The First Court of Appeals is located in Houston, Texas. The Court consists of one chief justice and eight associate justices who hear appeals and original proceedings involving civil, criminal, probate, and family matters from ten counties:
Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, Galveston, Grimes, Harris, Waller, and Washington.
"I ask for your support to continue my service on the First Court of Appeals. My role as a sitting judge and my combined 25 years of legal experience have equipped me well to meet the rigorous demands of this role with skill and sound judgment. Thank you for your trust and support. It will be an honor to continue serving you, our community, and the State of Texas."
- Justice Veronica Rivas-Molloy
Awards & Recognitions
State Bar of Texas Judicial Poll Winner (2026)
Selected by lawyers across Texas as the preferred
choice, among all candidates in her race, for re-election to the First Court of Appeals.
Judicial Leadership Award (2025)
Recognized by the National Hispanic Bar Foundation for outstanding
achievements in the legal profession and distinguished service as a judge.
Judge of the Year Award (2024)
Recognized by the Hispanic Bar Association of Houston for
exemplary judicial service and meaningful contributions to the legal community.
Rated “Excellent” in HBA Judicial Evaluation Questionnaire
(2021, 2023, 2025 - conducted every odd year)
Rated “excellent” by a majority of bar members in her ability to
write “well-reasoned, clearly-written” opinions, interactions with counsel
during oral arguments, ability to determine “legal issues impartially and
based on thorough and proper application of the law to the facts," and work ethic.
About Justice Rivas-Molloy
For the past five years, I have proudly served as a Justice on the First Court of Appeals, where I have authored more than 250 reasoned majority opinions and participated in the resolution of countless more appeals involving civil, criminal, probate, and family law matters.
Before joining the Court, I practiced law for 20 years, representing individuals, small businesses, and multinational companies in complex litigation and appellate matters in state and federal courts and before domestic and international arbitration tribunals. My work spanned a wide range of disputes, including oil and gas, real estate, healthcare, construction, employment, trade secrets, and complex commercial matters.
After graduating with honors from the University of Texas at El Paso with a major in Criminal Justice and Spanish, and magna cum laude from the University of Houston Law Center, where I served as an Articles Editor for the Houston Law Review, I clerked for the Hon. Ewing Werlein, Jr. of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas. I later practiced law at Baker Botts LLP and Jones Walker LLP, where I further developed the analytical, writing, and advocacy skills essential to appellate practice. While in private practice, I also served as a volunteer prosecutor for the City of Houston where I tried numerous jury trials.
Although I have called Houston home for the last 28 years, I am a first-generation immigrant who grew up on the El Paso–Juárez border. From an early age, my parents instilled in me the value of hard work, dedication, and integrity. They taught me the value of believing in myself and taking pride in everything I do. They sacrificed so that I could reach goals and dreams beyond their own. With their help, I became the first person in my family to graduate from college and attend law school. In everything I do, I remember their hard work and sacrifice.
It has been the honor of my career to serve on the First Court of Appeals. I hope to earn your trust and your vote in the November 3 general election. It will be a privilege to continue serving you, our community, and the State of Texas.