Vanessa D. Gilmore
United States District Court for the
Southern District of Texas
Houston, Texas
Born: St. Albans, New York-October 26, 1956.
Education: Hampton University (B.S. 1977); University of Houston College of Law (J.D. 1981).
Judge
Gilmore was appointed a United States District Court Judge for the
Southern District of Texas in the Houston Division by President
Clinton. She took the oath of office on June 10, 1994. With that
appointment, she became the youngest sitting federal judge in the
nation.
The
native of Silver Spring, Maryland was the youngest member of her
freshman class at her alma mater, Hampton University. Gilmore decided
to undertake a career in law after she represented herself and won a
minor civil lawsuit and graduated from the University of Houston Law
Center in 1981.
After
being licensed by the State Bar of Texas in 1982, Gilmore began a
13-year tenure at a Houston law firm that later became known as
Vickery, Kilbride, Gilmore & Vickery. There she specialized in
civil litigation. Gilmore has been an active member of the Houston
civic community, serving on the boards of a number of organizations
including the YWCA, Child Advocates, End Hunger Network and the Houston
Ballet. She also became involved in the Texas political arena while
serving as counsel, and teacher in the area of election law. Her civic
activities outside of the courtroom brought her to the attention of
Governor Ann Richards who in 1991 appointed Gilmore to the Texas
Department of Commerce Policy Board, where she also served as
chairperson from 1992 to 1994. Her appointment to that board made Judge
Gilmore the first African-American to serve on this board responsible
for increasing business and tourism and job training development in
Texas. In 1993, she also served as chairperson of Texans for NAFTA. In
this capacity, she worked regularly with diplomatic leaders, including
the President of Mexico, to increase U.S. trade opportunities. Judge
Gilmore was nominated to the federal bench by President Bill Clinton in
1994 and became the first University of Houston graduate to be
appointed to the Federal bench. She is a sought after lecturer and
speaker and has published noteworthy opinions on patients' rights, the
first amendment and copyright and patent law. She serves on the board
and advisory boards of a number of charitable organizations including
the Houston Zoo, San Jacinto Girl Scouts, Spaulding for Children and
Habitat for Humanity, and on the Board of Trustees for Hampton
University. She is the recipient of numerous civic awards for community
service and is a member of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church and Jack &
Jill of America, Houston Chapter. She is the proud mother of one son,
Sean Harrison Gilmore.
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