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MARK DAVIDSON
DATE OF BIRTH: July 24, 1953
PRESENT EMPLOYMENT: Judge, Asbestos Multidistrict Litigation Court
Harris County Civil Courts Building
201 Caroline, 15th Floor
Houston, Texas 77002
JUDICIAL EXPERIENCE:
January 1989 to December, 2008
Judge, 11th District Court. Presiding
Judge of a court of civil jurisdiction.
Presided over more than 400 jury trials.
In addition, assigned to and heard cases in other counties when local judges disqualify themselves or are recused. Among those counties are Brazoria, Bexar, Brooks, Cameron, Galveston, Hidalgo, Chambers, Jefferson, Matagorda, Liberty, Limestone, and Willacy.
March 1987 to December 1988
Tax Master for 11th, 55th, 80th, 127th, 129th,
133rd, 152nd, 189th, 215th, 295th, 333rd Civil
District Courts. As Tax Master, performed all
pretrial, post-trial, and docket control work on
over 14,000 cases pending before civil district
courts.
November 1983
Master (Associate Judge), 246th District Court.
As Master, heard evidence and made rulings on show cause hearings, temporary custody, and
uncontested divorces.
HONORS AND AWARDS:
Trial Judge of the Year, Texas Association of
Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists, 1993.
This is an award given yearly by the board-certified Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists in an election of its membership.
President's Award, Houston Bar Association (1996)
This is an award given annually by the President of the Houston Bar Assocation for outstanding service to the membership and the community.
Outstanding Journal Award, Texas Bar Foundation (1996)
(Honorable Mention)
This is an award given by the Texas Bar Foundation to the author of the best article in a Texas bar journal.
Award of Merit; American Society for Legal History, 25th Annual Meeting; (1995)
The award was given for work in studying and preserving Texas Legal History.
Honorary Membership, Sons of the Republic of Texas (1994)
The S. R. T. awarded the honorary membership for research and educational efforts in Texas History. There were only thirty-eight previous recipients of such a membership in the organization's history.
Arbor Day Award, Trees for Houston (2003)
The award was given for my part in saving a ninety-three year old oak tree on the Courthouse lawn that was placed in risk by construction.
“Best Civil Judge”, Houston Press Magazine (2003)
“Best of Houston” – 2003 Edition
Scales of Justice Award, Houston Association of Legal Secretaries (2003-2004)
The award is given to the person that best advances the legal profession and serves the community.
Roberson L. King Excellence in Education Award, Houston Lawyers Association (2008).
The award was presented to me for my part in setting up a Black History Month Commemoration at the Harris County Courthouse.
JUDICIAL ACTIVITIES:
Administrative Judge of Harris County (2002-2007)
Elected by the fifty-eight district judges of Harris County in December, 2001, I oversaw overall administration of the District Courts, and as liason with other branches of State and County Government.
Multi-District Litigation Judge – Asbestos (2004- )
I was named by the Texas Multi-District Litigation Committee to handle all pre-trial matters in all asbestos cases filed in the State of Texas after September 1, 2003.
Administrative Judge, Civil District Judges of Harris County (2000- 2001)
Elected by twenty-five colleagues as the judge charged with administering multi-court matters and presiding over the meetings of the Board of Civil Judges.
Chair, Jury Committee, Harris County Board of Judges (1998-2000)
Had primary administrative and oversight duties over operations in the Harris County Jury Assembly Room.
Chair, Texas Supreme Court Task Force on
Judicial Appointments (1991-1993).
Named a member of a select committee by the Supreme Court of Texas, and was elected chair by its members. Conducted hearings around the state, and drafted recommendations to Texas law to address ethical problems that had developed regarding lawyers who served as court appointees. Several of these recommendations have been adopted by the Legislature and the Supreme Court of Texas.
Member, Texas Supreme Court Task Force on Records Retention. (1998)
The Supreme Court of Texas named me as the representative of the judiciary on a committee charged with looking into the length of time that clerks must keep records filed as a part of litigation.
Member, State Bar of Texas Pattern Jury Charge Committee (1996- 1998) (2005-6)
The President of the State Bar of Texas appointed me to sit on the committee that authors the publication Texas Pattern Jury Charges, which is used by judges and lawyers throughout Texas to formulate their summaries of law and questions of fact to the juries.
Member, Texas Supreme Court Task Force on Jury Assembly and Administration. (2006)
The Texas Supreme Court named me to a task force to study jury management issues.
Member, Texas Supreme Court Task Force on Home Equity Loan Foreclosure. (2007-8)
Chair, Tax Committee, Harris County Civil
Judges (1991-1995).
Member, Harris County Juvenile Board (1996-1998)
Member, Board of Directors, Texas Supreme Court Historical Society (2003- )
LEGAL EMPLOYMENT:
December 1982 to December 1988;
Solo Practitioner, Mark D. Davidson
Attorney at Law. Had a general practice
involving civil, family, probate law and
some criminal practice. Specialties were
civil litigation and election law.
January 1983 to June 1983:
Staff Counsel, State Representative Ashley Smith.
In a part-time role, reviewed proposed legislation and advised the staff on legal and procedural
matters.
February 1978 to December 1982:
Associate, Sowell & Ogg. Handled a general
civil and family law docket representing
businesses and individuals in a broad-based
civil practice.
January - July 1981:
Counsel, Senate Redistricting Committee:
Advised the committee on the law of
reapportionment, and prepared redistricting plans
at the request the Chair of the committee.
