John H. Cayce

John H. Cayce 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. He is the recipient of the 2023 Rosewood Gavel Award, which is presented each year to distinguished active and retired members of the judiciary for their outstanding judicial service. 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.