Texas – A chief justice from one of the state’s busiest appellate courts will conclude a 30-year career on Wednesday.
Chief Justice Brian P. Quinn announced his retirement from the Texas Seventh District Court of Appeals last week.
The Texas Seventh District Court of Appeals is headquartered in Amarillo and serves 46 counties across the western Texas Panhandle region.
The Court oversees all civil and criminal appeals within its jurisdiction, excluding capital murder cases that result in the death penalty.
Justices serve six-year terms.
Quinn was first elected to the court in 1994. Governor Rick Perry appointed him as Chief Justice in May 2005.
In a release announcing his retirement, Quinn is credited with authoring more than 5,000 opinions during his tenure on the bench.
Before assuming leadership of one of Texas’ busiest appellate courts, Quinn practiced complex litigation as a partner at McWhorter, Cobb & Johnson in Lubbock.
Earlier in his career, he gained federal law experience serving as a briefing attorney to the Honorable George P. Kazen, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas.
Quinn graduated magna cum laude from Texas Tech University School of Law in 1981. He has served as an adjunct professor at the Texas Tech School of Law since 1999 and has presented nationwide on effective client representation at trial and on appeal.
He also held multiple leadership roles on State Bar of Texas committees and served on the council of chief justices.
According to the release, his final day of service will be December 31, 2025.
