Despite her own challenges, my mom was passionate about public service and taught her children to live our lives in service to others. To whom much is given, much is expected; to whom even more is given, more is required. I have been blessed in so many ways and now is my time to serve the people of Texas as a member of the judiciary, ensuring that justice is served with integrity. When I was elected in 1999 by my peers from across Texas as President of the Texas Young Lawyers Association, I wrote “The State Bar’s campaign to restore public trust and confidence in our profession will succeed only if we back it up with good work and continually earn the privilege to call ourselves lawyers.” The practice of law is not a right, it’s a privilege, and I’ve spent my entire legal career striving to be worthy of this great privilege. With the tremendous work of my TYLA Board and young lawyers throughout the State, and with the financial support of the State Bar and the Texas Bar Foundation, our public service programs and member service programs were judged by the ABA to be the very best in the nation. A few examples of these programs include volunteer legal work to help colonia residents in South Texas secure fair financing and good title from unscrupulous developers, the design and establishment of a specialty license plate to raise funds for legal services for low income Texans, a mock jury trial program to educate our youth about the jury system and inspire them to serve on juries, and producing a video and speaking around the State to educate our lawyers about the serious mental health risks we face. In 2001, the Texas Supreme Court created the Texas Access to Justice Commission and charged it with the responsibility for developing and implementing initiatives designed to expand and improve access to legal services for low income Texans. I was appointed and served as a Commissioner on the inaugural Board of Commissioners. The Texas Supreme Court oversees lawyer discipline. To assist the Court in its constitutional and statutory responsibility, it created the Grievance Oversight Committee to continually review the structure, function and effectiveness of the Texas lawyer disciplinary system and report its findings and recommendations to the Court. I was honored to serve in this role by appointment of the Texas Supreme Court. I’ve also served on the Board of Directors of the State Bar of Texas for three years and was privileged to be asked by the President to serve on his Executive Committee, the Budget Committee and the Sunset Committee. In these roles, I shared responsibility for the State Bar’s $40 million budget. In addition to my public service across this great State, I’ve served locally in many capacities, including leadership positions in the local bar association, the Hidalgo County Pro Bono Project, the Vannie Cook Children’s Cancer Foundation, and the McAllen Boys & Girls Club. As President of the McAllen Boys & Girls Club, we initiated plans for the development and construction of a new state-of-the-art club in north McAllen. After raising over $5 million as Chair of its Capital Campaign, we built the new facilities and the Club is now able to serve thousands of area youth, helping them become productive and caring citizens. I also serve my Church community in several ministries including ACTS, RCIA and prison retreats. Somehow, I managed to co-found and build one of the largest and strongest law firms in South Texas. Board certified in civil trial law since 1994, I’ve dedicated myself to taking on the most complex and challenging civil cases. In 2011, after a rigorous screening process involving input from opposing lawyers and judges, I was inducted as a Fellow in the International Society of Barristers. This Society “recognizes each era’s best advocates” and invitation is strictly limited to “advocates of exceptional talent whose qualities including integrity, honor, and collegiality embody the spirit of the true professional.” I’ve also been recognized by my peers as one of the best lawyers in Texas, earning an AV rating (Preeminent 5.0 out of 5) by Martindale Hubbell, the nation’s oldest and most trusted peer review service, and selected as a Super Lawyer, as published in Texas Monthly, for eleven consecutive years, another peer review designation reserved for the top 5% of Texas lawyers. While I am humbled to be recognized by my peers, I would trade every professional accolade for just one – Super Dad. I married Sandra Gonzalez 28 years ago and she blessed me with great children who, thank God, take after their mom. Our daughter graduated from Texas Christian University in 2013 and we are thrilled that she is about to marry Adrian Adame of Donna, Texas. Our son is a graduating senior at Juan Diego Academy in Mission, Texas and is discerning which University he will attend. After his graduation this May, Sandra and I will be empty-nesters, giving me the opportunity to campaign hard and, if it is the will of the people, to serve as your Chief Justice of the Thirteenth Court of Appeals. Over the years, I have worked closely with the only two Chief Justices who have served the Court of Appeals since I started practicing in 1988. As a local bar leader, I worked with Chief Justice Robert Seerden to encourage our county leaders to open a satellite court of appeals in Edinburg, so that the court could be more accessible to those of us in the Rio Grande Valley. Back then, some local leaders wanted to split the Thirteenth Court of Appeals into two separate courts, but Chief Justice Seerden was staunchly opposed to this idea, believing justice would be better served keeping the court together. He asked me to help him lobby local leaders to keep the court together, and I did. More recently, I have worked on other projects for the court, and have gained valuable insight into the administrative responsibilities of the position I seek. I firmly believe that a true leader is a servant of all the others, and as the leader of the court, I pledge to serve with a servant’s heart. Please join my campaign for Chief Justice of the Thirteenth Court of Appeals. I need your support, your vote and your prayers. With your help, I will take the following Oath of Office: “I, Ray Thomas, do solemnly swear, that I will faithfully execute the duties of the office of Chief Justice of the Thirteenth Court of Appeals, and will to the best of my ability preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States and of this State, so help me God.”
