Bill Text: TX HCR138 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Congratulating Nathan L. Hecht on his retirement as chief justice of the Supreme Court of Texas.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 2)
Status: (Passed) 2025-06-20 - Signed by the Governor [HCR138 Detail]
Download: Texas-2025-HCR138-Enrolled.html
| H.C.R. No. 138 | ||
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| WHEREAS, The Honorable Nathan L. Hecht retired as chief | ||
| justice of the Supreme Court of Texas on December 31, 2024, | ||
| concluding a remarkable 35-year tenure on the court; and | ||
| WHEREAS, First elected to the state's highest civil court in | ||
| 1988, Justice Hecht became the longest-serving member in its | ||
| history, as well as the longest-tenured Texas judge in active | ||
| service; in 2013, he was appointed chief justice, and he was twice | ||
| reelected to that post; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Justice Hecht gained wide admiration for his sharp | ||
| intellect, philosophical approach, and commitment to court reform; | ||
| he oversaw revision of the rules of administration, practice, and | ||
| procedure in the state's courts, and his efforts led to the | ||
| simplification of appellate rules and promoted more swift | ||
| resolution of cases; moreover, he drove modernization of | ||
| technology, and Texas adopted e-filing in advance of many other | ||
| states; as president of the National Conference of Chief Justices, | ||
| he advised other states that were taking their systems online | ||
| during the COVID-19 pandemic; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Dedicated to improving access to the justice system, | ||
| Justice Hecht worked to reduce barriers for low-income Texans, and | ||
| he successfully urged the Legislature to increase Legal Aid | ||
| funding; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Justice Hecht was appointed to the federal Advisory | ||
| Committee on Civil Rules by the chief justice of the United States; | ||
| in addition, he served his profession through his service on the | ||
| Council of the American Law Institute, of which he is a life member; | ||
| he is also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and | ||
| the Philosophical Society of Texas; and | ||
| WHEREAS, A graduate of Yale University and the Southern | ||
| Methodist University Dedman School of Law, Justice Hecht clerked | ||
| for Judge Roger Robb on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District | ||
| of Columbia Circuit; he served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy | ||
| Reserve Judge Advocate General's Corps and then entered private | ||
| practice, becoming a partner in the Locke firm in Dallas; appointed | ||
| to the district court in 1981, he was elected to the court of | ||
| appeals five years later; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Over the course of his exemplary career, Nathan | ||
| Hecht helped shape Texas jurisprudence and improve the | ||
| administration of the court system, and his enormous contributions | ||
| will continue to resonate in the years to come; now, therefore, be | ||
| it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the 89th Legislature of the State of Texas | ||
| hereby congratulate Nathan L. Hecht on his retirement as chief | ||
| justice of the Supreme Court of Texas and extend sincere best wishes | ||
| for the future; and, be it further | ||
| RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be | ||
| prepared for Justice Hecht as an expression of high regard by the | ||
| Texas House of Representatives and Senate. | ||
| Leach | ||
| ______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
| President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
| I certify that H.C.R. No. 138 was adopted by the House on May | ||
| 23, 2025, by a non-record vote. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
| I certify that H.C.R. No. 138 was adopted by the Senate on May | ||
| 27, 2025, by a viva-voce vote. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| APPROVED: __________________ | ||
| Date | ||
| __________________ | ||
| Governor | ||
