Prior to her election in 2000, she practiced for thirteen years in the areas of employment, commercial and governmental entity litigation. She is a graduate of University of Houston Law Center, where she graduated magna cum laude and was a member of the law review’s editorial board and an Order of the Coif member. She is the proud wife of attorney Dan Byrne and the proud mother and mother-in-law of four amazing adult children who are all making this world a better place.

Chief Justice Darlene Byrne

An honor graduate of the University of Houston Law Center, Justice Byrne lives in Austin with her husband, Dan, and is the proud mother and mother-in-law of five adult children.

Re-Elect Chief Justice Darlene Byrne | Vote for Proven Leadership - Get Involved

Darlene Byrne earned a law degree from the University of Houston Law Center. She lives in Austin with her husband, Dan, and is the mother and mother-in-law of five adult children.

TJB | 3rd COA | About The Court | Justices

Darlene earned a law degree from the University of Houston Law Center. She lives in Austin with her husband, Dan, and is the mother and mother-in-law of five adult children.

Darlene Byrne previously practiced employment, commercial, and government-entity litigation.

Darlene previously practiced employment, commercial, and government-entity litigation.

CHIEF JUSTICE DARLENE BYRNE

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Prior to her election as the Chief Justice of the Third Court of Appeals of Texas in 2020, Justice Darlene Byrne served for 20 years as the presiding judge of the 126th Judicial District Court in Travis County. She was a general jurisdiction trial judge presiding over civil matters, but her passion was serving as the presiding judge over all the foster children in Travis County for 17 of her 20 years of service to the trial bench.

Darlene currently serves as chief justice of the Third Court of Appeals of Texas, to which she was elected in 2020. She previously served for 20 years as the presiding judge of the 126th Judicial District Court in Travis County.

Darlene Byrne currently serves as chief justice of the Third Court of Appeals of Texas, to which she was elected in 2020. She previously served for 20 years as the presiding judge of the 126th Judicial District Court in Travis County.

2026 Texas General Election

Prior to her election in 2000, she practiced for thirteen years in the areas of employment, commercial and governmental entity litigation. She is a graduate of University of Houston Law Center, where she graduated magna cum laude and was a member of the law review’s editorial board and an Order of the Coif member.

Served 20 years as presiding judge of Travis County's 126th Judicial District Court, a general-jurisdiction trial court handling civil matters and foster-child cases.

Practiced for 13 years in employment, commercial, and government-entity litigation before her 2000 election to the bench.

- Served 20 years as presiding judge of Travis County's 126th Judicial District Court, a general-jurisdiction trial court handling civil matters and foster-child cases.
- Practiced for 13 years in employment, commercial, and government-entity litigation before her 2000 election to the bench.

Legal Experience

Philosophy

After serving as a trial judge for many children and families in Travis County who find themselves involved in the child welfare court, juvenile justice court or family court, Justice Byrne understands the urgency of justice when dealing with the lives of real people who find themselves in court. As the Chief Justice of the Third Court of Appeals that presides over both civil and criminal cases, Justice Byrne understands that same urgency for those needing answers to their appeals, especially if their freedom has been impacted by the court system.

Therefore, time is of the essence when making decisions that impact the lives of real Texans. Justice Byrne has taken that sense of urgency with her to the Appellate Court, so the people’s lives do not languish with delayed justice through delayed decision making.

Some of our initiatives have now been enshrined in legislation. For instance, years ago, we began to see a concern with cases transferring from one division to another. These cases could see lags of 3-4 months before the information for a foster case came before our courts and systems. At first, we put a protocol in place to hold hearings and assign CASAs quickly for cases transferring in, as well as making sure we had a court order bringing that information to the appropriate people in cases we were transferring out. That process has now been mandated by state law, with District Clerks having certain timelines they are required to follow so that children don’t slip between the cracks in the system when they are transferred from one county to another.

Fixing the Foster Care System: An Interview with Judge Darlene Byrne

Q: What does it mean to be a Model Court?
A: The Model Court is run as a collaborative unit, bringing together the district attorney’s office, the judges, Child Protective Services, attorneys representing parents and children, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs), among others. We meet and look at data, including how long foster children are staying in the system, how many placements they have had, and much more. We then use that data to guide different initiatives. We meet on a monthly basis, and on a quarterly basis report back out to a larger group of stakeholders in the wider community, including Texas Appleseed.

Justice Byrne is the founding judge of the Travis County Family Drug Treatment Court and the Travis County Model Court of Children, Youth and Families. She also pioneered the development of a Dual Status Youth docket, serving youth that were in the child welfare court and the juvenile justice court simultaneously. These programs have been serving and continues to serve children and families in the Travis County District Courts for over a decade resulting in better outcomes for these children and families.

