Professional Experience & Recognitions
Education
1991
Texas Christian University,
Fort Worth, TX, B.A.
1994
South Texas College of Law, Houston, TX , J.D.
2017
University of Alabama School of Law, LLM/Masters in Business Transactions
Professional Experience
After completing law school, Justice Stevens returned to Longview and went to work at Harbour, Smith, Harris & Merritt, P.C., where he primarily handled litigation matters for Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. and insurance defense work. During that time, he tried over 30 jury trials to verdict, both in state and federal court.
In 2004, Justice Stevens opened his own law firm in Longview, Texas, and represented large and small companies in a variety of litigation matters, including complex business disputes, construction matters, contract disputes, DTPA claims and employment matters. In addition to practicing in state and federal courts in Texas, he also represented clients in various federal courts throughout the United States, including courts in California, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Nevada, New York, South Carolina, Washington, Washington DC and the International Trade Commission. Justice Stevens also represented clients before various state agencies, including the OCCC and TXDMV.
Justice Stevens’s judicial career began on November 6, 2018, when he was elected as a Justice of the 6th Court of Appeals in Texarkana.
Bar Admissions
- Texas, 1994
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court Southern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court Western District of Texas
- U.S. District Court Western District of Arkansas
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of Arkansas
- U.S. District Court Western District of Oklahoma
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of Michigan
- U.S. Court of Appeals Federal Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit
- U.S. Supreme Court
Honors & Awards
- American Board of Trial Advocates – Member and Senior Life Fellow
- Selected for inclusion in Texas Super Lawyers (a Thomson Reuters service) – 2009 to 2018
- Texas Bar Foundation, Life Fellow
- Litigation Counsel of America, Senior Fellow
- The Hon. T. John Ward American Inn of Court, Charter Member
- American Bar Foundation, Fellow
- AV Rated by LexisNexis Martindale Hubbell
- Texas Bar College
Professional Associations & Memberships
- State Bar of Texas
- Gregg County Bar Association
- Bowie County Bar Association
- National Association of Dealer Counsel
- Northeast Texas Bar Association
- Eastern District of Texas Bar Association
- Federal Circuit Bar Association (member of the Pro Bono section)
- Cherokee Club Board Member, 2014-2017 (Pres. 2017)
- Longfellows Board Member 2014-2017
- Trinity School of Texas, Board of Trustees, 2006 – 2009
- City of Longview, Texas, Associate Municipal Judge, 2006 – 2009
- Volunteer Teen Court Judge for over 10 years
- Gregg Country Historical Foundation
- TCU National Alumni Board, 2000-2002
- Life Member of NRA
- Sons of the Republic of Texas
- Gregg County Republicans
- Texas Bar Foundation Nomination Committee – 2017
- Texas Center for the Judiciary
- Paul Harris Fellow of Wilbur Smith Rotary in Texarkana, TX
- Texas Supreme Court Historical Society
- Leadership Texarkana, Class of 2021/2022
