To support some of our outstanding Democratic candidates in the upcoming runoff election, we reached out to several campaigns and requested a brief message to post on this blog. One of those top-tier candidates is attorney Teresa Waldrop, running for the Harris County 312th Family District Court bench. We were proud to receive her response, which is posted below. As a reminder, early voting for the Democratic primary runoff election will run from May 16 - 20, with election day being Tuesday, May 24, 2022.
A Message from Democratic Candidate TERESA WALDROP: I want to take this opportunity to provide voters with my professional background, qualifications, and why I am running for the 312th Family District Court Bench. In Texas, there are over 109,000 lawyers. Of those, only 7,600 are board-certified, and only 808 of them are board-certified in Family Law. I am proud to be one of those 808 attorneys. In fact, I have been board-certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization (TBLS) since 2009. In this race, I am the only candidate board-certified in Family Law. I am also a longstanding member of the Texas Bar College, which requires additional continuing legal education to attain and maintain membership. In all, I have over 30 years of experience as an attorney in the private sector.
Throughout my career, I have handled all phases of litigation from intake to trial, both jury and bench trials, and post-trial matters, including a few appeals. Of note, I also have experience with cases of first impression. A case of first impression is one that presents a legal issue never before decided in Texas. While a lawyer can go her entire career without ever having a single case of first impression, I have 3 and they were all family law cases.
I have held leadership positions and roles in various organizations throughout my career. I have been the President of the Houston Association of Women Attorneys, as well as the Treasurer and a Director on that Board. I have also sat on the Association of Women Attorneys Foundation. I have been the Vice-President and the Parliamentarian of the Federation of Houston Professional Women. In 2004, I was honored as a Woman of Excellence by the Federation. I am also a proud graduate of Leadership Houston (Class XXII). I have served on various community boards over the years, including Diverse Works and the Fresh Arts Coalition.
In May 1991, I graduated from St. Mary's University Law School. While in my last semester of law school, I was selected to serve as briefing intern for Texas Supreme Court Justice Oscar Mauzy, the leader of the Killer Bees in the 66th Texas Legislature. In addition to my formal education, I am a lifelong learner by nature. I cull interesting family law articles, news and information each week from the internet to use as my daily posts in the Houston Family Law Facebook group I started in February 2009, which now has over 2,100 members.
I am running for this bench, the Harris County 312th Family District Court, because I have the temperament, demeanor and experience to run a professional family law court, the type of court one would expect to encounter in Harris County, Texas. Not only do Harris County citizens and their lawyers doing business in this Court deserve to be treated with professionalism, dignity and respect, the judicial canons require it. Citizens deserve to interact with a judge who is patient, dignified and courteous when they find themselves in family law court - Every. Single. Courtroom. Day. I humbly ask for your support and your vote. To learn more about me, please visit my website at www.teresawaldropforjudge.com
