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Experience

  • Mediator and arbitrator

  • Justice, Texas 14th Court of Appeals, 2013 - 2018

  • Judge, 113th Texas State District Court, 2011 to  2013

  • Director, Judicial and Legal Issues, Harris County Judge Ed Emmett, 2009 - 2010

    • TABC Hearing Judge appointed by Harris County Judge Ed Emmett, 2009 - 2010

  • Judge, 61st Texas State District Court, 1997 - 2008

    • Rules Committee for the Board of Civil Judges, chairman, 2006 - 2008

    • Special Dockets (mass torts) Committee, chairman, 2002 - 2008

    • Presiding Judge of all 4,870 silicone implant cases, June 1999 - concluding July 16, 2004

    • 1st Rezulin diabetes drug trial in the United States

    • 1st Harris County jury trial for MDL asbestos litigation

  • Farmers Insurance, staff counsel, 1993 - 1996

  • Travelers Insurance, staff counsel, 1986 - 1993

  • Edward Urquhart civil litigation, 1985 - 1986

 

Certifications

  • Board certified Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, 1992 - present

  • University of Houston Law Center, A.A. White Dispute Resolution Center, 2019 

  • Attorney-Mediators Institute, Inc. 1996

 

Committees and organizations

  • State Bar of Texas:

    • State Bar of Texas Court Rules Committee, 2013 - 2019

    • State Bar of Texas Public Affairs Committee, 2007 - 2012

  • College of the State Bar of Texas, 25 Year Fellow Member

  • Houston Bar Association:​​

    • ​Houston Bar Association Dispute Resolution Center, Director, Board of Directors, May 2021 - present
    • Harris County Dispute Resolution Center, volunteer mediator, 2019 - present

    • Administration of Justice Committee 

    • Senior Lawyers Committee

  • Life Fellow:

    • Houston Bar Foundation

    • Houston Young Lawyer’s Foundation

    • Texas Bar Foundation

 

Community

  • American Leadership Forum Criminal Justice Class 1

  • Leadership Houston Class XXII

  • Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Lifetime Committee

  • World Championship BBQ Contest, PR committee member, 2000 - present

  • 100 Club and the Sentinel Club, life member

  • West University Little League Board of Directors and equipment coordinator, 1998 - 1999

  • West University Elementary School Foundation, trustee, 2008 - 2013

  • St. Vincent de Paul Church, lector, 1992 - present

  • Coach or assistant coach for over 20 teams involving youth soccer, baseball and basketball. 

 

Education

South Texas College of Law cum laude, J.D., 1984

University of St. Thomas, B.A, 1980

© 2019 John Donovan Mediation

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