July 1971 to May 1975 and January 1976 to
October 1977:
Administrative Assistant, State Senator Jack Ogg.
Coordinated all legislative and constituent
work. Drafted legislation and amendments
during legislative sessions.
May 1975 to August 1975:
Briefing Clerk, Fulbright and Jaworski. Prepared
memorandum on legislation passed during the
64th Legislative Session.
LEGAL BACKGROUND:
Bar Associations:
State Bar of Texas - Litigation Section, Judicial
Section
Houston Bar Association -
HBA Historical Committee
(1989-1996), Chair (1995 -1997)
Judicial Survey Committee (1993 -1994).
Bar Admissions:
State Bar of Texas (February 3, 1978).
U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit (Aug. 21, 1978).
U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas
(July 27, 1978).
LEGAL EDUCATION:
University of Houston Law School, Houston, Texas,
Doctor of Jurisprudence, May 1978
(Completed studies, August, 1977).
University of Texas School of Law, Summer, 1976,
Spring, 1977
PRELEGAL
EDUCATION:
University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
Bachelor of Arts Degree, January, 1974
Major: Mathematics
Strake Jesuit College Preparatory
1971 Graduate
PROFESSIONAL Life Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation
ACTIVITIES: Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program
LECTURE EXPERIENCE:
Texas College of New Judges
"Discovery Sanctions" - December 1991
State Bar of Texas
"Settlement Strategies in Representing Children
in Civil Litigation" - April, 1990
Houston Bar Association
"Appealing Property Tax Appraisals and Practice
in Tax Court" - November, 1988
Houston Bar Association
"The Role of the Ad Litem in Civil Cases" - November 1989, April, 1993, April 1994 , April 1995, April 1996, April 1997, October, 1999, October, 2001 and December, 2003;
I have presented the same material to bar associations in Hidalgo,
Montgomery and Webb Counties.
Harris County Judges Seminar
"Presiding over attorney disbarment cases" - January, 1996
“The Future of Mass Torts” August 2005
Price Waterhouse Intellectual Property Seminars – Panel Participant 1995 and 1996.
State Bar of Texas Advanced Personal Injury Seminar
"Nonjury Advocacy" - July 1998.
Houston Bar Association Bench Bar Conference – “Rockin’ Rules of the 11th District Court” – May, 2003
South Texas College of Law Insurance Seminar – “Rockin’ Rules of the 11th District Court” – January 2002, 2003 and 2004
State Bar of Texas Advanced Personal Injury Seminar;
“Jury Charge Conference Demonstration” July, 2003
Texas Judicial Section Annual Conference – “Presiding Over Attorney Discipline Cases” – September, 2003
Harris-Martin Publishing National Asbestos Seminar – “Multi-District Litigation” – June, 2004
American Enterprise Instititute/Brookings Institute Judicial Seminar - “Judicial Perspective on Mass Torts – Techinques that Work” – April, 2005
State Bar of Texas Advanced Civil Trial Seminar
“Multi-District Litigation Update”, August, 2005
PUBLICATIONS: Let's Go to the Courthouse! - The History of the Harris County Civil Courts Building; The Houston Lawyer, July-August, 1995.
The District Court of Harris County - A Look Back at the Era
of Uniform Judicial Judicial Rulings in Harris County; The Houston Lawyer; September-October, 1995.
The Civil War and Reconstruction in Harris County's Only District Court; The Houston Lawyer, November-December, 1995.
Judicial Stability in Changing Times - The Harris County Judiciary - 1892-1939; The Houston Lawyer; January-February, 1996.
"Let's Go Across the Street for a Cold One" - The Harris County Courthouse Square Over the Years; The Houston Lawyer; March-April, 1996
The More Things Change, The More They Remain the Same - Summing Up 160 Years of Harris County's Judicial History; The Houston Lawyer, May-June, 1996.
Houston's Judges Go to Galveston!; The Houston Lawyer, November-December, 1997
The Making of a Judge - 1862; Electing a Judge During the Civil War, The Houston Lawyer, September-October, 1998.
The Making of a Judge – 1918: A Profile in Judicial Courage, The Houston Lawyer, November-December, 1998
The Making of a Judge – 1938: Negative Campaigning Comes to the Judiciary, The Houston Lawyer, January-February, 1999
The Making of a Judge – 1958: Two Party Politics in a One Party State, The Houston Lawyer, March-April, 1999
The Making of a Judge – 1968: Judicial Election by Party Organization, The Houston Lawyer, May-June, 1999
The Making of a Judge – 1972: The Future of Judicial Elections Arrives, The Houston Lawyer, July-August, 1999
The Making of a Justice – The 1958 Joe Greenhill-Sarah T. Hughes Race for the Supreme Court, (with Kent Rutter), Texas Bar Journal, November, 2000
The Texas Supreme Court Goes to War – Texas Women Respond to the Court’s Call to Duty (with Kent Rutter), Texas Bar Journal, January 2002
The Texas Supreme Court Goes to War – The Colonel Versus the Judge (with Kent Rutter), Texas Bar Journal, February, 2002
Emeline’s Story, The Houston Lawyer, January-February, 2005
Judge David Hittner, Last and Best of His Kind. South Texas Law Journal, February, 2005
One Woman’s Fight for Freedom – Gess v. Lubbock, The Houston Lawyer, January-February, 2008
CIVIC ACTIVITIES:
Saint Vincent De Paul Catholic Church, Member
Boy Scouts of America, Merit Badge Counselor
Blood Donor; Gulf Coast Blood Center (holder of 33 gallon
Mug – signifying over 254 donations)
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