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Justin Nelson is a Houston native and a graduate of Yale University and Columbia Law School. Nelson works as a partner at Susman Godfrey LLP and is adjunct professor at The University of Texas School of Law. He clerked for Justice Sandra Day O’Connor of the United States Supreme Court and Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

On August 17, 2015, Nelson announced his candidacy for Texas Attorney General as part of the 2018 Texas Elections.

Education
Nelson received his undergraduate degree from the Yale University and his J.D. from Columbia Law School.

Non-profit Work

 * Nelson is the founder and former president of One Nation One Vote, a non-profit dedicated to replacing the Electoral College with a national popular vote. Under the organization’s plan, that could be accomplished in time for the 2020 presidential election without a constitutional amendment if enough states agreed to cast their electoral votes for the national popular vote winner. If that process had applied in 2016, Hillary Clinton would be president.


 * Prior to attending law school, Nelson spent four summers in Latin America leading education and public health projects with the Houston-based non-profit organization Amigos de las Americas.

Early Career
Nelson clerked for Justice Sandra Day O’Connor of the United States Supreme Court.

Nelson clerked for Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

Career
Nelson is a practicing lawyer specializing in high-stakes civil litigation as a partner at Susman Godfrey LLP.

Nelson has served as Chair of the Economics of the Profession Committee in the American Bar Association’s Intellectual Property Division and is Fellow of the American Bar Foundation.

He has practiced and taught constitutional law, and is an adjunct professor at The University of Texas School of Law.

2018 Texas Attorney General
Nelson is a democratic candidate for Texas Attorney General in the 2018 Texas Elections.

Nelson is challenging GOP incumbent Ken Paxton. Paxton has been indicted for criminal securities fraud.

To date, no one is challenging Paxton in the Republican primary.

Timeline

 * August 3, 2015
 * A state grand jury indicted Ken Paxton on three criminal charges: two counts of securities fraud (a first-degree felony) and one count of failing to register with state securities regulators (a third-degree felony).


 * November 8, 2017
 * Nelson announced his candidacy on his campaign Facebook page
 * John Gibson, a Lubbock, Texas attorney who had considered running gave his support to Nelson stating, "Justin and I are so similar in vision that it makes no sense for both of us to run. Justin Nelson is the best person to defeat Ken Paxton and restore integrity to the office of Attorney General."

Recognition
Nelson has been recognized as follows:
 * John Ordronaux Prize - Highest Academic Average in Graduating Class
 * James Kent Scholar - 1997-98, 1998-99, 1999-2000
 * World’s Leading Patent Practitioners - Intellectual Asset Management Magazine
 * Texas Super Lawyer® - Thompson Reuters
 * IAM Patent 1000: The World’s Leading Patent Practitioners - Intellectual Asset Management Magazine

Notable Cases
Nelson has served as lead council on the following cases:
 * April 2017
 * Obtained a jury verdict of over $50 million for his client Green Mountain Glass against Ardagh on a patent infringement matter involving recycled glass.

Articles & Publications
Nelson has authored the following articles and publications:


 * Discrimination with a Difference: Can Employment Discrimination Law Accommodate the Americans with Disabilities Act? - This paper analyzes the three recent ADA employment cases in the Supreme Court to highlight the unique features of the ADA.

Nelson served as a research assistant for the following articles:

Discusses the influence of money on elections in the United States. Functional relationship between political spending and political success; Patterns of campaign spending on media advertising; Evaluation on how money corrupts the political process; Proposal for changes in campaign regulations. Observations on the 2000 United States Presidential Election.
 * The Hydraulics of Campaign Finance Reform
 * Political Judgments

Personal Life
Nelson, 43, is the son of a Houston labor union lawyer and a travel agent.

Nelson and his wife live in Austin, Texas and are expecting their third child.

Official Links

 * Website
 * Facebook
 * Twitter