{"id":67,"date":"2013-08-31T12:42:21","date_gmt":"2013-08-31T17:42:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wsfirm.com\/?page_id=67"},"modified":"2023-09-25T14:28:21","modified_gmt":"2023-09-25T19:28:21","slug":"t-john-ward","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/wsfirm.com\/attorneys\/t-john-ward\/","title":{"rendered":"T. John Ward"},"content":{"rendered":"

Judge Ward served as a United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Texas for 12 years from September 24, 1999 until his retirement on October 1, 2011. During his 12-year tenure, Judge Ward presided over cases in the Marshall, Tyler, and Texarkana divisions and had one of the heaviest intellectual property dockets in the country. \u00a0Judge Ward conducted over 150 jury trials, presided over hundreds of patent cases, including Hatch-Waxman cases, and held in excess of 150 claim construction hearings. \u00a0Judge Ward also presided over numerous complex commercial cases and nation-wide class action lawsuits. \u00a0A list of some of Judge Ward’s notable opinions appears below.<\/p>\n

During his tenure, Judge Ward was appointed by Chief Justice Rehnquist of the Supreme Court to serve as a member of the Judicial Conference Committee on Court Administration and Court Management from October 2003 to October 2006 and was then reappointed by Chief Justice Roberts to serve a second term from October 2006 to October 2009. \u00a0Judge Ward served as a member of the National Patent Jury Instruction Project at the request of Chief Judge Paul R. Michel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. \u00a0This project was completed in June 2009, and the results may be found at http:\/\/www.nationaljuryinstructions.org\/<\/a>. \u00a0The American Inns of Court, in cooperation with the members of the local bar, chartered the Honorable T. John Ward American Inn of Court for East Texas in 2006. \u00a0In 2009, the Texas Chapters of American Board of Trial Advocates named Judge Ward Trial Judge of the Year. Judge Ward was selected as one of the Top 25 Most Influential People in IP by a publication of American Lawyer magazine in 2010 and was also presented the award for Outstanding Achievement in Intellectual Property for 2012 by Managing Intellectual Property magazine. \u00a0In 2004, Baylor University named Judge Ward Baylor Lawyer of the Year.<\/p>\n

Judge Ward served on the Board of Governors of the Fifth Circuit Bar Association from 1987 to 1991 and from 1996 to 1999. \u00a0Judge Ward is also a Life Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation, a long-time Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers (1986-1999 and Oct. 2011-present), where he also served as a Judicial Fellow during his years on the bench (1999-Oct. 2011), and an Advocate of the American Board of Trial Advocates (1990-present). \u00a0In 2013, Judge Ward was inducted into the International Academy of Trial Layers.<\/p>\n

Prior to his service as a District Judge, Judge Ward was a practicing trial attorney for 31 years, during which time he tried in excess of 250 cases. \u00a0Judge Ward now is of counsel for Ward, Smith & Hill, PLLC in Longview, Texas. \u00a0His litigation practice focuses on patent and other complex commercial cases as well as mediation and arbitration. \u00a0Judge Ward also conducts mock trials and markman hearings for clients in patent cases.<\/p>\n

Judge Ward is a graduate of Texas Tech University, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Chemistry in 1964. \u00a0He then went on to obtain his law degree from Baylor University in 1967. \u00a0Judge Ward is licensed to practice law in Texas and is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, as well as the Eastern, Northern, Southern, and Western Districts of Texas. \u00a0Judge Ward has completed the Mediation Workshop at Harvard Law School. \u00a0In April 2013, he served on the faculty of the Patent Litigation Seminar presented by the Federal Judicial Center for U.S. District Judges.<\/p>\n


\n\n\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\tPractice Areas\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\nIntellectual Property
\nMediation & Arbitration
\nOil & Gas Law
\nComplex Commercial Litigation
\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\tProfessional Honors and Distinctions\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\nLife Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation
\nFellow, International Academy of Trial Lawyers, 2012-present
\nTexas Super Lawyers<\/em>, 2012-2023, Thomson Reuters
\nBest Lawyers in America, 2018-2023
\nFellow, American College of Trial Lawyers, 1986-1999, 2011-present
\nTexas Tech Alumni Association, Distinguished Alumni Award, 2014
\nTrial Judge of the Year, Texas Chapters of American Board of Trial Advocates, 2009
\nJudicial Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers, 1999-2011
\nAmerican Board of Trial Advocates, 1990-Present
\nLawyer of the Year, Baylor University Law School, 2004
\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\tPublished Articles\/Seminars\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\nHarvard Negotiation Institute, Mediation Workshop, June 2011
\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\tCourt Admissions\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\nTexas State District Courts
\nU.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
\nU.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
\nU.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
\nU.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas
\nU.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit
\nU.S. Supreme Court
\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\tEducational Background\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\nBaylor University School of Law, J.D., 1967
\nTexas Tech University, B.A. (Chemistry), 1964
\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\tProfessional Affiliations\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n5th Circuit Bar Association, Board of Governors, 1987-1991, 1996-1999
\nThe Honorable T. John Ward American Inn of Court, Member
\nNational Patent Jury Instruction Project, Member, 2009
\nJudicial Conference Committee on Court Administration and Court Management, Member, 2003-2009
\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t
\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Judge Ward served as a United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Texas for 12 years from September 24, 1999 until his retirement on October 1, 2011. During his 12-year tenure, Judge Ward presided over cases in the Marshall, Tyler, and Texarkana divisions and had one of the heaviest intellectual property dockets in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":303,"parent":6,"menu_order":8,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template-bio.php","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"yoast_head":"\nT. 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