---
title: "Vanessa D. Gilmore | KnowJudges"
canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/vanessa-d-gilmore-1210"
page_type: "judge_profile"
updated: "2026-10-09"
---

# Vanessa D. Gilmore

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas · Judge

## Profile

- Court: U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
- State: Texas
- Role: Judge
- Service status: former
- Last verified: 2026-06-30

## Biography

### Professional career

- Judge, District Court, S.D. Texas, 1994-present
- Adjunct professor, University of Houston Law Center, 1984-present
- In 1994, President Bill Clinton appointed Gilmore to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, making her the youngest sitting federal judge in the nation at that time
- She also held the role of an adjunct professor at the University of Houston College of Law, teaching research and writing

### Education

- Hampton University in — B.S. (1977)

### Additional information

- Since March 2022, Gilmore has worked with JAMS as an arbitrator, mediator, and special master, applying her judicial experience to alternative dispute resolution.
- Private practice, Houston, TX, 1981-1994
- a Juris Doctor from the University of Houston Law Center in 1981, becoming the first University of Houston graduate appointed to the federal bench.
- Vanessa Gilmore was born on October 26, 1956, in St. Albans, New York, and raised in Silver Spring, Maryland.
- Date of birth: 1956-01-01
- After law school, Gilmore spent 13 years at the Houston law firm Vickery, Kilbride, Gilmore and Vickery, specializing in civil litigation.
- She handles arbitrations resembling courtroom trials and mediations that encourage negotiated settlements, helping parties resolve disputes efficiently.
- During her 27-year tenure, she presided over high-profile cases, including the Enron Broadband trial, disputes between ridesharing companies and Yellow Cab Houston, and environmental cases such as the Galveston cruise ship terminal project.
- Her judicial work spanned intellectual property, labor and employment, securities class actions, product liability, energy, insurance, and environmental law.
- Throughout her career, Gilmore has received numerous civic awards for her contributions to the legal profession and community service, reflecting her commitment to public service and mentorship.
- Birth place: St. Albans, NY

## Sources

- [Official profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/1210/vanessa-d-gilmore/)
- [Official roster](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/1210/vanessa-d-gilmore/)
- [U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas current judicial profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/1210/vanessa-d-gilmore/)
- [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/1210/vanessa-d-gilmore/)
- [Gilmore, Vanessa D. | Federal Judicial Center](https://www.fjc.gov/history/judges/gilmore-vanessa-d)
- [SDTX Bench Bar Conference Bio - Judge Vanessa D. Gilmore | Southern District of Texas](https://www.txs.uscourts.gov/page/sdtx-bench-bar-conference-bio-judge-vanessa-d-gilmore)
- [Wikidata: Vanessa Gilmore](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7914649)

## JSON-LD

```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@graph": [
    {
      "@type": "WebPage",
      "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/vanessa-d-gilmore-1210",
      "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/vanessa-d-gilmore-1210",
      "name": "Vanessa D. Gilmore | KnowJudges",
      "description": "Vanessa D. Gilmore, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas. Source-linked judicial identity, courtroom procedures, and presentation guidance.",
      "dateModified": "2026-10-09",
      "isPartOf": {
        "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/#website"
      },
      "mainEntity": {
        "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/vanessa-d-gilmore-1210#judge"
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "Person",
      "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/vanessa-d-gilmore-1210#judge",
      "name": "Vanessa D. Gilmore",
      "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/vanessa-d-gilmore-1210",
      "jobTitle": "Judge",
      "worksFor": {
        "@type": "GovernmentOrganization",
        "name": "U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas"
      },
      "sameAs": [
        "https://www.courtlistener.com/person/1210/vanessa-d-gilmore/"
      ],
      "birthDate": "1956",
      "birthPlace": "St. Albans, NY",
      "alumniOf": [
        {
          "@type": "EducationalOrganization",
          "name": "Hampton University"
        },
        {
          "@type": "EducationalOrganization",
          "name": "University of Houston Law Center"
        },
        {
          "@type": "EducationalOrganization",
          "name": "University of Houston"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
      "itemListElement": [
        {
          "@type": "ListItem",
          "position": 1,
          "name": "KnowJudges",
          "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj"
        },
        {
          "@type": "ListItem",
          "position": 2,
          "name": "Texas",
          "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/state/texas"
        },
        {
          "@type": "ListItem",
          "position": 3,
          "name": "Vanessa D. Gilmore",
          "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/vanessa-d-gilmore-1210"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}
```