procedural errors.
- Served six years as a Texas Supreme Court justice, reviewing legal questions and lower-court rulings.
- Served three years as a justice and chief justice on Houston’s First and Fourteenth Courts of Appeals, reviewing lower-court rulings.
- Served 11 years as presiding judge of Harris County’s 234th District Court, presiding over cases and issuing rulings and orders.
- Worked as a senior partner at Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP from 2009 to 2024, providing legal advice and representation to clients.

Legal Experience

After 20 years as a judge and 33 years as a practicing lawyer, Governor Abbott asked me to become the first Chief Justice of the Fifteenth Court of Appeals. This new statewide court was created specifically to handle cases that impact Texans across the state by ensuring that the law is not twisted or ignored based on local politics. We need rational, uniform enforcement of the law now more than ever.

Calls for rational, uniform enforcement of the law statewide rather than enforcement shaped by local politics.

- Calls for rational, uniform enforcement of the law statewide rather than enforcement shaped by local politics.

Judicial Administration

I’ve served as a trial judge, an appellate justice, a Supreme Court justice, and now as Chief Justice of a statewide court. Across all those roles, my approach has been the same: follow the law as written, respect the Constitution, and issue clear, reasoned decisions that stand the test of time.

Judges are not lawmakers. Our job is to apply the law faithfully and efficiently, so that Texans can count on their courts to deliver justice with integrity.

One of the key factors in this is the rule of law: that state laws and business contracts mean exactly what they say—no more, no less. A deal is a deal. People, families, investors, and businesses of all kinds need this kind of stability to plan for the future.

Said judges should follow laws as written, respect the Constitution, and issue clear, reasoned decisions.

Said judges should apply the law faithfully and efficiently rather than act as lawmakers.

Said state laws and business contracts should mean exactly what they say.

- Said judges should follow laws as written, respect the Constitution, and issue clear, reasoned decisions.
- Said judges should apply the law faithfully and efficiently rather than act as lawmakers.
- Said state laws and business contracts should mean exactly what they say.

Judicial Philosophy

As of July 22, 2026, Scott Brister’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Ethics & Conduct

Volunteered as chair of the Texas Commission on Public School Finance, a panel that recommended school-finance changes to the Legislature.

Serves as a member of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Austin.

- Volunteered as chair of the Texas Commission on Public School Finance, a panel that recommended school-finance changes to the Legislature.
- Serves as a member of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Austin.

Community Involvement

Scott Brister

Worked at the law firm Andrews, Kurth, Campbell, & Jones from 1981 to 1989.

- As chief justice of Texas’s Fifteenth Court of Appeals, reviews lower-court rulings for legal or procedural errors.
- Served six years as a Texas Supreme Court justice, reviewing legal questions and lower-court rulings.
- Served three years as a justice and chief justice on Houston’s First and Fourteenth Courts of Appeals, reviewing lower-court rulings.
- Served 11 years as presiding judge of Harris County’s 234th District Court, presiding over cases and issuing rulings and orders.
- Worked as a senior partner at Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP from 2009 to 2024, providing legal advice and representation to clients.

Buket Urgen

Jerry Zimmerer

- In Texas, appeals from district and county courts, except death penalty cases, go to one of 14 intermediate courts of appeal.
- The chief justice presides over court meetings, manages the court's administration, and has the authority to assign justices or judges to specific cases.
- Justices are elected in partisan elections for six-year terms.
- The yearly salary for a Court of Appeals justice in Texas is between $192,500 and $255,050 based on the total number of years they have served, plus an additional bonus of $13,475 for Chief Justice duties.

Oversees a court that handles appeals of lower trial court decisions.