Republican

Justice, 1st Court of Appeals

Place 7: Katy Boatman

This race for an open seat forces us to choose between two qualified candidates for the Republican nomination to this bench. Both have similar judicial philosophies; both exhibit a calm judicial demeanor. While each appears to be in the race for the right reason of public service, the legal backgrounds of candidates Katy Boatman and Terry Yates are starkly different.

Boatman is a lawyer at a big, national firm with 10 years of experience.

Yates’ career as former prosecutor, associate judge of the city of West University Place and solo practitioner spans almost three decades.

There is no single correct route to becoming an outstanding appellate judge, but in making this difficult call, we gave more to weight to appellate experience than to trial practice. Boatman, 35, who has spent her career as an appellate specialist at Andrews Kurth Kenyon LLP, earns our endorsement for this seat. The Baylor Law School grad clerked for Justice Dale Wainwright of the Texas Supreme Court and Justice Jennifer Elrod of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Yates is more familiar with all areas of substantive law within the court’s jurisdiction, is board certified in criminal law and would bring an understanding of the significance a judge’s decision has on the community. Nevertheless, Boatman appears more steeped in the craft of an appellate practice and more thoughtful about how to get the job done efficiently. Voters should cast their vote for Boatman in this important race.