Colleen Cordts Rice, a Montgomery County attorney, asks for your vote for Chief Justice of the Ninth District Court of Appeals.  The court hears appeals of all cases (except death penalty) from the trial courts in Texas’ 9th Judicial District.  The Court is housed in Jefferson County and serves a ten-county region, including Montgomery, San Jacinto, Polk, Jasper, Tyler, Newton, Liberty, Hardin, Jefferson, and Orange counties.  The current Chief is not seeking reelection.

The experience made Rice’s decision to lead the appellate court. While she worked in a small law firm with her husband for a number of years, she has also spent a few years working for Montgomery County Court at Law Two, an award-winning court, as Staff Attorney and Investigative Attorney for the Court.  The Court has long been considered a “Model Court” for guardianship procedures and was recently recognized by the Texas Judicial Council as only the fourth “Judicial Center of Excellence” in the state.  The recognition is due in large part to the guardianship policies and procedures and the court visitor program, both under the direction of Rice.  

Rice has practiced in the areas of civil law, and family and probate.  Rice explained, “I often have to exhibit discretion in applying the law and find that it comes naturally to me.  I’m also gifted as a writer so legal writing is something I enjoy. As a civil servant, I take pride in doing my best work to help those in need in our legal system.  I am the most well-rounded candidate with my experiences and gifts, and want to put them to work at the appellate level to make just decisions and to maintain court efficiency while representing the court in a dignified manner.”  The Chief Justice position includes administrative duties and she has unique experience and expertise to lead the court well.  

Colleen is married to Montgomery County native and attorney Robert “Larry” Rice. They have practiced law since 1996 and they have raised their four children in Montgomery County.   Rice is a South Texas College of Law graduate, has won the American Jurisprudence Award in Legal Writing and Research, and is a member of the State Bar College. She has a BA in English and Art History with a minor in Political Science from Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia and is a graduate of Monsignor Kelly High School in Beaumont.

For more information on Colleen Cordts Rice or her upcoming activities, those interested can visit her website at www.VoteColleenRiceforJustice.com or her Facebook page at /ColleenCordtsRiceforChiefJustice. Her campaign email address is VoteColleenRice@gmail.com.