Carolyn Wright
Chief Justice
Fifth District Court of Appeals
Chief Justice Carolyn Wright was appointed to the position of Chief Justice, 5th District Court of Appeals for the State of Texas, by Governor Rick Perry on November 17, 2009. Chief Justice Wright leads the largest intermediate court in Texas and one of the busiest courts in the nation, with thirteen justices serving six Texas counties. She has authored thousands of legal opinions in cases involving legal issues in every area of Texas law.
Chief Justice Wright’s service as a judge spans over 30 years. She was in the first round of judicial appointees by Governor George W. Bush in his first term of office in 1995. Before her appointment, Judge Wright served as a State District Judge, a Dallas County Associate Judge, and a practicing attorney.
Outside of her commitments to the court, Chief Wright is tireless in her efforts to improve the Texas judicial system. She has actively participated as a member of the faculty or served as a panelist, speaker, mentor, and leader in many judicial, legal, and professional organizations, including the American, National, and Dallas Bar Associations, the National Judicial College, and the Texas Bar Foundation. She is also a Rotarian and Paul Harris Fellow, an active member of her church, and a member of the Executive Women of Dallas, the Links, Inc., and the Summit.
She graduated from the Howard University School of Law in Washington, D.C., where she received the Distinguished Alumni Award. She is married to James Sanders.