Nelson Phillips (May 3, 1873 – March 31, 1939) was a justice of the

Texas Supreme Court The Supreme Court of Texas (SCOTX) is the supreme court, court of last resort for civil matters (including juvenile delinquency cases, which are categorized as civil under the Texas Family Code) in the U.S. state of Texas. A different court, the ...

from April 1912 to November 1921, serving as chief justice from June 1915 to November 1921. Born in

Jefferson, Texas Jefferson is a city in Marion County, Texas, Marion County, in the U.S. state of Texas's Northeast Texas, northeastern region. With a population of 1,875 at the 2020 United States census, it is the county seat of Marion. History Almost every comm ...

, Phillips' father was a veteran of the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

. The family moved to Hillsboro, Texas, where Phillips "attended local schools until the age of fifteen" before spending two years at

Bingham Military School The Bingham Military School was the state of North Carolina's first military school, founded in 1826 by Capt. D.H. Bingham, with the intention of providing more accessible training for military officers. The school opened its doors in January 182 ...

Mebane, North Carolina Mebane is a city located mostly in Alamance County, North Carolina, United States, and partly in Orange County. The town was named for Alexander Mebane, an American Revolutionary War general and member of the U.S. Congress. It was incorporated a ...

. In 1894 he began

reading law Reading law was the method used in common law countries, particularly the United States, for people to prepare for and enter the legal profession before the advent of law schools. It consisted of an extended internship or apprenticeship under the ...

in the office of Thomas Slater Smith, gaining

admission to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

the following year. In 1904, Governor

S. W. T. Lanham Samuel Willis Tucker Lanham (July 4, 1846July 29, 1908), was the 23rd Governor of Texas from January 20, 1903 to January 15, 1907. He was a member of the Democratic Party. Prior to winning election as governor, he served two periods in the US Ho ...

gave Phillips a two-year appointment to a seat on the Eighteenth Judicial District of Texas. After its expiration, Phillips moved to Dallas to practice law. In 1911, Governor

Oscar Branch Colquitt Oscar Branch Colquitt (December 16, 1861 – March 8, 1940) was the 25th Governor of Texas from January 17, 1911 to January 19, 1915. He was a member of the Democratic Party. Gov. Colquitt defended the actions of the Texas Rangers who alle ...

appointed Phillips to a seat on the

vacated by the resignation of William F. Ramsey. Phillips served as an associate justice from April 1912 to November 1921, and then served as chief justice from June 1915 until his resignation in November 1921. Phillips then returned to private practice in Dallas until his death.

References

Justices of the Texas Supreme Court 1873 births 1939 deaths U.S. state supreme court judges admitted to the practice of law by reading law {{Texas-state-judge-stub