Biography of James C. Ho

James C. Ho

Jim is the Solicitor General of Texas. As the chief appellate lawyer for the State of Texas, he heads an office of 21 attorneys responsible for supervising all of the State’s appeals, litigating the State’s most significant and challenging legal issues, and counseling Texas officials on constitutional and other matters. Appointed by Attorney General Greg Abbott, he is the first Asian American to hold the office.

An experienced appellate, constitutional, and government litigator, Jim has served as lead counsel in over 40 trial and appellate matters, prevailing in over 85% of those cases decided to date. He has litigated successfully in federal and state courts nationwide—including the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and other federal courts of appeals, federal district courts throughout Texas, the Texas Supreme Court, and other state supreme courts. He has also achieved favorable results for clients in other adversarial settings—including persuading regulatory agencies to decline prosecution, and testifying for and against pending legislation. His past clients include numerous Fortune 500 companies as well as federal and state government officials and agencies.

Jim has previously served in all three branches of the federal government. He served on the Senate Judiciary Committee staff as chief counsel to Senator John Cornyn, the Subcommittee on the Constitution, and the Subcommittee on Immigration. He worked at the Justice Department in the Office of Legal Counsel and the Civil Rights Division. He also served as law clerk to Justice Clarence Thomas of the U.S. Supreme Court and Judge Jerry E. Smith of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Before law school, he was a legislative aide to Calif. Senator Quentin L. Kopp of San Francisco.

In addition, his record of public service includes appointments to the Federal Judicial Evaluation Committee, which advises Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn on judicial and U.S. Attorney appointments in Texas; the Continuity of Government Commission, established in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks to recommend structural reforms to the federal government; and the United States delegation to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

In private practice, Jim was a member of the national Appellate and Constitutional Law practice group of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, one of the world’s most respected law firms.

Jim has been recognized as a “Rising Star” in appellate and constitutional law by Texas Monthly and Law & Politics, one of 25 “Extraordinary Minorities in Texas Law” by Texas Lawyer, one of the “Best Lawyers under 40” by the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, and one of the best 35 Congressional aides under 35 by The Hill. He has received the Best Brief Award for excellence in U.S. Supreme Court brief writing from the National Association of Attorneys General, the Exceptional Civilian Service Award for his work at the Justice Department, and the Frank Wheat Award for Outstanding Achievements in Pro Bono. He has also been honored for outstanding contributions to the legal profession and the Asian community by both the Greater Dallas Asian American Chamber of Commerce and the Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership.

A frequent writer and lecturer, Jim is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Texas Law School, where he teaches U.S. Supreme Court Litigation, and a Contributing Editor of The Green Bag. He has authored numerous law review articles and op-eds, and is widely quoted as an expert in constitutional law and as an advocate for immigrants. He is actively involved in a variety of national and statewide legal, educational, and leadership organizations and has served on numerous boards and committees.

Taiwanese by birth and Texan by marriage, Jim immigrated to the United States at an early age. He graduated from Stanford University with honors and a B.A. in Public Policy, and the University of Chicago Law School with high honors. Most importantly, he is married to Allyson Ho, a partner at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP. They live in Dallas.