Pat Gallagher

Judge J. Patrick “Pat” Gallagher has presided over the 96th District Court in Tarrant County since his appointment by Governor Greg Abbott in July 2020, filling the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge R.H. Wallace Jr. He won election to a full term in November 2020 and was re-elected in 2024. A Fort Worth resident since 1984, Judge Gallagher earned his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Indiana University at Bloomington and his Juris Doctor from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law in 1984. He is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, a distinction that recognizes his expertise and experience in this specialized area of law.

Prior to his appointment to the bench, Judge Gallagher brought more than 30 years of legal experience to the 96th District Court, most of it in private practice where he specialized in insurance, commercial, and personal injury litigation. He has handled more than 650 cases across all 10 district courts in Tarrant County. Earlier in his career, he served as an Assistant District Attorney with the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office, gaining valuable trial experience in criminal prosecution. Judge Gallagher is a member of the State Bar of Texas, the Federalist Society, and the Tarrant County Bar Association, and previously served on the Texas Board of Legal Specialization Advisory Commission. He has expressed admiration for Brooks Harrington, founder of Fort Worth’s Methodist Justice Ministry, which provides legal services for underserved women and children who have been abused or neglected.

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