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MEMBER PROFILES [from the court's website as of 9/9/09; updated 7/26 to reflect
replacement of Justice Rick Strange]
Chief Justice Jim R. Wright
Place 1
Chief Justice Jim R. Wright resides at Lake Leon near Eastland and Ranger, Texas, with wife, Pat.
They have seven children/step-children and thirteen grandchildren/ step-grandchildren.
Judge Wright graduated from Eastland High School in 1964. He received his undergraduate
degree, BBA with concentration in accounting, from North Texas State University in Denton, Texas.
While at North Texas, he was elected into membership of national honor fraternity for accounting.
He also served as a teaching assistant for beginning accounting classes while at North Texas.
Judge Wright received his degree of Juris Doctor, ranking third in his class, from Texas Tech
University School of Law in December 1971. He served as teaching assistant for undergraduate
business law classes while in Tech law school. Also while at Tech law school, he served as
research assistant for oil and gas law professor. Judge Wright was named as "Outstanding Scholar"
by Delta Theta Phi, a legal fraternity. Both during law school and after graduation, he was
employed by Wagonseller and Cobb, a Lubbock law firm.
Judge Wright practiced law in Eastland, Texas, from July 1972 until December 1979, at which time
Governor Clements appointed him Judge of the 91st District Court in Eastland, Texas. He served as
District Court Judge continuously until March 1995, when Governor Bush appointed Judge Wright
to serve as Justice of the 11th Court of Appeals. In September 2005, Governor Perry appointed
Judge Wright to serve as Chief Justice, where he is still serving in that capacity.
Judge Wright served several terms on the district admissions committee for the State Bar of Texas,
was elected to membership of the Texas Bar Foundation, and Order of the Coif. He received the
"Golden Deeds" award from the Eastland Chamber of Commerce.
Justice Eric Kalenak (appointed 2011)
Place 2
Justice Eric Kalenak was appointed to the Eleventh Court of Appeals by Governor Perry on July 1,
2011. He resides in Midland, Texas, with his wife, Isabel. They have three children and four
grandchildren.
Justice Kalenak was born in Odessa, Texas, and graduated from Odessa High School in 1983. He
received a BBA in Finance from Texas Tech University in 1986, and his Doctorate of Jurisprudence
from Texas Tech University Law School in 1989.
He served as a Briefing Attorney for Justice Jerry O. Woodard at the Eighth Court of Appeals for
the term 1989-1990. Justice Kalenak was an Assistant District Attorney in the 34th District (El Paso,
Hudspeth and Culberson Counties) from 1990-1992. In 1993, he went into solo practice. Justice
Kalenak went to work for the Midland County District Attorney in 1994 as an Assistant District
Attorney. He became Appellate Chief in 1999, and First Assistant in 2011.
Justice Kalenak is a Captain in the United State Army Reserve - Judge Advocate.
[Former] Justice Rick Strange [resigned 2011]
Place 2
Judge Rick Strange lives in Midland, Texas with his wife Carole. Carole teaches math at Trinity High School
in Midland. They have two children: Katie, a sophomore at Hardin Simmons University, and Susan, a senior
at Trinity High School.
Judge Strange grew up in Floydada, Texas. He earned a BBA in Accounting from Hardin-Simmons
University. While in college, he was a member of the Cowboy Band, Student Congress, lettered three years
on the University's Orienteering Team, and graduated from US Army Jump School and Ranger School.
Judge Strange attended Law School at the University of Texas. He was a member of Phi Alpha Delta and
served on the Review of Litigation. He graduated with Honors in 1985.
Judge Strange moved to Midland in 1985 and went to work for Cotton, Bledsoe, Tighe and Dawson. He
became a partner in 1991 and at the time of his appointment to the Court of Appeals, was head of the firm's
litigation section. He is board certified in Civil Trial Law and Oil, Gas, and Mineral Law.
Judge Strange is a fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation, has been a member of the Legal Services for Low
Income Texans Committee for several years, and has served on the Texas Equal Access to Justice
Commission's Legislative Committee. He is also a member of the Interstate Oil & Gas Compact
Commission and is a Trustee on the Hardin Simmons University Board of Trustees. He was appointed to
the 11th Court of Appeals by Governor Perry in October, 2005.
Justice Terry McCall
Place 3
Justice Terry McCall was elected to the 11th Court of Appeals in 1998. He and his wife, Quay, live
on their ranch in Comanche County. Justice McCall is currently serving his second term on the
Court.
After serving two years as an active U.S. Army Reserve officer, Justice McCall began his career with
Baker & Botts in Houston where he specialized in corporate finance. He left the law firm to become
executive vice president of a computer timesharing company. Later, he was general counsel, vice-
president of finance, and then senior vice-president of Alaska Interstate Company, a New York
Stock Exchange company that owned manufacturing companies, C & K Petroleum Company,
McAlester Fuel Company of Oklahoma, and Anchorage Natural Gas Company.
In 1980, Justice McCall formed McCall Industries by purchasing the manufacturing companies of
Alaska Interstate Company. After selling those companies in 1992, he had planned to limit his
activities to ranching. However, he also became county attorney for Comanche County.
Subsequently, Justice McCall also established an appellate practice before the Eastland, Austin,
and Fort Worth courts of appeal.
Justice McCall attended the University of Texas where he was President of Phi Eta Sigma and a
member of Phi Beta Kappa. His degree was B.A., Plan II. He attended the University of Texas Law
School where he was a member of the Texas Law Review, Order of the Coif, Chancellors, and Phi
Delta Phi.
Justice McCall has served or is serving as President of the Texas Forts Trail Association; member
of the Board of Directors, Boy Scouts Chisholm Trail and Texas Trail; member of the Board of
Directors and Executive Committee, Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association; member of
Higginbotham Bros., Inc., Board of Directors; President, 220th Judicial District Bar Association;
Texas Bar Foundation Fellow; President of the Appellate Section of the Judicial Section of the State
Bar of Texas.
PAGE LAST UPDATED: 9/26/11