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A woven photo collage featuring images from left to right and highlights of red. Photo clips include corners of the U.S. Supreme Court architecture, Ted Cruz and John Cornyn on the Senate judicial committee, stained glass windows from a cathedral, and federal justices during a hearing.
Righting the Rule of Law

Part 1: In 1998, a legal revolution was quietly born in Texas. It would pull America’s courts rightward.

With his election as Texas attorney general, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn planted the seeds of conservatism. Gov. Greg Abbott used his tenure to cultivate them into an aggressive strain of right-wing activism aimed at driving the nation’s courts and laws to the right.

Righting the Rule of Law

This article is part of a three-part series on the Texas Office of the Attorney General and its impact on the federal courts. We recommend reading them in order.

 More in this series 
Gov. Greg Abbott speaks about the recent 88th Legislative Session to an audience at the Texas Public Policy Foundation offices in Austin, on June 2, 2023. Abbott recounted policy victories in regards to fentanyl and the border crisis, as well as limiting gender affirming care and banning DEI practices in higher education. Abbott ended the event by promising to call a special session for school choice, after the current special session for property tax resolves.

The Book of John

John Cornyn historical photos by Bob Daemmrich.    The year is in the file name.   

This was taken in the House chamber in 1993. 

Left to right,  Justice CRAIG ENOCH, Justice JOHN CORNYN, Justice NATHAN HECHT, Justice RAUL GONZALEZ, Justice TOM PHILLIPS, Justice JACK HIGHTOWER
John Cornyn historical photos by Bob Daemmrich.    The year is in the file name.   

John Cornyn sitting next to Rep. Kim Brimer.  On the left is House Speaker Pete Laney.   This was probably a Peace Officer's Memorial on the south steps of the Texas Capitol.
Greg Coleman, Texas’ first Texas solicitor general, in 2010.

The Book of Greg

Texas Attorney General candidate Greg Abbott debates former Austin Mayor Kirk Watson debate at KERA-TV studios in Dallas on Oct. 24, 2002.
Ted Cruz, then a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, speaks at a candidate forum in Austin on Jan. 12, 2012.
Dallas attorney and former Texas Solicitor General James C. Ho answers questions during a U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee hearing to confirm him and Texas Supreme Court Justice Don R. Willett to the 5th Circuit Court, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. on November 15, 2017.

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Courts Attorney General's Office Greg Abbott John Cornyn Ken Paxton Religion and politics Ted Cruz