Ursula Hall: A Judge Who Wants To Continue Serving The Public
If you’re familiar with civic-minded people and volunteers, you’ve heard of the Hall family. Ursula Hall, the Democratic candidate for the 189th Civil District Court, is related to Anthony Hall. Mr. Hall was one of the first African-American city council members. After leaving the council, he was the city’s top legal eagle. He was also the Chief Administrative Officer under Mayor former Bill White. He’s her father.
During my interview with her, Ms. Hall talked about her family’s legacy of service. From her involvement in organizing voters to giving some free legal advice to her family members serving on public boards, their service covers economic development, transportation and organizations to benefit the young. Public service is nothing new.
A desire to serve the public is a prerequisite for anyone seeking a judicial post. That’s because you focus on ensuring every person/company who comes into your courtroom receives a fair trial. That includes the Fortune 500 company who defends itself in a contract dispute to the small business owner who gets sued by a customer to the passenger hurt in a car accident. It could be you, me, my cousin, Uncle Ray Ray, etc….well, you get the point. Ms. Hall and her family’s legacy show an understanding of that.
But who is Ursula Hall? She’s a native Houstonian who graduated from Houston’s public schools, Wellesley College and South Texas School of Law. She’s had a successful solo practice for 14 years and she’s been an associate municipal judge for 5 years. She handles civil cases for plaintiffs and defendants. Having her own practice while serving as a part-time judge gives her the unique perspective. She manages her clients to ensure they get their fair day in court AND manages her courtroom to ensure all plaintiffs and defendants get their fair day in court. This gives her a distinct qualification her opponent doesn’t have.
You might agree she’s uniquely qualified because of her community service and professional background. Yes, she can play the judge and the lawyer cards at the same time. Still, why should you care about this particular race? It’s simple. She would preside over the court that handles most of the disputes that affect everyone everyday. Those disputes include, but are not limited to, products liability, medical malpractice and personal injury. In other words, these are cases that affect everyday folk.
Ok. Cool. So what’s her position on the death penalty? What’s so special about the 189th Civil District Court? How does she describe herself in one word? She cannot publicly talk about her views on the death penalty because judicial ethics don’t allow it. But, like many judges and lawyers, I think she’d want to ensure every defendant has his/her fair day in court. As for why she’s the one, Hall sees a chance to change the political party of the bench from Republican to Democrat. (It reminds me of the Obama-esque tide that swept the country to produce something truly wonderful and overdue.) As for her one-word description, it’s ‘courageous’. I agree.
Some are questioning her time at the Univ. of Texas law school and her appointment as a municipal judge. She confirmed she was asked to leave the school. However, she believes she was targeted because she spoke up in support of affirmative action. South Texas Law, the school she graduated from, didn’t have a problem with her personal views. She graduated, passed the state bar, worked in a large law firm, opened her own successful law office and became a city judge.
Speaking of becoming a city judge, her father was at the city when she was appointed. Some say he had something to do with it. That may or may not be true. What’s true, though, is her appointment had to be approved by the city council. What’s true is she had to be reappointed by the council in order to keep her job. She was reappointed, and I don’t think she would have been reappointed if she was didn’t serve the public well. She will also serve the public well when she becomes District Judge of the 189th Civil District Court.
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