Fifth Court of Appeals

Place 10

Justice Jackson graduated from Southern Methodist University in 1984 and then went to work for his family’s real estate business in Austin, Texas. The business owned multiple apartment developments in Austin and it was Jackson’s role to manage the business. In the late 80s, real estate had taken a significant downturn as a result of overbuilding and the 1986 Tax Reform Act. Jackson managed the Austin properties with the object of leasing the properties to full occupancy and then selling them. He accomplished this task and had worked himself out of a job. He applied to law school and was accepted by the Texas Wesleyan School of Law and commenced his studies in 1991.

Justice Jackson graduated from Texas Wesleyan, now known as Texas A&M School of Law, Cum Laude in 1994. While there, he earned a position to the Texas Wesleyan Law Review and then was elected to the office of Managing Editor. He sat for the July 1994, Texas Bar Exam and was licensed by the Texas Bar Association on November 4, 1994.

Justice Jackson opened a general practice inclusive of civil litigation (personal injury, contract, collections), criminal law, estates, and bankruptcy. His practice grew and became more and more focused upon family law. In 2004, the Holmes, Diggs, Eames and Puhl firm, a boutique family law specialty firm, recruited Jackson. He accepted their offer and joined the firm. In 2006, he underwent an extensive review of his experience by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He was accepted by the board and allowed to sit for the board certification exam in family law. He passed the exam and was certified as a Texas Family Law Specialist. Three years later, June 2009, Jackson left the Holmes firm to form the Jackson Law Group, PLLC.

Justice Jackson has represented hundreds of clients across the State of Texas. He is a family law trial lawyer. His practice has carried him to Dallas – Collin - Denton – Tarrant – Harris (Houston) – Harrison (Marshall) – Lubbock – McClennen (Waco) – Brazos (Bryan) – Parker, etc., Counties. Jackson represented regular people, with regular jobs going through some of the most difficult periods of their life. His practice involved all manner of family law litigation from child custody cases, complex property division, enforcements, etc. He would never quit – never walk away. He has been known to say, “in criminal law bad people are on their best behavior and in family law they are at their worst.”

Justice Jackson is a member of the American Bar Association, Texas Bar Association, Dallas Bar Association and the bar associations for the Northern District of Texas and the Eastern District of Texas. He is a member of the Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists, Texas Bar Foundation, Texas Family Law Foundation, College of the State Bar of Texas and Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association.

On a personal note, Jackson has been married for 35 years, has three children and two grandchildren. He is devoted to his family and loves family gatherings. On any given Sunday, you will find him smoking briskets, ribs or pork shoulder for family and friends. His 4-3-2 Hollandaise/Bearnaise sauce is a family favorite.

The outdoors calls him to the ski slopes, to the ocean and the Big Bend National Park. He is an avid reader of history and considers James A. Michener’s Centennial and William Manchester’s American Caesar as two of the most influential books of his lifetime.

Justice Jackson’s faith is Christian. He grew up attending Highland Park Presbyterian Church where he was one of the first teen missionaries for the church. Both his grandfather and father were elders at HPPC. He is charter member of Park Cities Presbyterian Church. Then in 2006, he enrolled in the RCIA program (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) at St. Rita Catholic Church where he was confirmed. Today, he is a nondenominational Christian following Father Chapin of Daily Living and Chris Seidman of the Branch Church, Farmers Branch.

In the Summer of 2023, Justice Jackson was asked to run for the 5th Court of Appeals. After three decades of family law litigation, he decided it was time. Time to go back to those heady days of law school. Time to read cases, read briefs and hear argument. Time to leave the stresses of litigation behind. He said “yes” and the people of North Texas elected him to Place 10, 5th Court of Appeals on November 5, 2024. His paralegal for the last 15 years and a notary swore him in on January 1, 2025.