Chief Justice Jack Pope is widely acknowledged in the legal community as one of the Texas judiciary’s brightest stars. During his 38 years on the bench he not only authored more than 1,000 opinions, many of them landmark cases, but he also led the charge to bring about fundamental judicial reforms, among many other contributions. He was one of those rare individuals who looked to the past and to the future with equal sharpness of vision, a legal historian and judicial reformer who applied his talents to improving the law as well as the administration of law.
The first part of this paper focuses on Jack Pope the man and judge, on the aspects of his character and personality that earned the respect and support of his peers and enabled him to bring about major changes in the state’s jurisprudence.
The second part extends the examination to specific areas of the law and judicial administration influenced by Chief Justice Pope’s opinions and actions.
First published as a CLE for "Practice Before the Texas Supreme Court," Appellate Section of the State Bar of Texas. To read the full article, click here.