Senate Confirms Sean Jordan as U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Texas

July 31, 2019 | Attorney News



Jackson Walker is pleased to announce that the Senate on Tuesday confirmed Sean D. Jordan as a U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Texas. On January 16, 2019, President Donald Trump nominated Sean to succeed Senior District Judge Richard Schell, filling the final vacancy on the court.

Sean joined Jackson Walker in 2000 and was elected to partnership in 2002, prior to serving as Principal Deputy Solicitor General in the Office of the Solicitor General of Texas. In that role, he represented the state, its agencies and officials in numerous appeals and led a team of appellate lawyers in supervising the federal and state court appeals handled by the Texas Attorney General’s Office. He also coordinated the amicus curiae practice of the State of Texas in the U.S. Supreme Court, and federal circuit and state appellate courts.

He later rejoined the Firm in 2015 with Kent Sullivan, who had previously served as a justice on Texas’ Fourteenth Court of Appeals in Houston, as a state district judge, and as First Assistant Attorney General under Greg Abbott. Together, Sean and Kent co-chaired Jackson Walker’s Appellate practice group before Kent was named the state’s Commissioner of Insurance in 2017.

Once Sean is sworn in, former justice of the Texas First District Court of Appeals Jennifer Caughey, who joined the Firm in March 2019 and currently serves as Co-Chair of Jackson Walker’s 18-member Appellate practice, will continue to lead the practice.

“It has been a privilege to work with Sean Jordan at Jackson Walker. He will make an outstanding addition to the federal bench,” Jennifer noted.

“Sean Jordan is an excellent appellate lawyer with an outstanding record,” said C. Wade Cooper, Jackson Walker managing partner. “His prior experiences as Texas’ deputy solicitor general, and as a trial lawyer, have prepared him to be an exceedingly effective federal judge. Sean will serve with great distinction.”

Sean has handled complex civil litigation and appellate cases in both government service and private practice. He has argued before the U.S. Supreme Court and has written numerous Supreme Court briefs, twice winning the “Best Brief Award” from the National Association of Attorneys General for outstanding brief-writing before the U.S. Supreme Court.

“We are extremely proud, but not surprised, that Sean was nominated and confirmed for this role,” said W. Ross Forbes, Jr., who leads the Trial & Appellate Litigation practice at Jackson Walker. “Anyone who knows Sean knows that he will be a terrific federal judge and a fantastic addition to the Eastern District of Texas.”

“We are extremely proud, but not surprised, that Sean was nominated and confirmed for this role.”

Houston litigation partner Charles “Chip” L. Babcock added: “I’ve seen firsthand Sean’s infallible judgment, attention to detail, and superb litigation skills – all things that will make him an incredible judge.”

Sean joins an ever-growing list of current and past Jackson Walker attorneys who have served on the bench, including David Folsom (Eastern District of Texas), Senior U.S. District Judge Robert A. Junell (Western District of Texas), Jennifer Caughey (Texas First District Court of Appeals), Kent Sullivan (Texas Fourteenth District Court of Appeals), Carmen Symes Dusek (51st Judicial District Court), Len A. Wade (141st Judicial District Court), and Jay Weatherby (340th Judicial District Court).

“To serve on the Eastern District of Texas is an honor, and I wish Sean Jordan the best in his new role as a U.S. District Judge,” Judge Folsom said.

Sean is a Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation. From 2016 to 2018, he was named a “Texas Super Lawyer” by Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters). In 2015, he was recognized by The Legal 500 United States in the area of Commercial Litigation.

Sean received his B.A., summa cum laude, from the University of Texas at Austin and his J.D., with honors, from the University of Texas School of Law. Prior to attending UT Austin, Sean served in the U.S. Army as an infantryman and paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division.

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Founded more than 130 years ago, Jackson Walker has played a vital role in the growth and development of Texas business. With more than 400 attorneys across seven Texas-based offices, the Firm represents Fortune 500 companies, multinational corporations, major financial institutions, insurance companies, and a wide range of public companies and private businesses around the globe. The Firm is ranked nationally in 27 practice areas in the U.S. News’ “Best Law Firms” rankings, has nine Chambers-ranked practices and 16 practice areas with Chambers-ranked attorneys, and has been recognized as a BTI Client Service A-Team since 2014.


In This Story

Charles L. Babcock
Partner, Houston
Jennifer Caughey
Partner, Houston
C. Wade Cooper
Partner, Austin
W. Ross Forbes, Jr.
Partner, Dallas

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