Adjunct professor and Second Court of Appeals Justice Lee Gabriel received the Excellence in Justice Award from The Fort Worth Business Press and Texas A&M University School of Law during the 2014 Power Attorney awards dinner on Oct. 8. She was recognized for her meaningful contributions to the legal profession in North Texas.
Justice Gabriel served as a law clerk for the Chief Federal District Judge for the Northern District of Texas Halbert O. Woodward for two years. She then moved to Denton to work as a felony prosecutor for the Denton County District Attorney’s Office. While there, she became board certified in criminal law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and was later promoted to the position of first assistant district attorney in 1986. In July of 2010, Governor Rick Perry appointed her to the position of Justice, Place 7 of the Second Court of Appeals of Texas and she was sworn in on Aug. 1, 2010. More recently, she has served as an adjunct professor at Texas A&M University School of Law and a coach for the school’s mock trial teams.
“It was an unexpected honor to learn that I had received the Excellence in Justice Award. When I first came to the Tarrant County legal community and the Texas A&M University School of Law, I never imagined I could be accepted so readily or recognized for my work in just a matter of years,” Gabriel said. “I feel intensely proud and privileged to be acknowledged by attorneys and an educational institution that I highly respect.”
Coming from a family where both parents were educators, she saw first-hand what they did to change students’ lives.
“I know an education at Texas A&M University School of Law can do the same thing for its students. My goal is to contribute towards that by providing caring guidance and the benefit of the varied experiences I have had in my legal career,” she said.
She credits her mentors and role models throughout her legal career because without them she said, “I would not be accepting an award of excellence without the wisdom and confidence these people have imparted to me.”
Leaders in the Tarrant County legal community gathered to honor the 2014 Power Attorneys presented by the Fort Worth Business Press at the Omni Fort Worth Hotel.
- Article by Daniella Wiedel, Communications Specialist at Texas A&M University School of Law. Photo at top and bottom by Doug Thurman, Texas A&M University School of Law. Award photo at right courtesy of Fort Worth Business Press.