| Justice Diane Henson, Third Court of Appeals, Pl. 3 |
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| Justice Diane Henson, Third Court of Appeals, Pl. 3 |
"Fellow Texans,
Judges must serve as stewards of our Constitution. Judges must abide by the highest ethical standards. Judges must have courage and fortitude, because in our Constitutional system it is the judiciary's responsibility to safeguard against the abuse of power by the legislative or executive branches of government.
Judges should make decisions based on the facts of the case and longstanding precedent—not based on extreme political ideology or agendas driven by powerful special interest groups.
We must have an independent judiciary that is committed to the preservation of the jury system, one of the most powerful tools of our democracy.
Together, we can provide Texans with fair and impartial courts. Please support me with your vote in November."
Diane Henson
Biography
Diane Henson brings a distinguished record of achievement as a lawyer who has practiced for 27 years..
Creating a record of public service...
Diane began her career in public service as a federal prosecutor in Washington, D.C. She was selected for the prestigious Honor’s Program of the U.S. Department of Justice and benefited from the outstanding training program utilized by Justice to turn young lawyers into the country’s best prosecutors.
Within 18 months of graduating from law school Diane had tried numerous trials in federal courts, handled federal extradition hearings and served as one of three negotiators representing the U.S. in extradition treaty negotiations with Ireland. And that was just the beginning.
Next, Diane was assigned to the elite Public Integrity Section, one of the highest profile prosecution teams at Justice. This section prosecuted corrupt politicians, an unending task. These experiences hammered home to Diane the critical importance of the judiciary’s role as an independent check and balance under our Constitution. When one party dominates the political landscape, corruption can really fester.
Making a difference one case at a time...
When Diane arrived in Austin in 1983, it did not take long for her to make a difference. Working at one of Austin’s most distinguished law firms, Graves, Dougherty, Hearon & Moody, Diane handled a significant civil litigation docket for firm clients and also began taking pro bono cases. Many of these cases dealt with children and their right to contribute fully in scholastic and extra-curricular activities.
Long a believer that girls who participate in sports are more likely to graduate from high school and avoid the traps of drug use or teen pregnancy, Diane started to turn the world of sports in Texas a bit upside down. Diane’s Title IX cases opened the doors for thousands of girls to play sports and to compete for equitable scholarship dollars. Her cases involving disabled students, brought on behalf of various teenage boys who had been in special education programs, are considered classic and have been referenced in law school textbooks and journal articles.
Diane was named her firm’s first female litigation partner in 1986 and spent twelve years at the firm before starting her own firm. During the last nine years Diane has continued her commitment to being a first-rate lawyer for her clients while still helping those who do not have a voice.
Building excellent qualifications...
Diane has litigated the types of cases that mirror the docket of civil cases heard by the Third Court of Appeals, such as: breach of contract, deceptive trade practices, tax disputes with the State, sex, race, age, disability and retaliation discrimination, negligence, products liability, toxic torts, false arrest, malicious prosecution, fraud, professional malpractice (hospital, physicians, nurses, architects and engineers), civil rights, Constitutional issues (freedom of religion, association and speech, due process, equal protection), child custody, common law marriage, contractual alimony, real estate disputes, administrative law matters and licensing disputes.
Since 1995 Diane has been Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in personal injury trial law and was re-certified in 2000. Diane was inducted into the prestigious American Board of Trial Advocates in 1997. She received two Outstanding Achievement Awards in 1994 and 1996 from the Travis County Women Lawyers Association for her groundbreaking Title IX litigation that has meant millions of more scholarship dollars for our daughters to attend college.
Diane has been rated A.V., the highest rating for ethics and competency by her fellow lawyers for more than 15 years. She graduated with honors from Drake University Law School in 1979, where she was a member of Order of the Coif, Order of the Barristers, and a National Moot Court Team that finished third in the nation, was named a Leland Forest Scholar and served as Case Notes Editor of the Drake Law Review. Diane received her undergraduate degree in economics with distinction from Iowa State University in 1976.
Diane grew up in a close-knit military family. Her father, who was originally from Perryville, Texas, served in the U.S. Navy as a pilot for more than 20 years. The Henson family has been in Texas for more than six generations. All of Diane’s mother’s family is from Iowa. The Navy sent Diane’s Dad to Iowa for training (in case you’re wondering how the Texas-Iowa connection occurred). Diane’s father received his master’s degree in nuclear engineering from Iowa State University. Diane has one older sister, a registered nurse, who taught chemistry and is now a high school principal. Diane has two labs, Dakota and Cody, nine feral cats, and a herd of deer who all respond to the name of Rudolph.
A commitment to her profession and her community...
Diane has taught as an adjunct professor at both the University of Texas at Austin as well as St. Mary’s University School of Law. She is a frequent speaker at continuing legal education seminars sponsored by the State Bar of Texas, the University of Texas Law School, the American Bar Association, and other organizations. As Chair of the Women in the Profession Committee of the State Bar of Texas, Diane spearheaded a study concerning the lack of hiring of minority and women law professors. Diane served on the Rules of Professional Conduct Committee of the State Bar of Texas and was the primary author of Rule 5.08 of the Rules of Professional Conduct that prohibits discriminatory conduct by lawyers. Diane was elected a Democratic precinct chair, a delegate to the Texas Democratic county and state conventions and served on the national Advisory Board to the National Women’s Political Caucus. She served as a Community Advisor to the Austin Junior League and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Boys Club.
Contact information:
Diane Henson Campaign
MariBen Ramsey, Treasurer
8911 N. Capital of Texas Hwy,
Westech 2, Suite 2120
Austin, TX 78759
diane@dianehensonfortexas.com
Click here to visit the Diane Henson for Texas website...
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San Marcos, Texas 78666