Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) appointed Justice Jimmy Blacklock, a conservative ally of the governor, to serve as the chief justice on the Texas Supreme Court.

Blacklock will replace Nathan Hecht, the state court’s longest-serving justice, who stepped down from the post at the end of December due to the mandatory judicial retirement age. Abbott additionally appointed his general counsel, James Sullivan, to take the seat vacated by Blacklock’s promotion.

“The Supreme Court of Texas plays a crucial role to shape the future of our great state, and Jimmy Blacklock and James Sullivan will be unwavering guardians of the Texas Constitution serving on our state’s highest judicial court,” Abbott said in a statement.

Blacklock previously clerked on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and later joined the Texas Office of the Attorney General under Abbott. When Abbott became governor, Blacklock became his general counsel. Abbott later appointed him to the Texas Supreme Court in 2017.

In the last few decades, the state Supreme Court has gone through a transformation from being dominated by more liberal justices to being almost exclusively filled with Republicans, according to the Texas Tribune.

Sullivan’s addition to the bench will further solidify the court’s conservative lean. Abbott has now appointed six of the current nine justices, including Sullivan. 

Sullivan spent four years as Texas assistant solicitor general during Abbott’s tenure as attorney general. In 2018, he followed Abbott to the governor’s office, becoming his deputy general counsel, and in 2021, he became Abbott’s general counsel. 

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“As General Counsel for the Office of the Governor, James Sullivan has provided superior legal advice and rendered opinions on some of the most consequential legal issues in Texas. He has the integrity, temperament, and experience Texas needs as a Texas Supreme Court Justice,” the governor said.

Both appointees are Ivy League graduates, with Blacklock graduating from Yale Law School and Sullivan from Harvard Law School.