It is my hope that the court-ordered reforms arising from the decision will make a positive difference for our state's most vulnerable children. I also hope the decision will inspire child welfare administrators, lawmakers, judges, social service providers and others to do a better job of working together to find ways to help ensure that all the children of our state receive the safety, permanency, and loving care they deserve.

Texas Foster Care System Needs Help, Not Condemnation

Prioritizes timely appellate decisions so people do not face delayed justice.

Implemented protocols for prompt hearings and Court Appointed Special Advocate assignments in transferred foster-care cases.

Used cross-system collaboration and data to guide initiatives in the Travis County Model Court.

Founded Travis County specialty courts for family drug treatment and for children and families, and pioneered a docket for youth involved in child welfare and juvenile justice cases.

Calls for child-welfare administrators, lawmakers, judges, and service providers to work together following court-ordered foster-care reforms.

- Prioritizes timely appellate decisions so people do not face delayed justice.
- Implemented protocols for prompt hearings and Court Appointed Special Advocate assignments in transferred foster-care cases.
- Used cross-system collaboration and data to guide initiatives in the Travis County Model Court.
- Founded Travis County specialty courts for family drug treatment and for children and families, and pioneered a docket for youth involved in child welfare and juvenile justice cases.
- Calls for child-welfare administrators, lawmakers, judges, and service providers to work together following court-ordered foster-care reforms.

Judicial Administration

Core Values

Justice Byrne believes in access to justice for all, regardless of wealth, nationality, gender, race or language. The doors to the courthouse should be open to all. The bench should be a welcoming place for people to have their disputes decided by learned judges and justices working diligently to uphold the rule of law every day.

Core Values

Justice Byrne believes in access to justice for all, regardless of wealth, nationality, gender, race or language. The doors to the courthouse should be open to all. The bench should be a welcoming place for people to have their disputes decided by learned judges and justices working diligently to uphold the rule of law every day.

She believes in making decisions acknowledging that a person’s day in court is one of the most important days of their lives and therefore treating them and that day with dignity and respect.

Believes courts should provide access to justice regardless of wealth, nationality, gender, race, or language.

Believes court decisions should treat people with dignity and respect during their day in court.

- Believes courts should provide access to justice regardless of wealth, nationality, gender, race, or language.
- Believes court decisions should treat people with dignity and respect during their day in court.

Judicial Philosophy

As of July 22, 2026, Darlene Byrne’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Ethics & Conduct

Community Engagement

Getting off the bench and supporting her community as a volunteer is also important to her understanding of the needs of the community she serves and knowing what is important to her community. She is presently the board chair of TEXProtects and is the co-chair of the National Leadership Council of National CASA.

Serves as co-chair of the National Leadership Council of National CASA.

- Serves as board chair of TEXProtects.
- Serves as co-chair of the National Leadership Council of National CASA.

Community Involvement

LinkedIn

Facebook

Darlene Byrne

Re-Elect Chief Justice Darlene Byrne | Vote for Proven Leadership

She has served as an advisory council member for Partnerships for Children, Carrying Hope and the Seedling Foundation. She was the first chair of the Texas Statewide Collaborative for Trauma Informed Care, is on the Editorial Review Board for NCJFCJ’s Juvenile and Family Court Journal and served on the Advisory Committee for the national #WeToo project for Courts.

Chief Justice Darlene Byrne | Third Court of Appeals

Darlene Byrne is a graduate of the University of Houston Law Center. She has served as an advisory council member for Partnerships for Children, Carrying Hope, and the Seedling Foundation. She lives in Austin with her husband, Dan, and has five children.

Prior to her election as the Chief Justice of the Third Court of Appeals of Texas in 2020, Justice Darlene Byrne served for 20 years as the presiding judge of the 126th Judicial District Court in Travis County.

Byrne was elected to the bench in 2000 and has managed the Travis County Child Protective Services dockets for more than seven years, hearing and overseeing cases involving more than 1,200 children in the dependency system with the assistance of an associate judge. She also serves as vice-chair of the Supreme Court of Texas Permanent Judicial Commission on Children, Youth, and Families.

Darlene Byrne '87 Alumni Spotlight | University of Houston Law Center

Darlene was elected chief justice of the Third Court of Appeals of Texas in 2020. She previously served for 20 years as the presiding judge of the 126th Judicial District Court in Travis County after being elected to the bench in 2000.

UH Law Center Alumni Judges - University of Houston

Managed Travis County Child Protective Services dockets for more than seven years, hearing dependency cases involving more than 1,200 children.

