Texas Supreme Court advisory

Contact: Osler McCarthy, staff attorney for public information
512.463.1441 or click for email

July 6, 2009
COURT’S MANDAMUS ATTORNEY
BECOMES CENTRAL STAFF ATTORNEY

Shelby O’Brien, who had been staff attorney handling mandamus petitions and other extraordinary matters, has been hired as the Court’s central staff attorney. The central staff attorney works on clearing older cases from the Court’s docket and to speed the docket. Significant turnover on the Court – amounting to 10 new justices in five years through September 2005 – reduced the Court’s output and created the need for additional personnel. O’Brien served almost five and half years as an attorney for the Legislative Council before she joined the Court in December 2007. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland and an honors graduate of the University of Texas School of Law. The Court is in the process of screening applicants to replace O’Brien as mandamus attorney.