Governor Greg Abbott announced Tuesday, February 25, that he has appointed Justin Lewis as judge of the 66th Judicial District Court in Hill County for a term set to expire on December 31, 2026.
It was up to the governor to fill the district judge’s seat after he recently appointed Judge Lee Harris to the Tenth Court of Appeals.
The governor’s appointment is subject to Senate confirmation. Lewis was given a deadline of Tuesday, March 4, to return required paperwork to the governor’s office, with confirmation expected sometime after that date.
The judge said that he will be handling county business as usual until his confirmation. The Hill County Commissioners Court will then need to appoint a county judge to serve until the next general election.
Lewis, of Aquilla, has served as Hill County judge since he first took office in January 2007. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture Development from Texas A&M University and a Juris Doctor from Texas Wesleyan School of Law.
Lewis and his wife, Courtney, and their three daughters have been active members of the community, from volunteering their time with the county fair and youth events to serving in leadership positions throughout the area.
While county judges are not required to have a law degree, Lewis began pursuing one in his first term as judge to expand his judicial knowledge and better serve Hill County. He started taking night and weekend classes in 2008 and graduated in 2012.
Last year, the Alumni Board of Directors of Texas A&M Law presented Lewis the Judge Joe Spurlock II ’60 Alumnus/Alumna of the Year Award in recognition of exceptional, continued achievement and noteworthy contributions to the legal profession and Texas A&M University School of Law.
In 2023, he received the Wilbur R. Dunk Regional Leadership Award, a statewide honor presented at the Texas Association of Regional Councils (TARC) annual meeting in Austin. The award is presented to an elected official in the state each year who TARC determines has shown extraordinary dedication to the purposes of and responsibilities for regional cooperation through councils of government.
Lewis has the distinction of being the only person to serve as president of TARC twice, and he has served as president, vice president, secretary/treasurer and executive board member of the Heart of Texas Regional Council of Governments (HOTCOG).
He has also held leadership positions with the Heart of Texas Economic Development District, Heart of Texas Rural Transportation District, Rural Planning Commission, Workforce Solutions for the Heart of Texas, Heart of Texas MHMR, Texas Association of Counties Judicial Education Advisory Committee and was HOTCOG representative to the National Association of Development Organizations.
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