Brissette, age 56, received her law degree from South Texas College of Law in Houston. She has experience as a litigator and appellate practitioner, and previously served as a district court judge in Bexar County.
This year Gov. Greg Abbott appointed Brissette to the fill a vacancy on the 4th Court of Appeals in Place 3, but she is running on the November ballot to represent Place 4, where she faces incumbent Judge Luz Elena Chapa (D).
Hear from the candidate
Please tell voters about yourself.
My name is Lori Massey Brissette. I’m 56 years old and I live in downtown San Antonio. I’m a member of the San Antontio Bar Association, the William S. Sessions Inns of Court, and a lifetime member of both the State Bar Litigation section and the San Antonio Bar Foundation. Outside of legal organizations, I’m a board member for NAMI- Greater San Antonio (National Alliance for Mental Illness), serve on the advisory board for Christ Coalition (a coalition of faith based organizations focused on preventing child abuse and neglect), and a member of NAWBO, the Women’s Chamber of Commerce, SA PowerWomen, and ImpactSA.
Describe your educational background.
I graduated from the University of Texas at Austin and received my JurisDoctor, with honors, from South Texas College of Law in Houston.
Describe your professional experience, what type of law you’ve practiced and noteworthy accomplishments.
I have been an attorney for over 30 years. I began as a briefing attorney at the Texas Supreme Court before moving to San Antonio in 1994. After ten years of litigation, and as a board certified civil appellate attorney, I was appointed to the 288th District Court and then elected twice by the people of Bexar County. In addition to the civil docket I co-led the Child Abuse & Neglect Court and the Family Drug Court. I voluntarily left the bench in my second term and, after resuming private practice, I was named several times by Texas Monthly magazine as a top litigator in Texas. I spent ten years in the corporate world at two Fortune 100 companies before returning to the legal field as a mediator, arbitrator and private judge. I now serve as a Justice on the Fourth Court of Appeals, having been appointed by the Governor in July of this year.
Why are you seeking this office and why did you decide to be a candidate in the political party you chose?
I am seeking this office to help return this court to its former glory. The Fourth Court of Appeals used to be the most effective and efficient court in the state of Texas and now finds itself at the bottom of the list in terms of how long it takes to render decisions. As well, we have judges who went home during the pandemic and have not returned to the courthouse to work despite the fact that we are now four years post-pandemic. That changes how the court works and impacts the quality of our rulings.
We need judges who are committed to working hard every day to earn the respect afforded the office and who put the needs of the public before their own. I choose to run as a Republican because I believe we need a stronger conservative voice on the court and because I am committed to a conservative judicial philosophy, meaning I will follow the law and not use the bench to advance my own political agenda.
Read more
Shut out of the courthouse in blue Bexar County, Republicans instead target Fourth Court of Appeals
