The Dallas Bar Association has announced that Kaufman County District Attorney Erleigh Wiley has been awarded their living legend award for legal excellence. The living legend award highlights attorneys in the Dallas area that have excelled in their legal career. This esteemed award acknowledges the recipient by interviewing them and having their legacy part of Dallas Bar Association history. It is given to lawyers who represent living legacy of greatness.
The Dallas Bar Association has announced that Kaufman County District Attorney Erleigh Wiley has been awarded their living legend award for legal excellence. The living legend award highlights attorneys in the Dallas area that have excelled in their legal career. This esteemed award acknowledges the recipient by interviewing them and having their legacy part of Dallas Bar Association history. It is given to lawyers who represent living legacy of greatness.
Judge Wiley told InForney that “I am honored to be part of the Living Legends of the DBA. It has been my life’s work to serve my community and the state of TX. To be honored for that is beyond anything I ever expected.”
Norville Wiley is a native of Kaufman County and she has dedicated her career to justice and community service. A graduate of Texas Tech University’s Rawls College of Business with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance, Wiley earned her Doctorate of Jurisprudence from Texas Law at The University of Texas in Austin. In 1990, Wiley began her legal career at the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office, where she prosecuted criminals and fought to protect crime victims. Rising to supervising attorney, she trained new lawyers and managed operations across 14 courts. Wiley later pursued public office, winning a competitive race for Judge of the Kaufman County Court at Law. Known for her fairness and integrity, she handled complex civil, criminal, and family cases. She also founded Kaufman County’s first Alternative Treatment Court Diversion program for defendants struggling with addiction.
In 2013, Governor Rick Perry appointed Wiley as Kaufman County Criminal District Attorney to fill an unexpired term. She was elected to the position in 2014 and has now served in the role for nearly five years. As District Attorney, she continues her commitment to justice, earning recognition for her leadership and contributions to the legal field. Wiley is an active volunteer in her community. She has served on numerous boards, serving her profession and her community. She is the current Chairman of Texas District & County Attorney’s executive board and continues to volunteer as a board member of the A. Fern Norville Children’s Shelter, a shelter created and named for her mother.
Her accomplishments have earned her numerous awards, including the State Bar of Texas Profiles of Courage Award (2013), the Texas District & County Attorney’s Association Lone Star Prosecutor Award (2013), and the Dallas Black Police Officers Association Paved the Way Award (2015). Altrusia-Government Service Award (2018).
In 2013, she published a memoir, A Target on My Back, reflecting on the tragic events of 2013.
She is most proud of her husband, Aaron L . Wiley, former Assistant US Attorney and federal defense attorney and her two sons- Joseph and Jacob Sargent.