FORNEY, Texas — A 1984 Forney High School graduate is among President Trump’s nominations to fill seats on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, based
FORNEY, Texas — A 1984 Forney High School graduate is among President Trump’s nominations to fill seats on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, based
Texas Supreme Court Justice Don Willett was among four nominated by Trump to serve on the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Willett, who was also on Trump’s short-list for potential Supreme Court nominees during the presidential campaign, graduated from Forney High School in 1984 as the class’ salutatorian.
Also nominated were former Texas Solicitor General James Ho, high-profile Louisiana attorney Kyle Duncan, and U.S. District Judge Kurt Engelhardt, of the Eastern District of Louisiana.
Willett, of Talty, Texas, was first appointed to the Texas Supreme Court by then-Governor Rick Perry, elected in November 2006, and re-elected in November 2012.
In 2007, Willett was inducted into the Forney Independent School District’s (ISD) Hall of Honor and, in 2005, was named Outstanding Young Alumnis of Baylor University where he received a triple-major BBA in economics, finance, and public administration. Willett went on to receive his Juris Doctor with honors and his A.M. in political science at Duke University.
After graduation, Willett became a law clerk for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit from 1992-93, an associate at Haynes and Boone LLP from 1993-96, a lawyer for the Office of Governor George W. Bush from 1996-2000, Special Assistant to the President at the White House from 2001-02, Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the U.S. Department of Justice from 2002-03, legal counsel for the Deputy Attorney General of Texas from 2003-05, and Texas Supreme Court Justice from 2005 until present.
2007 Distinguished Alumni Award from Forney ISD:
“Texas Supreme Court Justice Don Willett, raised by a widowed mom, was salutatorian of the Forney High School Class of 1984. He is his family’s first college graduate. Earning a triple-major BBA from Baylor University and his JD with honors and his MA in Political Science from Duke University. Justice Willett became the Texas supreme Court;’s youngest justice in 2005 and has voted his professional life to public service, serving as legal counsel to a federal appellate judge, a Texas governor, a Texas attorney general, a U.S. attorney general, and a President of the United States. In these key roles, he has helped launch the national AMBER alert program, protected children from dangerous predators, strengthened religious liberty and faith-based charities, expanded mentoring for at-risk youth, expedited citizenship for non-citizen military personnel defending our freedoms, and fortified America’s judiciary by helping the President select qualified nominees. Justice Willett’s community service includes countless civic and nonprofit board on the local, state, and national levels. His numerous awards including Outstanding Young Alumnus of Baylor University, the Faith and Integrity in Legal Services Award, and the Austin Under 40 Award.”
