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HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The Honorable Nathan L. Hecht retired as chief |
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justice of the Supreme Court of Texas on December 31, 2024, |
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concluding a remarkable 35-year tenure on the court; and |
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WHEREAS, First elected to the state's highest civil court in |
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1988, Justice Hecht became the longest-serving member in its |
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history, as well as the longest-tenured Texas judge in active |
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service; in 2013, he was appointed chief justice, and he was twice |
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reelected to that post; and |
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WHEREAS, Justice Hecht gained wide admiration for his sharp |
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intellect, philosophical approach, and commitment to court reform; |
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he oversaw revision of the rules of administration, practice, and |
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procedure in the state's courts, and his efforts led to the |
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simplification of appellate rules and promoted more swift |
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resolution of cases; moreover, he drove modernization of |
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technology, and Texas adopted e-filing in advance of many other |
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states; as president of the National Conference of Chief Justices, |
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he advised other states that were taking their systems online |
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during the COVID-19 pandemic; and |
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WHEREAS, Dedicated to improving access to the justice system, |
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Justice Hecht worked to reduce barriers for low-income Texans, and |
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he successfully urged the Legislature to increase Legal Aid |
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funding; and |
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WHEREAS, Justice Hecht was appointed to the federal Advisory |
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Committee on Civil Rules by the chief justice of the United States; |
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in addition, he served his profession through his service on the |
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Council of the American Law Institute, of which he is a life member; |
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he is also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and |
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the Philosophical Society of Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, A graduate of Yale University and the Southern |
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Methodist University Dedman School of Law, Justice Hecht clerked |
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for Judge Roger Robb on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District |
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of Columbia Circuit; he served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy |
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Reserve Judge Advocate General's Corps and then entered private |
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practice, becoming a partner in the Locke firm in Dallas; appointed |
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to the district court in 1981, he was elected to the court of |
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appeals five years later; and |
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WHEREAS, Over the course of his exemplary career, Nathan |
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Hecht helped shape Texas jurisprudence and improve the |
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administration of the court system, and his enormous contributions |
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will continue to resonate in the years to come; now, therefore, be |
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it |
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RESOLVED, That the 89th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby congratulate Nathan L. Hecht on his retirement as chief |
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justice of the Supreme Court of Texas and extend sincere best wishes |
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for the future; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Justice Hecht as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives and Senate. |
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Leach |
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______________________________ |
______________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.C.R. No. 138 was adopted by the House on May |
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23, 2025, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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I certify that H.C.R. No. 138 was adopted by the Senate on May |
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27, 2025, by a viva-voce vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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APPROVED: __________________ |
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Date |
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__________________ |
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Governor |