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Returning to her home state of Texas, Wright founded her own law firm. In 1983 she became an associate judge in the family law courts. she ran for a family district bench two years later as a
Republican. When she won she became the first African-American woman in Dallas to win a county-wide election.
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appointed her to the Fifth Court of
Appeals as an associate justice in 1995. When Chief Justice Linda Thomas in 2009, Governor Perry appointed Wright to replace her as chief justice. Several hundred supporters and legal professionals attended her swearing-in ceremony on Jan. 4, 2010, when she became
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Wright was born in
Houston, Texas to Adell Willis Wright and his wife Alvora Christin née Lightfoot. She was raised in a career military family and during her childhood lived in a variety of locations in the United States as well as Japan. After high school she attended
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the first
African American to become chief justice of any intermediate appellate court in Texas. In her role as Chief Justice, she presides over 12 other justices in the largest intermediate court in the state and one of the busiest courts in the United States.
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Wright has received many awards, including the
National Association of Women Lawyers’ Leadership Award; the American Bar Association Business Section's Award for contributions to women and proficiency in law; the
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for significant contributions to her community. She was appointed by
Governor Clements to the Governor's Commission for Women. Governor Rick Perry inducted her into the
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degree from Howard
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5th Court of
Appeals Chief Justice Linda Thomas set to move on after 30 years as a judge
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in recognition of her 30 years public service as a civil, family and criminal judge.
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Heath resident appointed Dallas
Appeals Court chief justice by Gov. Perry
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209:(born September 27, 1946) is an American lawyer, jurist and a former
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Judicial
Profiles - Carolyn Wright (Fifth District Court of Appeals)
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CHIEF JUSTICE ROBERT D. BURNS, III (bio as of November 9, 2019)
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Associate Judge of the Dallas County Family District Court
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Associate Justice for the Fifth Court of Appeals of Texas
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Black Texas Women: 150 Years of Trial and Triumph (2010)
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CHIEF JUSTICE CAROLYN WRIGHT (bio as of July 10, 2017)
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Chief Justice for the Fifth Court of Appeals of Texas
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Gov. Perry inducts 9 into Texas Women’s Hall of Fame
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Chief Justice of the Fifth Court of Appeals of Texas
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Chief Justice Carolyn Wright: Forging Relationships
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409:Houston Bar Association, accessed March 8, 2016
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109:Judge of the 256th District Court of Texas
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395:Putting his children on the 'Wright' path
397:The Paducah Sun, accessed March 8, 2016
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1771:Howard University School of Law alumni
1796:20th-century African-American lawyers
1786:21st-century African-American lawyers
189:District of Columbia Teachers College
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1801:20th-century African-American women
1791:21st-century African-American women
421:The Rockwall News, November 5, 2009
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280:She is married to James Sanders.
215:Fifth Court of Appeals of Texas
338:"About Justice Carolyn Wright"
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308:Hon. Linda B. Thomas (Ret.)
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1597:Elizabeth Anne Sueltenfuss
517:Texas Women's Hall of Fame
270:Texas Women's Hall of Fame
266:Yellow Rose of Texas Award
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221:Early life and education
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975:Gabrielle Kirk McDonald
819:Dora Dougherty Strother
1761:American women lawyers
1304:Mary Meyers Rosenfield
1138:Elizabeth Lyons Ghrist
970:Ernestine Glossbrenner
774:Margaret Harris Amsler
581:Mary Evelyn Blagg Huey
464:Obituary: Adell Wright
207:Carolyn Wright-Sanders
1766:American women judges
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1036:Francie Larrieu Smith
1011:Rosa Ramirez Guerrero
845:Margaret Pease Harper
728:Mary Lavinia Griffith
718:Wilhelmina Ruth Delco
622:Patricia Happ Buffler
566:Clotilde PĂ©rez GarcĂa
1656:Ofelia Vasquez-Philo
1541:Susie Hitchcock-Hall
1536:Emma Carter Browning
1451:Barbara Smith Conrad
1087:Kay Bailey Hutchison
1026:Bess Whitehead Scott
906:Margaret Swan Forbes
769:Ruth Sharp Altshuler
617:Benjy Frances Brooks
76:Robert D. Burns, III
1420:Erma Johnson Hadley
1361:Sandra Day O'Connor
1299:Trinidad Mendenhall
1067:Ebby Halliday Acers
990:Gloria G. Rodriguez
865:Ruth Taubert Seeger
698:Caro Crawford Brown
571:Jeane Porter Hester
1510:Senfronia Thompson
1425:Teresa Lozano Long
1051:Eleanor Anne Young
965:Linda Louise Craft
748:Hermine Tobolowsky
672:Edna Gardner Whyte
556:Vivian Castleberry
551:Kate Atkinson Bell
448:2016-03-09 at the
370:Martindale-Hubbell
228:Strayer University
164:September 27, 1946
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870:Bert Kruger Smith
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642:Maria Elena Flood
591:Lady Bird Johnson
342:carolynwright.com
232:Howard University
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194:Howard University
154:Carolyn I. Wright
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561:Lila Cockrell
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276:Personal life
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180:James Sanders
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166:(age 77)
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1692:Val LaMantia
1682:Leta Andrews
1661:Kendra Scott
1651:Dawn Ferrell
1572:Simone Biles
1519:
1278:Ann Williams
1263:Karen Hughes
1158:Marsha Sharp
891:Barbara Bush
784:Tommie Clack
723:Frances Goff
708:Jody Conradt
693:Mary Kay Ash
667:Ann Richards
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346:the original
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98:Appointed by
87:
72:Succeeded by
50:Appointed by
39:
1746:1946 births
1551:Renu Khator
1500:Anita Perry
1376:Huda Zoghbi
1356:Elsa Murano
1294:Susan Combs
1268:Mae Jemison
1247:Judy Rankin
1143:Kay Granger
1046:Martha Wong
1016:Irma Rangel
926:Jane Wetzel
911:L. Ruth Guy
855:Lane Murray
62:Preceded by
1740:Categories
1587:Susan Dell
1582:Vikki Carr
1577:Laura Bush
1505:Ann Stuart
789:Kim Dawson
743:Ada Simond
738:Sally Ride
431:About Town
284:References
160:1946-09-27
55:Rick Perry
1687:Mary Horn
1495:Kim Olson
1456:Anne Corn
250:Governor
185:Education
136:1983–1986
132:In office
120:1986–1995
116:In office
92:1995–2009
88:In office
40:In office
1697:Opal Lee
733:May Owen
446:Archived
213:of the
1556:Selena
259:Awards
242:Career
177:Spouse
172:, U.S.
1624:2020s
1398:2010s
1180:2000s
948:1990s
529:1980s
191:(BS)
1675:2023
1634:2021
1565:2018
1529:2016
1480:2014
1444:2012
1408:2010
1349:2008
1318:2006
1287:2004
1256:2002
1190:2000
1121:1998
1060:1996
1004:1994
958:1993
884:1989
833:1988
757:1987
681:1986
610:1985
539:1984
236:J.D.
196:(JD)
150:Born
1742::
367:.
354:^
340:.
325:^
162:)
509:e
502:t
495:v
373:.
158:(
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