TEXAS BAR FOUNDATION GIVES DUDLEY OLDHAM STATEWIDE RECOGNITION

Dudley Oldham of Houston has been selected as one of four recipients of the 2020 Texas Bar Foundation’s Outstanding 50 Year Lawyer Award. The award recognizes attorneys whose practice has spanned 50 years or more and who adhere to the highest principles and traditions of the legal profession and service to the public.  

Born in Beaumont on July 6, 1941, Dudley was the oldest of four brothers. He was admitted to the Plan II honors program at UT, and graduated in 1964 with a B.A. in history and chemistry, and with a JD in 1966. Dudley then joined the firm of Fulbright & Jaworski LLP (now Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP) in 1966. Over the 50+ years of his litigation centered law and arbitration practice, Dudley has been lead counsel in many domestic and international cases. He served for more than 25 years on the Executive, Policy and Litigation Management Committees.

Dudley is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and chaired its Judiciary Committee, a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and served on its National Board of Directors and as President of its Houston Chapter. He has also served as Chair of the Tort and Insurance Practice Section of the American Bar Association, Chair of the ABA Standing Committee on Independence of the Judiciary, the ABA Commission revising the Model Code of Federal Judicial Conduct. 

Dudley served on the Advisory Council of the National Judicial College and the National Center for State Courts where he was honored with admission to the Chief Justice Warren Burger Society. He has served as the Chairman of the Board and President of the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel, as Chairman of the Advisory Council for the Institute for Molecular Medicine, on the Executive Committee at UT Health and on the Advisory Council of the McGovern Medical School. He continues to serve the University of Texas as a member of the President’s Associates, on the School of Liberal Arts Advisory Council, and as a member of the Executive Committee of the Chancellor’s Council of the UT System.

Dudley is now a retired partner of his firm and resides in Houston with his wife of 55 years, Judy.  Their two sons, Steve and Mike, along with their wives and five children all reside in Houston. 

The Bar Foundation commissioned an oral history to recognize and preserve the accomplishments of Mr. Oldham’s legal career.  Additionally, he will be publicly recognized at the Texas Bar Foundation Annual Dinner held on June 26, 2020 at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas.

Founded in 1965 by attorneys determined to assist the public and improve the profession, the Texas Bar Foundation has become the largest charitably-funded bar foundation in the country. The Texas Bar Foundation relies on the contributions of its Fellows to improve the lives of Texans. To date, through the generosity of the Fellows, the Texas Bar Foundation has awarded more than $20 million in grants to numerous organizations across the state.

Election to the Fellows of the Texas Bar Foundation is one of the highest honors that can be bestowed upon a member of the State Bar of Texas, representing the top one-third of one percent of Texas attorneys. Selection is based on an outstanding record in the legal profession as well as proven commitment to support the community at large. For more information about the Texas Bar Foundation, please visit www.txbf.org.