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UT Law alumnus, justice to speak tonight
Wallace Jefferson, the first black person appointed to the Texas Supreme Court, said his great-great-great-grandfather, a slave for a Texas judge, would never have predicted his descendent’s success.
“The evolution of freedom and liberty since that time has been extraordinary,” Jefferson said.
Jefferson became Texas’ first black chief justice in 2004 and will share his experiences as a pioneer in his field with UT students tonight.
“I never envisioned being chief justice, for sure, but I felt that with my education and my leadership positions, I would end up in some type of leadership position,” Jefferson said. “It is difficult to be the first at anything, and to be the first justice and chief justice has been a challenge, but it presents a great opportunity to be a role model to youth.”
Jefferson graduated from John Jay High School in San Antonio in 1981 and received a bachelor’s degree in political philosophy from James Madison College at Michigan State University in 1985. With the encouragement of his older brother, he attended UT’s School of Law and graduated with a doctoral law degree in 1988.
Jefferson will speak about his life experiences and explain what his job entails.
“I love sharing my background and views with students, but even more, I like to hear what the students have to say about their views and future goals,” Jefferson said.
College Republicans at Texas and Student Government will co-host the event.
“He’s a huge figure in Texas politics, and he has a great story to tell,” said Ryan Ellis, spokesman for the College Republicans at Texas.
