Former Texas Chief Justice Wallace B. Jefferson Installed as President of the American Law Institute

New ALI president brings state court expertise, perspective

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Wallace B. Jefferson, the former chief justice of the Supreme Court of Texas, was installed today as president of the American Law Institute at the close of the Institute's 2026 annual meeting.

Jefferson begins a three-year term leading the nation's leading independent nonprofit organization dedicated to clarifying, modernizing, and improving the law for the better administration of justice.

Jefferson, who continues his appellate practice with Alexander Dubose & Jefferson LLP, was elected to the role in January 2026. He succeeds David F. Levi, the former dean of Duke Law School and a former United States district judge, who led ALI from 2017.

Read Chief Justice Jefferson’s views on ALI's mission, deliberation in a divided era, access to justice, and the state-court perspective he brings to the presidency.

The American Law Institute was founded in 1923, focused on “clarifying, modernizing, and improving the law for the better administration of justice." "At a time when the country is divided, ALI is a place where leading judges, lawyers, and scholars come together around a common mission,” says Jefferson. “We can disagree vigorously, but through intellectual debate and compromise, we produce work that is cited in courtrooms, in legislatures, in government offices and in law firms. That is a good model for how Americans can and should be talking to each other."

Jefferson was elected to the American Law Institute in December 2001 and to its council in May 2011. He served as the Institute's treasurer from 2014 to 2023. He has been an adviser on the Third Restatement, Consumer Contracts, Principles on the Law of High-Volume Civil Adjudication, and Election Litigation Restatement.

"Wallace brings ALI a rare combination of intellectual depth, practical wisdom, and a lifelong commitment to justice," said Marcy Hogan Greer, Alexander Dubose & Jefferson’s managing partner and an ALI member. "His service on the Supreme Court, his advocacy for clients, and his leadership roles in state and national organizations have always reflected ALI's highest purpose: to make the law fair, accessible, and grounded in reason. We are honored to support him in this new role."

At the close of the annual meeting, Jefferson paid tribute to Levi.

"Judge David Levi has guided ALI with wisdom, patience, and an unwavering belief in the power of the law to hold our democracy together," Jefferson said. "He has reminded us, through his leadership of ALI and as founding Director Duke University's Bolch Judicial Institute, that consensus is possible, even on difficult questions, when people of goodwill listen, learn, and reason together. David leaves behind a stronger, more resilient organization, and I am profoundly grateful for his mentorship and example."

Jefferson's installation continues a long Texas presence within the American Law Institute. That tradition includes the late Charles Alan Wright, the eminent University of Texas law professor and former President of the American Law Institute, whose scholarship and service helped shape modern American jurisprudence. At this year’s annual meeting, Senior Judge Carolyn Dineen King of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit received the John Minor Wisdom Award, one of ALI's highest honors, given from time to time in recognition of exceptional service to the law or to the Institute. Like Jefferson, King is a former treasurer of ALI and a longtime member of its council. ALI's current director, Chief Judge Diane P. Wood, is also a graduate of the University of Texas School of Law.

About Alexander Dubose & Jefferson

Alexander Dubose & Jefferson provides a modern, collaborative approach to litigation and appeals, combining deep appellate experience with strategic trial support. With offices in Austin, Dallas, and Houston, the firm's lawyers include Jefferson, a former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas, a former Justice of the Fourteenth Court of Appeals in Houston, several former staff attorneys, law clerks, and professors. The firm holds a Band 1 ranking from Chambers USA and has multiple attorneys recognized among America's leading lawyers.

Learn more at https://www.adjtlaw.com.