Kimberly Burley at a glance
- Current role
- District Associate Judge
- Jurisdiction
- Texas · State
- Judicial service
- Active
Kimberly Burley
District Associate Judge · Texas District Court, Bexar County
Biography
Professional career
- Burley spent 23 years at the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office, dedicating 21 of those years to child welfare advocacy
Education
- Kimberly Burley is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin
- Law degree from the University of Texas School of Law.
Additional information
- She hears cases involving child abuse, neglect, and foster care adoptions, and in July 2022, she began serving in the Early Childhood Court.
- In May 2021, Burley was appointed by Bexar County’s 14 civil district court judges as an associate judge in the Children’s Court, filling the vacancy left by Judge Richard Garcia.
- Judge Burley emphasizes the best interest of the child in all cases, striving to balance child safety with family reunification.
- During her tenure, she held the role of an Assistant District Attorney on multiple specialized dockets, including the Crossover or Dual Status Docket, Family Drug Court Docket, Early Childhood Court Docket, PEARLS Court Docket, and EAGLES Court Docket.
- Her work emphasized protecting children while striving to reunify families whenever safely possible, reflecting her evolution from focusing solely on parental termination to prioritizing family reunification.
- She became the first African American woman to hold this position, marking a historic milestone for the court.
- She views her role as a mentor and role model for African American youth and is committed to fostering inclusion and collaboration among families, attorneys, and social services to achieve positive outcomes for children.
- Her educational background laid the foundation for a career focused on legal advocacy and child welfare.
- Burley’s appointment has been widely recognized as a significant step toward diversity and representation in the judiciary.
- Her extensive experience in child welfare law and her dedication to family-centered advocacy continue to influence the Bexar County Children’s Court and serve as an example for future legal professionals.
Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
Remote appearances
Statewide
In civil district and county court proceedings, the court may permit or require electronic participation after appropriate notice; compelled electronic participation for oral-testimony proceedings requires good cause or party agreement, and a jury trial requires party agreement.
Upon appropriate notice by a party or the court, a court may allow or require a participant to appear at a court proceeding by videoconference, teleconference, or other available electronic means, except as otherwise provided in (2).Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 21d, Appearances at Court Proceedings ↗
Recording and broadcasting
Statewide
Civil district and county trial courts may permit courtroom recording or broadcasting only under Supreme Court guidelines, with the required party and witness consent, or for ceremonial proceedings.
A trial court may permit broadcasting, televising, recording, or photographing of proceedings in the courtroom only in the following circumstances:Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 18c, Recording and Broadcasting of Court Proceedings ↗
Published courtroom rules
Shared court rules
Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 21d, Appearances at Court Proceedings
Texas District Court, Bexar County
Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory.
Official source ↗ · Collected 2026-07-26Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 21d, Appearances at Court Proceedings
Texas District Court, Bexar County
Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory.
Official source ↗ · Collected 2026-07-26Sources
Identity source checked July 27, 2026.
Biography sources checked October 10, 2026.
Texas Office of Court Administration, active Judicial Directory official judicial roster
Identity source · HTML · Source checked July 27, 2026
View Texas Office of Court Administration, active Judicial Directory official judicial roster ↗Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 21d, Appearances at Court Proceedings
Statewide source · PDF · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 21d, Appearances at Court Proceedings ↗Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 18c, Recording and Broadcasting of Court Proceedings
Statewide source · PDF · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 18c, Recording and Broadcasting of Court Proceedings ↗