Serves as chief justice of the Third Court of Appeals of Texas, reviewing lower-court rulings in civil and criminal cases for legal or procedural errors.

Served for 20 years as presiding judge of Travis County's 126th Judicial District Court, overseeing cases within the court's jurisdiction and issuing rulings and orders.

Practiced law for 13 years in employment, commercial, and government-entity litigation before being elected to the bench.

- Serves as chief justice of the Third Court of Appeals of Texas, reviewing lower-court rulings in civil and criminal cases for legal or procedural errors.
- Served for 20 years as presiding judge of Travis County's 126th Judicial District Court, overseeing cases within the court's jurisdiction and issuing rulings and orders.
- Practiced law for 13 years in employment, commercial, and government-entity litigation before being elected to the bench.

After serving as a trial judge for many children and families in Travis County who find themselves involved in the child welfare court, juvenile justice court or family court, Justice Byrne understands the urgency of justice when dealing with the lives of real people who find themselves in court. As the Chief Justice of the Third Court of Appeals that presides over both civil and criminal cases, Justice Byrne understands that same urgency for those needing answers to their appeals, especially if their freedom has been impacted by the court system. Therefore, time is of the essence when making decisions that impact the lives of real Texans. Justice Byrne has taken that sense of urgency with her to the Appellate Court, so the people’s lives do not languish with delayed justice through delayed decision making.

Used cross-agency collaboration and case data to guide initiatives in a foster-care model court.

Implemented protocols for prompt hearings, advocate assignments, and information-sharing when foster-care cases transferred between counties.

Implemented a “One judge, one family” foster-care model to provide continuity for children over time.

Said foster homes and caseworkers need more support.

Supported court-ordered foster-care reforms and cross-sector coordination to improve children’s safety, permanency, and care.

Prioritizes timely appellate decisions so people affected by court cases do not face delayed justice.

- Prioritizes timely appellate decisions so people affected by court cases do not face delayed justice.

Justice Byrne believes in access to justice for all, regardless of wealth, nationality, gender, race or language. The doors to the courthouse should be open to all. The bench should be a welcoming place for people to have their disputes decided by learned judges and justices working diligently to uphold the rule of law every day.

Believes courts should provide access to justice regardless of personal characteristics and uphold the rule of law.

- Believes courts should provide access to justice regardless of personal characteristics and uphold the rule of law.

Served as an advisory council member for Partnerships for Children.

Served as an advisory council member for Carrying Hope.

Served as an advisory council member for the Seedling Foundation.

- Served as an advisory council member for Partnerships for Children.
- Served as an advisory council member for Carrying Hope.
- Served as an advisory council member for the Seedling Foundation.

Darlene Byrne is from Texas. She has a law degree from the University of Houston. She lives in Austin with her husband, Dan, and is the mother and mother-in-law of five adult children.

Texas Judicial Candidate Comparisons | Texas Judges

Before taking the bench, Darlene practiced law for 13 years, focusing on employment, commercial, and governmental entity litigation. She also served as general counsel for the Office of the Governor, law clerk for the Texas Supreme Court.

Darlene is currently the Chief Justice of the Third Court of Appeals. She was first elected to this position in 2020. Before that, she served for 20 years as the presiding judge of the 126th District Court of Travis County.

As a district court judge, presided over civil matters and foster children in Travis County.

As a district court judge, received local, statewide, and national recognition for work serving foster children and families and for court improvement efforts.

As a state district judge, Byrne founded the Travis County Family Drug Treatment Court and the Travis County Model Court of Children, Youth and Families.

Supports the use of mediation in court proceedings, and said "We have also done a cost-benefit study on mediation and how we use mediations in our County, in conjunction with the University of Texas. It showed that our mediation strategy is saving the county $1. 5 million every year."

Supports equal access to justice regardless of wealth, nationality, gender, race, or language.

Served on the Advisory Committee for the national #WeToo project for Courts.

Board chair of TEXProtects and co-chair of the National Leadership Council of National CASA.

Serves on the advisory boards of the Seedling Foundation, Partnerships for Children, and Carrying Hope.

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- In Texas, appeals from district and county courts, except death penalty cases, go to one of 14 intermediate courts of appeal.
- The chief justice presides over court meetings, manages the court's administration, and has the authority to assign justices or judges to specific cases.
- Justices are elected in partisan elections for six-year terms.
- The yearly salary for a Court of Appeals justice in Texas is between $192,500 and $255,050 based on the total number of years they have served, plus an additional bonus of $13,475 for Chief Justice duties.

Oversees a court that handles appeals of lower trial court decisions.