--- title: "Nancy Kennedy | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/nancy-kennedy-tx-5th-court-appeals" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-08-03" --- # Nancy Kennedy Texas 5th Court of Appeals · Court of Appeals Justice ## Profile - Court: Texas 5th Court of Appeals - State: Texas - Role: Court of Appeals Justice - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-07-27 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - Democratic Party judge serving Place 7 on the Texas Fifth Court of Appeals since January 2023, after being elected in 2022, with a career spanning over 20 years in criminal law, trial and appellate courts, and specialty court programs. - Presiding Judge, Texas Criminal District Court, No. 2, Dallas City, Dallas, TX, 2017-present - Before joining the appellate court, Kennedy held the role of Presiding Judge of Criminal District Court #2 in Dallas County from 2016 to 2023, re‐elected in 2020. - Assistant District Attorney, Collin County District Attorney's Office, TX, 2004-2005 - Began her legal career in 2001 as a prosecutor, then transitioned to criminal defense in 2005 - Assistant County Attorney, Hunt County Attorney's Office, 2001-2004 - Adjunct trial advocacy professor at SMU Law ### Education - Southern Methodist University — J.D. (2001) - Political Science — Sam Houston State University — 1997 - in Political Science — Sam Houston State University — B.A. - Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law — J.D. ### Additional information - Her term runs through December 31, 2028. - Elected in November 2022 to serve Place 7 of the Fifth Court of Appeals, covering Dallas, Collin, Grayson, Rockwall, Hunt, and Kaufman counties. - Practitioner, Mills & Williams, LLP, Dallas, TX, 2013-2016 - Named a Rising Star in Texas Monthly from 2008–2016. - Owner, Law Office of Nancy Kennedy, 2005-2016 - Was Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in 2010 and re‐certified. - Handled over 100 trials as lead counsel. - Practiced in state and federal courts in Texas. - Created the felony outpatient competency restoration specialty court for defendants found incompetent to stand trial or not guilty by reason of insanity. - Presided over the STAR court specialty program. - Managed a female offender program. - The Fifth Court handles family, criminal, and civil appeals for these six North Texas counties. - Fellowships: Maguire Center for Ethics and Public Responsibility and Martin Samuelsohn Fellowship. - A fourth‐generation Texan born in Dallas, Kennedy resides in East Dallas. - She has volunteered with the Red Cross, supported nonprofit organizations, and is active in her children’s school and the Dallas County Democratic Party. ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### appellate electronic filing Scope: statewide In Texas appellate courts, attorneys must electronically file civil and criminal documents, subject to a good-cause motion; self-represented parties may e-file but are not required to do so. Evidence excerpt: Attorneys in civil cases must electronically file documents. Attorneys in criminal cases must electronically file documents except for good cause shown in a motion filed in the appellate court. [Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure, Rule 9.2, Electronic Filing](https://www.txcourts.gov/media/1461885/texas-rules-of-appellate-procedure.pdf) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.txcourts.gov/5thcoa/about-the-court/justices/justice-nancy-kennedy/) - [Official roster](https://www.txcourts.gov/5thcoa/about-the-court/justices/justice-nancy-kennedy/) - [Texas Judicial Branch official judicial roster](https://www.txcourts.gov/5thcoa/about-the-court/justices/justice-nancy-kennedy/) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/15770/nancy-e-kennedy/) - [Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure, Rule 9.2, Electronic Filing](https://www.txcourts.gov/media/1461885/texas-rules-of-appellate-procedure.pdf) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/15770/nancy-e-kennedy/) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/nancy-kennedy-tx-5th-court-appeals", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/nancy-kennedy-tx-5th-court-appeals", "name": "Nancy Kennedy | KnowJudges", "description": "Nancy Kennedy, Texas 5th Court of Appeals. 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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](https://www.txcourts.gov/media/1461885/texas-rules-of-appellate-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-07-26.