Wade Birdwell appointed to Fort Worth appeals court

The game of musical chairs at the 2nd Court of Appeals in Fort Worth is over.

Gov. Greg Abbott appointed state District Judge Wade Birdwell of Tarrant County on Friday to a vacancy on the court created when the governor elevated Bonnie Sudderth to be the court’s chief justice last month. He will complete Sudderth’s term, which expires in 2018, and then seek a six-year term in next year’s elections.

Birdwell, 58, has served in the 342 District Court since 2010. Birdwell, an Arlington Republican, is board-certified in civil appellate law and handled medical malpractice defense and appeals before becoming a judge.

“Obviously, I’m happy about it. It is a new endeavor and it will be a lot of hard work, but there are a lot of good people up there to work with,” Birdwell said. “I appreciate the governor’s confidence in me.”

Birdwell, a Haltom City native, received a Bachelor of Science degree from The University of Texas at Austin and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Houston Law Center. He is the brother of state Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury.

Birdwell’s appointment ends a judicial shuffle that began in September when Chief Justice Terrie Livingston stepped down for health reasons. Sudderth was appointed to replace Livingston.

The court hears cases from Tarrant, Archer, Denton, Clay, Cooke, Hood, Jack, Montague, Parker, Wichita, Wise and Young counties.

This story was originally published November 10, 2017 at 3:30 PM with the headline "Wade Birdwell appointed to Fort Worth appeals court."