Dallas – Chief Justice Linda B. Thomas (Ret.) of the Fifth District Court of Appeals, the longest serving judge in the state of Texas’ history, has joined JAMS, the Resolution Experts, the nation’s largest private provider of mediation and arbitration services. She will be based in the JAMS Dallas Resolution Center.
Judge Thomas has nearly 31 years of trial and appellate judiciary experience, and has presided over thousands of cases in her distinguished career on the bench. Her broad experience includes trials involving business enterprise issues, complex financial transactions, interstate as well as international jurisdictional conflicts, and traditional family law matters.
“Judge Thomas has a well-deserved reputation as a prepared, knowledgeable, and impartial jurist,” said Chris Poole, JAMS President and CEO. “The wealth of experience she brings across so many industries will be a tremendous asset to our clients.”
Judge Thomas has authored nearly 3,000 opinions and participated as a panel member in more than 13,000 cases. Her business experience includes contracts, all forms of corporate enterprise, complex financial transactions, trusts, employee benefits (stock options, pensions, and retirement), and business and property appraisals. In addition to her family court experience, Judge Thomas has tort and personal injury experience.
“I am thrilled to enter this next phase of my career with such a highly-regarded organization. I look forward to applying the experience I’ve gained from my years on the bench to helping business and individual clients resolve their disputes,” said Judge Thomas of her move to JAMS.
Active in the legal community, Judge Thomas serves on numerous judicial panels and in leadership roles of judicial organizations. She currently serves as a Distinguished Visiting Professor of Law at Southern Methodist University (SMU) Dedman School of Law; on the faculty of the National Judicial College; as a commissioner of the Texas Access to Justice Commission; and as a member of the Texas Judicial Council. Judge Thomas is a past chair of the Texas Council of Chief Justices and a former member of the Texas Commission on Judicial Efficiency.
Judge Thomas has received several industry and community awards including the SMU Dedman School of Law Distinguished Alumni Award for Judicial Service; the Award of Excellence for outstanding service to the judiciary; the Dallas Bar Foundation’s Fellows Award in honor of a distinguished legal career and civic contributions; the Texas Women’s Initiative’s Outstanding Profile Award; the SMU Award for significant contributions to improving the lives of women and children; and Judge-of-the-Year Award from the American Board of Trial Advocates.
In addition to her tenure on the bench, Judge Thomas was in private practice as a law firm partner and solo practitioner. She also was an attorney with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and the associate director of the SMU Legal Clinic.
Judge Thomas earned her J.D. from Southern Methodist University and her B.A. from University of Texas at Arlington.
About JAMS, The Resolution Experts
Founded in 1979, JAMS, The Resolution Experts, is the nation’s largest private provider of mediation and arbitration services. With Resolution Centers nationwide, JAMS and its 250 full-time, exclusive neutrals are responsible for resolving thousands of the nation’s more important cases. JAMS may be reached at 800-352-5267 or www.jamsadr.com.