About Don Willett

Don R. Willett

Judge Don R. Willett graduated from Forney High School as salutatorian in 1984 and is a member of the Forney Hall of Honor. Raised in Talty by a heroic widowed mom who never finished high school, Judge Willett is his family’s first college graduate, earning a triple-major BBA from Baylor University (where he serves on the Board of Regents) and then three degrees from Duke University (where he serves on the law school's Board of Visitors): JD with honors, MA in Political Science, and LLM in Judicial Studies.

Judge Willett has devoted his professional life to public service. He serves on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and before joining the federal judiciary he spent 12 years as a Justice on the Supreme Court of Texas. In his pre-judge career, Judge Willett served as legal counsel to a Texas Attorney General, a Texas Governor, a U.S. Attorney General, and the President of the United States.

Judge Willett is considered one of the nation’s leading judges. He publishes widely and speaks frequently throughout the country, holds academic appointments at top law schools, and has a long history of nonprofit board service on the local, state, and national levels. His numerous honors include Distinguished Alumnus of Baylor University, Outstanding Young Alumnus of Baylor, the Distinguished Jurist of the Year Award, the Distinguished Public Service Award, the Faith and Integrity in Legal Services Award, the Pro Texana Medal of Service, and many more.

Judge Willett and his wife, Tiffany, who also worked in the White House and before that in the Texas Senate, live in Austin with their three childrentheir three children––Jacob, Shane-David, and Geneviève––and the family pup, Amicus..