Two recent graduates from South Texas College of Law Houston — Garrett Gray ’23 and Martha “Mattie” Vázquez ’24 — had the honor of simultaneously serving as clerks for justices of the Supreme Court of Texas this year.
From January to August, Gray clerked for Justice James P. Sullivan and Vázquez clerked for Justice Brett Busby. Gray clerked for Chief Justice Nathan L. Hecht of the Supreme Court of Texas last fall, then began his work with Sullivan when Hecht retired. Vázquez has been hired to clerk next term for Justice Jeff Boyd — and upon his retirement, she will clerk for whomever the governor appoints to fill the vacant seat.
Vázquez said serving as a clerk for the Supreme Court of Texas has been the privilege of her lifetime, “rivaled only by the honor it has been to work for Justice Brett Busby. When I think about the qualities a great judge should possess — integrity, humility, and commitment to the people they serve — it is no question he fits the mold. Competent and honest leadership is not always guaranteed, and I feel particularly grateful that I was able to witness it firsthand.”
Originally from San Antonio, Vázquez earned her bachelor’s degree in public health with a pre-health professions certificate from the University of Texas at Austin and graduated cum laude from South Texas Law with her J.D. in May 2024. She passed the bar that summer.
After her first year in law school, Vázquez interned for Justice Jerry Zimmerer in Houston’s 14th Court of Appeals. While she was there, Keith Middleton served as her supervising staff attorney, and he encouraged her to apply to intern for Busby after her second year.
Vázquez said she learned many practical things during her clerkship, including to be “very, very thorough in the original complaint. Likewise, a good appellate brief is not simply one that incorporates accurate and compelling legal authority, but one that communicates your argument in as few words as possible. Appellate judges are very busy, and they appreciate when your briefs are just that — brief.”
Gray grew up in Sugar Land, majored in economics and minored in general business at the University of Mississippi, earned his J.D. degree from South Texas Law in May 2023, and passed the July 2023 bar exam.
“The most valuable part of my clerkship experience was going through the writing process with Chief Justice Hecht and Justice Sullivan and observing how they approached cases,” Gray said. “They are both brilliant legal minds and prolific writers. It was a privilege to learn from them.”
Gray was attracted to clerking, in part, because of the opportunity to receive mentorship from figures like Hecht and Sullivan. He also wanted a behind-the-scenes look at how cases get decided at the highest court in Texas.
“Clerking has affirmed my desire to pursue a career as an appellate attorney and to spend meaningful time in public service,” Gray said.
Vázquez noted how valuable skills she learned in law school were to her role as a judicial clerk. “I have prepared a variety of memos — summarizing cases, analyzing facts, giving recommendations — over the course of my time as a clerk, and even had the opportunity to draft a first opinion in a few cases,” she said. “But no matter what form my writing has taken, I have employed the research skills I learned in my Legal Research and Writing classes, and from spending a little extra time with the librarians.”
Gray agreed that South Texas Law prepared him for his daily work as a clerk. “STCL Houston provided me with the tools and experience to succeed,” he said. “Through the Advocacy Program, I received training and mentorship from Houston’s finest — Professor Rob Galloway, the Hon. Sharon McCally, and Andrew Bender, to name just a few (the list could go on and on). They taught me how to craft legal arguments, examine a record, write clearly and concisely, and work collaboratively with others (a critical skill for a law clerk to have). I relied on lessons that I learned in the Advocacy Program every day.”
Classes suggested by Gray to students considering clerking include Texas pre-trial procedure, Texas trial and appellate procedure, Galloway’s brief writing class, and Prof. Josh Blackman’s Supreme Court Simulator class.
“The most inspiring thing about my time as a law clerk was observing the justices at conference, during which cases, draft opinions, and other court matters would be discussed,” Gray said. “The justices modeled the phrase: ‘You can disagree without being disagreeable.’ They all brought their independent thoughts to the table and discussed them civilly and professionally. I hope to model that in my career.”
