Former Chief Justice Bob Shannon Back on the Bench By Justice Scott Field, Third Court
of
Appeals
D
iscussion topics over lunch in Austin may range from a Clinton-Bush race for the White House, a Baywatch reboot, or, if there are lawyers in the group (and aren’t there always in Austin?), the latest Third Court of Appeals opinion by Bob Shannon. Based on these topics, it may feel like the early 90s, but the time is now. At the Third Court of Appeals, there is a “back to the future” movement that includes the return of former Chief Justice Bob Shannon. Soon after his successful race for Chief Justice in 2014, Jeff Rose began searching for additional ways to trim the Court’s docket. The Court had already employed former Chief Justice Marilyn Aboussie using funds specifically set aside for visiting judges, and Rose suggested that the Court explore the use of other former Third Court justices as visiting judges. In turn, the Court’s justices unanimously supported the idea of employing former Chief Justices Bob Shannon and Jimmy Carroll as visiting judges. Each has issued at least one opinion as of this writing. Bob Shannon served on the Third Court of Appeals for 20 years, from January 1971 until he retired in December 1990. He became Chief Justice in 1985. In his time on the Court, Judge Shannon never had a contested election and became one of the most beloved figures in the Austin legal community. Much has changed for Judge Shannon since he left the Court — at that time, for example, he had never used a computer. The passage of time, however, does not lessen the benefit of having a great legal mind on the Court. As a justice, Bob Shannon was known for his legal acumen and concise writing, attributes he still brings to his opinions and to the Court. Judge Shannon has become a welcome regular in the office the Court has set aside for visiting judges. He also recently joined other justices in taking the Court’s interns to Lockhart for BBQ, a tradition he started while serving on the Court. For me, it feels like old times. When I was a law clerk at
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Austin Lawyer October 2015
Justices Scott Field, Melissa Goodwin, Former Chief Justice Bob Shannon, and Chief Justice Jeff Rose having BBQ with staff attorneys and court interns in Lockhart.
Baker Botts-Austin, the first assignment I received was from Judge Shannon, who asked me to draft a reply brief to the Texas Supreme Court. Over the next several decades, Judge Shannon became not only a mentor, but a friend. Now he is a colleague, and the Third Court, as well as the attorneys who practice there, benefit greatly from his presence. For anyone who would like the opportunity to see Judge Shannon back on the bench, the Third Court has set oral argument in Horse Hollow Generation Tie LLC v. Whitworth-Kinsey #2 Ltd., on Nov. 4, at 9 a.m. The panel for the argument will be Chief Justice Rose, Justice Field, and former Chief Justice Bob Shannon. All are welcome. • AL