Court History

October 1, 2013, to December 31, 2024

Nathan L. Hecht was the 27th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas. He was elected to the Court seven times, first in 1988 as a Justice and then in 2014 and 2020 as Chief Justice. Chief Justice Hecht retired from the Court effective December 31, 2024. 

He was the longest-serving member of the Court in Texas history. Throughout his service on the Court, he oversaw revisions to the rules of administration, practice, and procedure in Texas courts, and was appointed by the Chief Justice of the United States to the federal Advisory Committee on Civil Rules. He was also active in the Court's efforts to assure that Texans living below the poverty level, as well as others with limited means, have access to basic civil legal services. 

Chief Justice Hecht was appointed to the district court in 1981 and was elected to the court of appeals in 1986. Before taking the bench, he was a partner in the Locke firm in Dallas. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors in philosophy from Yale University, and a Juris Doctor degree cum laude from the Southern Methodist University School of Law, where he was a Hatton W. Sumners Scholar. He clerked for Judge Roger Robb on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Reserve Judge Advocate General's Corps.

He is the longest serving past president of the national Conference of Chief Justices (through COVID), a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a Life Member of the American Law Institute and a member of Council, and a member of the Texas Philosophical Society. Retired Chief Justice Hecht leaves a legacy of judicial excellence, steadfast commitment to the rule of law, and the delivery of fair, impartial, and efficient justice for all Texans.