Leadership Roles and Awards

Harris County

Presiding Judge of the 15 Harris County Criminal Courts at Law (1989-1990) (2004-Present)

State of Texas

Chair, Judicial Section -- State Bar of Texas (2001-2002)*

Chair, Texas Center for the Judiciary (2001-2002)*

Chair, South Texas College of Law Judicial Alumni Association (2004-2005)

Chair, Curriculum Committee, Texas Center for the Judiciary (1996-2000)

Faculty, Texas College for New Judges (1998-Present)

Texas Judicial Section Liaison to the State Bar of Texas (2002-2003)

Texas Judicial Section Liaison to the American Bar Association (2000-2001)

President, Texas County Court at Law Judges Association (2004-2005)

Chair, Criminal Justice Legislative Committee, State Bar of Texas Judicial Section (2004-Present)

National

Chair, American Probation and Parole Association Judicial Committee (2003-Present)

Other Recognition

Texas College for Judicial Studies Certification in Criminal Law (2004)

Mexican-American Bar Association Amicus Award (1994)

League of Latin-American Citizens Certificate of Recognition (1993)

Houston Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Judicial Award (1993)

Houston Police Officers' Association County Court Judge of the Year (1989)

* The Judicial Section of the State Bar of Texas is composed of approximately 1200 Texas County Court at Law, District and Appellate Court judges and justices. Every Texas judge (excluding Justices of the Peace and Municipal Judges) is a member of the Judicial Section.

The Texas Center for the Judiciary is the institution established by the legislature, at the request of the Judicial Section, to develop and fund judicial education for those 1200 judges. Judge Atkinson was unanimously elected by the judges of Texas to Chair both the Judicial Section of the State Bar and the Texas Center for the Judiciary.

See also: Judge Mark Atkinson and Judicial Education

Biographical Sketch

Creative Sentencing

Young Offenders

Legislation for the Courts