About

R. Jack Cagle

Attorney, Mediator, Arbitrator, Former Judge R. Jack Cagle served the public for over 30 years as an attorney, mediator, Judge of Harris County Civil Court at Law #1, and Commissioner of Harris County Precinct 4. After graduating from Rice University with a B.A. in History, Economics, and Managerial Studies in 1983, Judge Cagle received his Juris Doctor from the Baylor School of Law in 1986.

As an attorney, Cagle interned with the McLendon District Attorney’s office in Waco before joining Novelli and Harvie’s Houston Branch office where he became Partner in 1987. In 1992 Cagle founded his own litigation boutique firm. In 1996 Cagle received his certification as a Mediator and began mediating cases alongside his trial practice.

Cagle served as an ad litem for numerous trial courts and served as a Special Commissioner for Harris County Civil Courts at Law. In 1998 he served as the interim Family Law Associate Judge for the 311th District Family Court and in 2000 served as the Litigation Staff Attorney for Harris County Probate Court #3. In November of 2000 Cagle became the elected Judge of Harris County Civil Court at Law #1.

As judge, Cagle consistently earned high ratings from the Houston Bar Association and received numerous awards from legal, business, political, and community groups, including the Community Builder Award from the Grand Lodge of Texas, Holland Lodge No.1. Twice recognized as “Judge of the Year” by law-enforcement groups, Cagle also received the coveted “Amici Award” by the Mexican American Bar Association of Houston and was elected to serve on the Board of Directors for the Houston Association of Women Attorneys. Cagle’s Harris County judicial peers elected him to be Administrative Judge for the County Civil Courts and his statewide judicial peers elected him to serve as the President of the Texas Association of County Court-at-Law Judges. During his service as the Judge of Harris County Civil Court at Law #1, Cagle presided in over 724 jury trials.

Academically, Cagle actively taught as an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Houston Law School from 2002 until 2012 and taught on the faculty of the National Institute for Trial Advocacy.

On October 3, 2011, Harris County Judge Ed Emmett appointed Cagle to serve out the unexpired term as Commissioner of Harris County Precinct 4. He was then elected to that position where he served until 2023. As commissioner, Cagle represented over 1.2 million residents and managed a staff of 545 employees with a Precinct 4 budget of $290.5 million under his direct supervision. As a member of Commissioners Court Cagle and his colleagues were responsible for over 17,000 employees and a consolidated budget of Harris County entities in the billions. Cagle served for seven years on the Board of the Houston-Galveston Area Council and served on the Board of Directors for the Texas Public Power Pool. He is married to Janet, and they have three children and one amazing Grandson.