At the close of ALI’s 2026 Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas Wallace B. Jefferson was installed as the 11th President of the American Law Institute. In the conversation that follows, Chief Justice Jefferson discusses the Institute’s work, the role of deliberation in a divided time, and the perspective he brings from a career on the state bench and at the appellate bar.

Q. As you take office, what do you most want the Institute to be working on during your presidency?

A. The American Law Institute exists to modernize, clarify, and improve the law for the better administration of justice. That will continue to be the overarching mission for my presidency.

We will focus on substantive areas of the law in a time when the country is divided and where this is an institute that can debate difficult issues in a civil and serious manner and produce a work product in which there is compromise but also a real advancement of the rule of law. That is where I want my presidency to land—where ALI began in 1923.

Q. The country is, as you say, politically divided. There is a lot of public conversation right now about the legitimacy of legal and judicial institutions. Where do you see ALI fitting into that?

A. We tackle any questions about illegitimacy or invalidity of law through our work product. ALI is comprised of the leading judges, state and federal, trial and appellate, and leading lawyers in every area of the legal profession from public service and the Department of Justice to private law firms to legal aid organizations, and law professors who have studied these areas their whole careers. We come together and tackle the questions that impact every citizen’s life. That is our purpose.

People say the country is polarized. But at the Institute, we gather in a common mission. That does not mean we always agree. We debate legal principle. But through intellectual debate, discussion, and compromise, we publish a product that is respected in courtrooms, in legislatures, in government offices, and in law firms. That is why we exist.

ALI was founded at a tumultuous time in America. But ALI is accustomed to working in controversial times, and it is a model for how Americans can and should be talking to each other.

Q. For lawyers and members of the public who may not be deeply familiar with the Institute’s work, what areas is ALI currently engaged in?

A. We have projects on tort law, personal injury, defamation, contracts — the vast array of jurisprudence that impact our lives. Where the law applies, the American Law Institute exists.

Q. Access to justice has been a thread through your career. What is ALI doing in that space?

A. Many people who have legal disputes cannot afford a lawyer to help resolve them. One of our projects deals with these high-volume cases where one side is represented by counsel and the other almost always is not. Examples are debt collection, landlord-tenant disputes, and child-support disputes. The project will offer courts and policymakers guidance on the urgent challenges these types of cases present.

Q. What would surprise a lawyer who isn’t a member of the Institute about how ALI actually works?

A. Someone who is not a member would be impressed by the high level, the very thorough debate and analysis of the questions that confront Americans. The conversations include judges, lawyers, and professors, which enlighten and enhance the discussion.

Many of our projects take many, many years. It takes time to incorporate all perspectives and for the process of compromise. If a project is not ready for publication, it is not published. It returns both to the Council, which is the governing body, and to the membership at an Annual Meeting. It is incredibly important that we take the time to ensure we publish accurate statements of legal principles.

Q. You are the first former state supreme court chief justice to lead ALI. How does that vantage point shape your view of the Institute’s work?

A. There is much popular discussion about the U.S. Supreme Court and federal courts, but, in reality, most disputes are resolved in our nation’s state courts. People walk down to the county courthouse where a local lawyer helps citizens resolve questions about basic legal rights. It is vital that the Institute publish works that are accessible to all citizens whether they are in state or federal court. My background in the state system will help ensure we do so.

Q. The 2026 Annual Meeting includes a session on threats to judges. Why is that on the Institute’s agenda?

A. This is one of the most important issues that our judges are facing, and the Institute has been proactive. The decisions that judges have to make can really impact a person’s life. Many of the high-volume cases I mentioned are family law cases, where emotions run high. Far too many judges and their families have been subject to violent attacks or terrifying threats. The Institute provides a safe forum to explore these issues.

Q. With all that in view, what gives you confidence that the American legal system can continue to do this work well?

A. Ours is a nation committed to resolving serious legal questions through a civil process. Our justice was designed to address legitimate and often highly personal and emotionally charged disputes in a thoughtful and predictable way to avoid resort to violence. ALI is dedicated to supporting our venerable and time-tested system—to defend the rule of law and access to justice for all.