Education:
- Doctor of Jurisprudence
- Texas Tech University School of Law
- Bachelor of Arts – Cum Laude
- North Texas State University
Qualification Summary:
- Legislative experience including serving as a Member of the Texas House of Representatives, Texas House of Representatives Committee Chairman and Vice Chairman;
- Legislative experience serving on the staff of the Texas House of Representatives Member Jim Dunnam;
- General Counsel experience serving as Counsel to the Texas House of Representatives Member Jim Dunnam and to numerous clients and small businesses in the Dallas Metropolitan Area;
- Administrative Experience counseling and representing clients, constituents, and Texas House of Representatives Members on policies, procedures, and practices involving State, Federal and Local Divisions of Government;
- Experience in budgetary matters for the Texas House of Representatives including appropriations and expenditures;
- Experience in counseling and practicing related to the Texas House of Representatives and the Texas Senate operations including Committee Policies, Procedures, and Practices;
- Experience in counseling, advising, and practicing before the Texas Courts of Appeal and the Texas Supreme Court;
- Experience in counseling, advising, interpreting, and amending the Constitution of the State of Texas;
- Experience in drafting, interpreting, and amending legislation;
- Experience in drafting and presenting briefs and arguments before the Texas Supreme Court, the Texas Courts of Appeal, and Administrative Agencies;
- Appeared over times before the Texas Courts of Appeal;
- Appeared four times before the Texas Supreme Court.
Licensures and Certifications:
- Authorized to Practice Law by the Texas Supreme Court;
- Admitted to Practice Law before the United States District Court, Northern District of Texas;
- Admitted to Practice Law before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit;
- Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Civil Trial Law and Personal Injury Law for over twenty (20) years.
Experience:
- Attorney and Partner in Edwards & Tillery, Attorneys at Law, Dallas, Texas – May 1984 to June 1992
- Attorney and President of Tillery & Tillery, Attorneys at Law, Dallas, Texas – June 1992 to December 2010
- Elected to the Texas House of Representatives, District 105, Dallas, Texas – November 1994 (the 74th Legislature)
- Served on the Civil Practices and Urban Affairs Committees, and the Joint Committee on Affordable Housing
- Named “Legislator of the Year” by the Texas conference of Police & Sheriffs, “Freshman Legislator of the Year” by the Texas State Association of Firefighters, and was the first freshman State Representative to pass legislation during the 74th Legislative Session.
- Re-elected to the Texas House of Representatives, District 105, Dallas, Texas – November 1996 (the 75th Legislature)
- Appointed to the Appropriations, House Administration, and Pension & Investment Committees
- Served on the Civil Practices and Urban Affairs Committees, and a member of the Joint Committee on Affordable Housing
- Served on three Appropriations subcommittees, including the Joint Committee studying welfare reform in Texas.
- Served as chair of the Pensions and Investments subcommittee studying the restructuring of health care for all state employees
- Re-elected to the Texas House of Representatives, District 105, Dallas, Texas – November 1998 (the 76th Legislature)
- Appointed to House Administration, House Select Committee on Constitutional Revision, and Appropriations;
- Served as Vice-Chair of Pension and Investments Committee
- Received the grade of an A+ for my legislative work during the 76th Legislative Session from the Combined Law Enforcement Association
- Re-elected to the Texas House of Representatives, District 105, Dallas, Texas – November 2000 (the 77th Legislature)
- Appointed Chairman of the Pensions and Investments Committee
- Served on the Juvenile Justice and Family Issues Committee
- Served on Select Committee on Teacher Health Insurance
- Served on the Faculty of the Advanced Personal Injury Law Course (August 2001)
- ATPE Region 10 Legislator of the Year
- Staff member on Representative Jim Dunnam’s staff – Jan 2003 to Jan 2006
- Elected Judge of the 134th Civil District Court of Dallas County, Texas – November 2010 (December 28, 2010)
