Texas Supreme Court Justice Paul Green says he will retire at the end of August after 15 years on the bench

After 15 years as a member of the Texas Supreme Court, Republican Justice Paul W. Green said he will retire in August — almost two and a half years before his term was set to end.

“I’m grateful to the people of Texas for electing me to the court three times, and it's been a great honor and privilege to serve,” Green said in an interview. “It’s been a bittersweet kind of day.”

The San Antonio native is the court’s second in seniority, and Gov. Greg Abbott will choose his successor. All nine members are Republican and serve staggered six-year terms.

Green said that he is retiring early because it feels like the right time and to spend more time with his family.

"Well, I'm 68 years old, and there's a lot of things I want to do still," he said.

Green was reelected in 2016, and his term ends December 31, 2022.

“He has consistently provided steady, insightful and wise counsel to his colleagues and to the judiciary — and certainly to me in his role for the past seven years as senior justice,” Chief Justice Nathan L. Hecht said in a statement. “To say he will be missed is an understatement.”

Green has served as San Antonio Bar Association president, State Bar of Texas director and a member of the House of Delegates of the American Bar Association.