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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The Honorable Leonard Davis is retiring as chief |
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judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District |
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of Texas in May 2015, concluding an exemplary 15-year tenure on the |
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bench; and |
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WHEREAS, Appointed as a U.S. district judge in 2002, Judge |
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Davis has gained recognition as one of the nation's top |
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intellectual property law jurists; the patent docket in the Eastern |
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District has grown on his watch from under 10 cases in 2002 to more |
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than 1,100 in 2015, and he has personally handled more than 1,700 |
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intellectual property cases, including as many as 11 patent jury |
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trials in a single year; and |
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WHEREAS, Many of his cases have become landmark decisions of |
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the Federal Circuit and U.S. Supreme Court, and they have a high |
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affirmance rate on appeal; Judge Davis has been invited to sit by |
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designation on both the United States Federal Circuit Court of |
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Appeals and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and he has served on |
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the Judicial Council of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and the |
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Federal Circuit Advisory Council Committee on Case Management; |
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moreover, he has served as co-chair of the Federal Judges Committee |
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of the Federal Circuit Bar Association; and |
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WHEREAS, Previously, Judge Davis served as chief justice of |
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the Twelfth Court of Appeals of the State of Texas; before taking |
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the bench, he distinguished himself as a trial lawyer in East Texas |
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for more than two decades, and from 1983 to 1988, he was general |
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counsel to the Republican Party of Texas; he served by |
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gubernatorial appointment on the Judicial Districts Board and the |
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State Ethics Advisory Commission, and he has served the State Bar of |
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Texas on its Legal Publications Committee; and |
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WHEREAS, A Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation, Judge Davis |
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was named 2013 Jurist of the Year by the Texas Chapter of the |
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American Board of Trial Advocates; in 2012, he received the |
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prestigious Baylor Lawyer of the Year Award from his alma mater, |
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where he graduated first in his class in 1976; he also holds a |
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bachelor's degree in mathematics from The University of Texas at |
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Arlington and a master's degree in management science from Texas |
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Christian University; and |
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WHEREAS, Leonard Davis has set high standards of excellence |
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throughout his career, and his contributions to his profession have |
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earned the respect and admiration of the legal community in Texas |
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and across the country; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate Leonard Davis on the occasion of |
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his retirement as chief judge of the United States District Court |
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for the Eastern District of Texas and extend to him sincere best |
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wishes as he embarks on the next exciting chapter of his life; and, |
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be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Judge Davis as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |