J. Brett Busby

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Justin Brett Busby, born April 12, 1973, is a Justice on the Supreme Court of Texas. He took office on March 20, 2019, after Governor Greg Abbott appointed him to fill the seat left by Justice Phil Johnson. Before that, he served on the Houston-based Fourteenth Court of Appeals from 2012 through 2018 and was narrowly defeated in his 2018 bid for re-election amid a Democratic wave.

Busby earned a BA in public policy and international affairs from Duke University and a JD from Columbia Law School. He clerked for Judge Gerald Bard Tjoflat of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, retired Associate Justice Byron White of the U.S. Supreme Court, and Associate Justice John Paul Stevens.

The Fourteenth Court of Appeals handles civil and criminal appeals from Harris County and nearby counties, about 1,100 cases a year. Busby enjoyed the broad scope of appellate work and later moved to the state's highest court. He is Board Certified in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and has served as Chair of the Appellate Section of the State Bar of Texas.

Busby was unanimously confirmed by the Texas Senate and sworn in on March 20, 2019. He has described the Supreme Court as a dream job and looks forward to continuing his work there.