Senate Confirms Baylor Law Grad to Appellate Court

May 25, 2005
News Photo 2917

Priscilla R. Owen

by Lori Fogleman
The Senate on Wednesday (May 25) confirmed Texas Supreme Court Justice Priscilla R. Owen, a 1977 Baylor University law graduate, as a federal appellate judge with the New Orleans-based Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Born in Palacios and raised in Waco, Owen received her bachelor of arts degree cum laude from Baylor in 1976, and graduated in the top of her class from Baylor Law School. She was a member of the Baylor Law Review and achieved the top score among those taking the Texas bar examination. She has been honored as a Baylor Young Lawyer of the Year and as a Baylor Outstanding Young Alumna.
Owen was elected to the Supreme Court of Texas in 1994 and re-elected in 2000. Before her election, Justice Owen was a partner in the Houston firm of Andrews & Kurth L.L.P., where she practiced commercial litigation for 17 years. She was admitted to practice before the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Fourth, Fifth, Eighth and 11th Circuits.
In February, Owen was the commencement speaker for Baylor Law School.
The Supreme Court justice visited the White House on Tuesday, where President Bush said, "She is my friend, and more importantly, she's a great judge."