John H. Cayce Jr.
John H. Cayce, Jr. is the former Chief Justice of Texas’ Second Court of Appeals. During his fifteen years of public service as a state appellate judge, he sat twice as a Justice on the Supreme Court of Texas by appointment of Governors Bush and Perry and held various state-wide leadership positions within the judiciary, including Chair of the Council of Chief Justices. Prior to his election to the bench in 1994, Mr. Cayce had risen to prominence as one of the state’s top appellate attorneys having successfully argued many significant cases in both state and federal courts. A board certified specialist in appellate law and former Supreme Court of Texas briefing attorney, his writings on appellate procedure have been cited with approval by Texas courts and used as course material in law schools.
Upon returning to private practice, Mr. Cayce was named one of the Top 100 lawyers in Texas by Thomson Reuters, which is published in Texas Monthly magazine. He has been chosen a Texas Super Lawyer every year since 2011. U.S. News and World Reports has included Mr. Cayce on The Best Lawyers in America® ranking every year since 2014. Mr. Cayce was also voted by his peers as among the city’s best appellate attorneys in polls conducted by Fort Worth, Texas magazine and 360 West.
Mr. Cayce has actively served the legal profession and advised the Texas judiciary in many capacities, including service on the Supreme Court of Texas Advisory Committee, the Texas Judicial Council, and the Texas Board of Law Examiners. He is currently President-elect of the Tarrant County Bar Association. In addition to his professional activities, Mr. Cayce commits much of his time to church and community service. He is a co-founder of NewDay Services for Children and Families, a non-profit organization that works with the Tarrant County family and juvenile court systems to assist children and parents affected by divorce and juvenile crime. In 2009, he received NewDay's first "Community Servant Award" in recognition of his contributions and continued support of its work. Having served in the U.S. Navy Seabees during the Vietnam conflict, he has volunteered his time to assisting other veterans through legal clinics sponsored by the Tarrant County Bar Association’s chapter of the Texas Lawyers For Texas Veterans program.
- The Best Lawyers in America®, 2014-2021
- Top Attorney in Appellate Law, 360 West magazine, 2017-2020
- Texas Super Lawyer, Thomson Reuters, 2011-2019
- Outstanding Law Alumnus Award, St. Mary's University School of Law, 2019
- Top Attorney, Fort Worth, Texas magazine, 2010-2019
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
