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Carolyn Wright
Fifth District Court of Appeals
By Rob Hailey
Spend a short amount of
time speaking with Fifth District Court of Appeals Justice Carolyn Wright
and you'll see that Justice Wright is dedicated to being a true public
servant. If you take a look at her record, you'll find that her commitment
to public service has guided her in every step of her professional career.
Justice
Wright has served on the bench for 17 years. She is the highest ranking
African‑American in the Texas State Judiciary. Justice Wright's transition
from advocate to judge began only five years out of law school when Justice
Wright was the first African‑American appointed as Master in Family District
Court. In 1986, she was elected State Judge of the 256th District Court,
defeating three opponents in the process. Justice Wright's victory marked
the first time that an African‑American woman had won a county‑wide election
for the District Court bench. She served in the 256th District Court until
she was appointed by Governor Bush to fill a vacant seat on the Fifth
District Court of Appeals. She has since been elected twice to the same
seat, and although her current term doesn't
expire until 2004, she is quick to note that she plans to run again.
Justice Wright, a fourth generation Texan, was born in
Houston but lived in a number of places
before coming back to
Texas after law school. Since her father
was in the United States Air Force, Justice Wright's family was frequently
on the move. She attended junior high at Ashiya
Air Force Base in
Japan and two years of high
school at Tachikawa Air Force Base in
Japan before moving back to the
United States. Although she
doesn't speak much Japanese anymore, Justice Wright continues to love
Japanese culture, particularly Japanese sumo wrestling.
While grateful she was able to experience life in another culture, Justice
Wright admits the transition back to the
United States was very
difficult. When she returned in the 1960's she was shocked to find the
country in political and racial turmoil. This experience forced her to
question where she fit in society and how she could make a difference. Her
questions were partially answered during her junior year in high school when
Justice Wright became the first African‑American selected to go to
Delaware's
Girls
State. At
Girls
State, she was elected
Attorney‑General and argued a case for the abolition of
Delaware's whipping post. This marked the
point in her life when she decided to dedicate herself to the law.
After graduating from high school Justice Wright enrolled in a paralegal
program at
Strayer
College in
Washington,
D.C. After receiving her degree, she
worked for the Citizens Crusade Against Poverty,
the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the Office of Youth
Advocacy. While working at the EEOC, Justice Wright met her mentor, Dr.
James Jones, who convinced her to go back to school and get her law degree.
Justice Wright enrolled at Howard University School of Law and received her
J.D. in 1978.
Upon graduation from law school, Justice Wright decided to move back to
Texas and began a private law practice in
Dallas. She describes the beginning of her
legal career as "breaking into a new frontier." At that time in
Dallas, there were no African‑American
attorneys practicing in the major law firms and only one other
African‑American woman engaged in the full time practice of law.
As a young attorney, Justice Wright was both advocate and mentor to the
youth she frequently represented in court. One problem that nagged Justice
Wright were the opinions frequently espoused by
her clients that the system was unfair. Justice Wright believes that
"justice is as much about the appearance of justice as it is actual
fairness." She further believes that a diverse judiciary greatly enhances
the perception that our legal system is fair and just to all. With that in
mind, Justice Wright quickly made it her goal to ensure greater diversity in
the ranks of the
Dallas judiciary.
When asked
what advice she would give to lawyers practicing in the Fifth District Court
of Appeals, Judge Wright quickly responds that lawyers need to remember that
oral arguments are for the judges, not the lawyers. Lawyers should be
particularly prepared to answer questions if they argue a point of law that
is not well settled. Justice Wright's biggest courtroom pet peeve is
inattention to the court's standard of review and attempts to rely on the
sympathy of the court. She notes that it is completely irrelevant whether
she feels sympathy toward the appellant unless the appellant can show there
are points of error within the court's jurisdiction.
As for
things we all want to know about Justice Wright:
(1)
Favorite movie ‑ any World War II movie with a "love theme"
(2)
Favorite TV show ‑ CNN News and 60 Minutes
(3) Last book read ‑ "Gifted Hands" ‑‑ an autobiography
of African‑American neurosurgeon, Dr. Ben Carson
(4)
Favorite food ‑ seafood and rice
(5)
Favorite sports team ‑ Dallas Mavericks
(6) Person
she'd most like to meet ‑ Nelson Mandela
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