Wallace Jefferson, former Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court and newly installed President of the American Law Institute (ALI), joins Jody Sanders and Todd Smith for a wide-ranging conversation on appellate practice, judicial leadership, and legacy. Chief Justice Jefferson, a partner at Alexander Dubose & Jefferson LLP, discusses ALI’s mission to modernize the law, the U.S. Supreme Court argument he made just eight years out of law school, and his discovery that an ancestor, Shedrick Willis, shod Sam Houston’s horse while enslaved and served on the Waco City Council after gaining his freedom. “ALI,” he says, “is a good model for how Americans can and should be talking to each other.” Tune in for Jefferson’s insights on cameras in courtrooms and the challenge facing ALI as artificial intelligence outpaces deliberate legal reform.
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- 0:00 Introduction to Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson
- 0:36 Chief Justice Jefferson’s Background and Path to Appellate Practice
- 5:04 Preparing for and Learning From U.S. Supreme Court Oral Argument
- 17:03 Becoming the First African American Justice on the Texas Supreme Court
- 18:47 Tracing Family History From Slavery to Public Service
- 25:05 Leading the American Law Institute and its Mission
- 29:29 How AI is Changing the Law and ALI’s Future Role
- 36:35 Cameras in the Courtroom and Judicial Transparency
- 47:53 Access to Justice, Juvenile Justice, and Judicial Elections
- 54:52 A Supreme Court War Story and Advice to Take Risks
Connect and Learn More
☑️ Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson | ALI profile | LinkedIn
☑️ Alexander Dubose & Jefferson LLP | LinkedIn
☑️ American Law Institute | Facebook | X | LinkedIn | YouTube
☑️ Todd Smith | LinkedIn | X
☑️ Jody Sanders | LinkedIn | X
☑️ Texas Appellate Law Podcast on LinkedIn | X | Instagram
☑️ Texas Appellate Counsel PLLC
☑️ Kelly Hart & Hallman, LLP | LinkedIn
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