Texas Supreme Court Justice Jane Bland ’90 will deliver the commencement address for Texas Law’s 2025 Sunflower Ceremony, sharing insights from her distinguished career as an attorney, jurist, and community leader with the class of 2025 before they walk the stage on Saturday, May 10. The ceremony begins at 3:30 p.m. and will be held at Gregory Gym.
“I am delighted to share in the joy of our graduates,” says Bland. “It is the culmination of their hard work and a celebration of the legal leaders of tomorrow.”
Bland has served in the state judiciary for over 25 years and has been a member of the Supreme Court of Texas since 2019. Prior to her appointment to the Court, she served for 15 years as a justice on the First Court of Appeals and six years as a state district judge in Houston. She has dedicated her career to judicial excellence and improving the legal system in Texas.
In addition to her judicial service, Bland is the liaison to the Court’s Rules Advisory Committee and chairs the Judicial Commission on Mental Health. She also serves as the Court’s liaison to the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and the Texas Supreme Court Historical Society. A member of the American Law Institute, she contributes to the development of legal scholarship and policy.
Throughout her career, Bland has been recognized for her commitment to the judiciary and legal community. In 2010, Chief Justice John Roberts presented her with the William H. Rehnquist Award, one of the most prestigious honors for state court judges. She has been named Judge of the Year four times by the Texas Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists and has received multiple President’s Awards for her work with the Houston Bar Association and the Houston Young Lawyers Association.
Bland earned her undergraduate business and law degrees from The University of Texas at Austin. She began her legal career clerking for Judge Thomas Gibbs Gee on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit before practicing at Baker Botts LLP and later becoming a partner at Vinson & Elkins LLP in Houston. She has also served as a trustee of the UT Law School Foundation and contributed to initiatives expanding civil legal services in Texas.
“Justice Bland is a great leader in Texas and in the profession” says Dean Bobby Chesney. “Her career has been inspiring and I can’t wait to hear what wisdom and advice she has for our graduating students. This will be a great day.”
Alongside Bland, 3L Sophie Hess will speak on behalf of the graduates. Hess, who hails from Lexington, Massachusetts, was elected 2025 permanent class president in February, and has been an active leader in multiple student organizations and programs throughout law school, including as a Dean’s Fellow in the Society Program.
Learn more about the 2025 Sunflower Ceremony.