An ACU alumnus will soon be joining the state Supreme Court.

Gov. Rick Perry has appointed Jeffrey S. Boyd of Austin to the Court. Boyd (’83) will serve as justice of the Court until the next general election.

Perry said Boyd’s experience and leadership abilities qualified him for the position.

“Jeff is a highly-respected attorney who has consistently excelled throughout his years of private practice, his terms of public service, and his leadership of important charitable organizations,” Perry said.

Boyd currently serves as chief of staff for the Governor’s Office, where he previously served as general counsel.

“He has earned my confidence, and the confidence of those he has worked with in all his endeavors, because he has a brilliant legal mind, he is committed to preserving the rule of the law, and he strives every day to live a life of fairness, integrity and compassion,” Perry said.

Perry said Boyd will bring this same commitment with him to the Texas Supreme Court, and that “we will all be better for it.”

Boyd is a former senior partner in the Austin office of Thompson and Knight LLP, and also served as deputy attorney general for civil litigation under Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott and former Attorney General, now U.S. Sen. John Cornyn.

He is past president of the board of Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas, past chair of the board of Goodwill Industries of Central Texas, and a past board member of the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas and Brentwood Christian School. Additionally, he was also a past member of the State Bar of Texas Taskforce on Court Administration.

After receiving his Bachelor’s degree at ACU, Boyd graduated from the Pepperdine University School of Law.