--- title: "Scott Brister | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/scott-brister-tx-15th-court-appeals" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-08-02" --- # Scott Brister Texas 15th Court of Appeals · Court of Appeals Justice ## Profile - Court: Texas 15th 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 - Scott Andrew Brister, born January 8, 1955, in Waco, Texas, is a highly experienced jurist currently serving as the inaugural Chief Justice of the Fifteenth Court of Appeals, a position he assumed on September 1, 2024, following his appointment by Governor Greg Abbott - After leaving the Supreme Court, Brister practiced law in private practice at Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP until returning to the bench in 2024. - Then elected to the First Court of Appeals in 2000 and shortly thereafter appointed Chief Justice of the Fourteenth Court of Appeals in 2001, a position he was elected to in 2002 - He held the role of Presiding Judge of the 234th District Court in Harris County from 1989 to 2000 - Early in his career, he held the role of a briefing attorney for Chief Justice Joe Greenhill of the Texas Supreme Court ### Education - earned his J.D. with honors from Harvard Law School in 1980. - Brister graduated summa cum laude from Duke University in 1977 ### Additional information - Brister’s current term runs through December 31, 2026, and he is seeking re-election in the November 3, 2026 general election. - In 2003, Governor Rick Perry appointed him to the Texas Supreme Court, where he served until 2009, authoring 122 opinions during his tenure. - Date of birth: 1954 - This newly created court has exclusive jurisdiction over appeals involving the State, constitutional challenges, and judgments from Texas business courts. - Brister’s judicial career spans over three decades. - overseeing 454 jury trials to verdict. - He is board-certified in civil appellate law, civil trial law, and personal injury trial law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. - Beyond the bench, Brister has contributed to public policy and legal education. - He chaired the Texas Commission on Public School Finance, helping craft recommendations adopted by the Legislature. - He has also served on the Texas Bar’s Pattern Jury Charge committee and authored numerous law review articles and opinion pieces for major publications. - Brister is married to Julie Upton Brister, and they have four daughters, all of whom were home-schooled and have completed college and graduate school. - The family resides in Georgetown, Texas. - Scott Brister’s career reflects extensive experience across trial and appellate courts, significant contributions to Texas law, and ongoing public service in both judicial and educational policy arenas. - Birth place: Waco ## 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/15thcoa/about-the-court/justices/chief-justice-scott-brister/) - [Official roster](https://www.txcourts.gov/15thcoa/about-the-court/justices/chief-justice-scott-brister/) - [Texas Judicial Branch official judicial roster](https://www.txcourts.gov/15thcoa/about-the-court/justices/chief-justice-scott-brister/) - [Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure, Rule 9.2, Electronic Filing](https://www.txcourts.gov/media/1461885/texas-rules-of-appellate-procedure.pdf) - [Wikidata: Scott Brister](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7436037) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/scott-brister-tx-15th-court-appeals", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/scott-brister-tx-15th-court-appeals", "name": "Scott Brister | KnowJudges", "description": "Scott Brister, Texas 15th 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.