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About our 2013 SpeakerTexas Supreme Court Justice Phil Johnson
Justice Phil Johnson received his undergraduate degree from Texas Tech University. He then entered military pilot training with the U.S. Air Force. Following flight training, Justice Johnson was assigned to the Republic of South Vietnam, where he flew as a pilot in fighter aircraft and received decorations including the Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross with bronze oak leaf cluster, the Air Medal with multiple silver oak leaf clusters and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. After his tour of duty in Vietnam he served at Reese AFB, near Lubbock, as a flight instructor and flight examiner.
Justice Johnson attended law school at Texas Tech University. He served on the Law Review and graduated with honors. He is a member of the Order of the Coif.
Following law school, Justice Johnson practiced law with the firm of Crenshaw, Dupree and Milam in Lubbock. His law practice consisted primarily of civil litigation matters. He is board certified in civil trial law and personal injury trial law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
In November, 1998 Justice Johnson was elected to the Seventh Court of Appeals which sits in Amarillo. He was elected Chief Justice of the Seventh Court in November, 2002. In March, 2005 Governor Perry appointed him to the Texas Supreme Court. In November, 2006 he was elected to serve the remainder of the term to which he was appointed, then in November, 2008 he was elected to a full 6-year term.
Justice Johnson has been active in church, civic, and professional organizations. He has served at various times on the boards of directors or supervising committees of the Golden Spread Council of the Boy Scouts of America, Kiwanis, Southwest Lighthouse for the Blind, Lubbock Area Foundation, Lubbock County Legal Aid Society, Texas Association of Defense Counsel, Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Region I Advisory Group, Trinity Christian Schools and the Carillon Foundation. He has served as president of the Lubbock County Bar Association, and has served on numerous committees of the State Bar of Texas, including pattern jury charge and alternative dispute resolution committees. He is member of the College of the State Bar and is a life Fellow of both the Texas and American Bar Foundations. Justice Johnson has been elected to the American Law Institute and is listed in Marquis’ who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in American Law.
Justice Johnson and his wife Carla have five children.