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Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, J.D. 1988
cum laude
Order of the Coif
Coordinating Note and Comment Editor, Northwestern University Law Review
Lowden-Wigmore Prize
Arlyn Miner Moot Court Competition Prize
Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism, B.S. in Journalism with Highest Distinction, 1985
Kappa Tau Alpha honor society
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After practicing law for 18 years, Bill Boyce served as a justice on the 14th Court of Appeals in Houston for 11 years. His experience from his time on the bench provides valuable perspective when dealing with the court, informing effective arguments in his appellate practice. Often, that insight makes all the difference in important cases. Bill has argued more than 60 cases in appellate courts throughout Texas and across the country, including the United States Supreme Court. Today, his extensive appellate experience combines with his bench experience to provide clients at Alexander Dubose and Jefferson the best of both worlds when it comes to knowledgeable and effective representation. Bill is vice-chair of the Judicial Commission on Mental Health; a member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee; an elected member of the American Law Institute; a past adjunct faculty member at the University of Houston Law Center; a longtime member of the State Bar of Texas and Houston Bar Association appellate practice sections; and a frequent CLE speaker.
State Bar of Texas
Texas Super Lawyers, 2003-2007, 2023
Best Lawyers in America, 2025
Certified in Civil Appellate Law (1994), Texas Board of Legal Specialization
Sam Cochran Criminal Justice Award (2019), National Alliance on Mental Illness
Judge Bob Jones Memorial Award for contributions to judicial education (2015), American Judges Association
Appellate Judge of the Year (2013-14), Texas Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists
Co-author with John Torrison and John DeMers of Miss Fortune’s Last Mission (Bright Sky Press 2015), which chronicles the crew of a B-24 Liberator bomber shot down during World War II
“Recent Texas Supreme Court Decisions That Matter for Business Disputes,” State Bar of Texas 11th Annual Business Disputes Course, September 2019
“Standards of Review,” State Bar of Texas Civil Appellate Practice 101, September 2019
“Texas Supreme Court Update,” State Bar of Texas Continuing Legal Education webcast, August 2019
“Texas Supreme Court Update,” State Bar of Texas Continuing Legal Education webcast, May 2019
“Update on Legislation and the Judicial Commission on Mental Health,” Texas Center for the Judiciary Mental Health Conference, February 2019
“Competency Restoration Alternatives, Local Implementation, and a Look Ahead,” 2018 Texas Tech Mental Health Law Symposium, November 2018
“Concurrent Causation Demystified,” State Bar of Texas Advanced Insurance Law Course, June 2018
“Oral Argument from Both Sides,” University of Texas 28th Annual Conference on State and Federal Appeals, June 2018
“Addressing Mental Health Issues in Texas,” 2018 Probate Academy sponsored by the Texas Association of Counties, May 2018
“New Landscape in Mental Health Legislation,” Texas Center for the Judiciary Criminal Justice Conference, February 2018
“Implementing Changes in Mental Health Procedures,” Texas Center for the Judiciary Criminal Justice Conference, February 2018
“Case Law Update,” Harris County Justices of the Peace Annual Judicial Conference, November 2017
“Pre-Trial Screenings, Bond and Competency Restoration for Mentally Ill Defendants,” Fall Judicial Education Session sponsored by the Texas Association of Counties, November 2017
“Sanctions in Federal and State Court,” State Bar of Texas webcast, October 2017
“Mental Health and Jail Screening,” County Judges and Commissioners Conferences sponsored by the Texas Association of Counties in April, May, and June 2017
“Fifth Circuit Panel,” State Bar of Texas Advanced Civil Appellate Practice Course, September 2016
“Hot Topics and Trends from the Bench,” State Bar of Texas 8th Annual Damages in Civil Litigation Course, January 2016
Course Director, State Bar of Texas Advanced Civil Appellate Practice Course, September 2015
Anti-SLAPP: The Emerging Contours of a New Dismissal Mechanism, 72 THE ADVOCATE 22 (Fall 2015)
Elected member, American Law Institute
Member, Texas Supreme Court Advisory Committee
Vice Chair, Texas Judicial Commission on Mental Health
Supervising Judge for S.A.F.E. Court (Survivors Acquiring Freedom and Empowerment), a pretrial intervention program involving intensive supervision for defendants between 17 and 25 charged with prostitution in Harris County, Texas; program in existence from 2015 until 2018
Board of Directors, Texas Center for the Judiciary 2013-16; member of Curriculum Committee 2017-18
Former adjunct faculty member at University of Houston Law Center; guest lecturer at The University of Texas School of Law and South Texas College of Law Houston
Member, Civil Appellate Law Examination Committee of the Texas Board of Legal Specialization 1999-2005, Committee chair 2003-05 — Responsible for drafting and grading exams used by State Bar of Texas to determine board certification for civil appellate practice
Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation
Advisory Board member and former board chair, Healthcare for the Homeless–Houston
Board member, Breakthrough Houston
