Joseph “Tad” Halbach is a retired District Judge who currently serves as a mediator and arbitrator. He was appointed Judge of the 333rd Civil District Court in October of 1995. He was elected in November of 1996 and then re-elected in each of the next four elections. He retired in December of 2016. During his 21 years on the bench, Judge Halbach served in many capacities, including the Harris County Local Administrative District Judge, the Harris County Civil Administrative Judge, and as a member of both the Harris County Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee and the Harris County Juvenile Board. Since December of 2009 until December of 2016, Judge Halbach was the Silica MDL Judge for the entire state of Texas. In 2013, he was chosen as the Trial Judge of the Year by the Texas Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists.
Prior to taking the bench, Judge Halbach had more than 13 years in an active trial and appellate practice covering a wide range of complex business, commercial, insurance and tort disputes. Judge Halbach is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law and a frequent writer and speaker at various CLE (Continuing Legal Education) programs. He is also a director of the Texas Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists and a member of the College of the State Bar of Texas. In addition, he is member of the Garland Walker Inn of Court. From 2009 through 2016, Judge Halbach was an Adjunct Professor at the University Of Houston School Of Law, teaching Trial Advocacy.
Case Experience
Commercial/Business
Contract Disputes
Personal Injury
Premises Liability
Product Liability
Property Damage
Title Disputes
Torts
Unfair Competition
Education
University of Texas at Austin—B.A. (with honors) 1978
University of Texas at Austin—Graduate School of Business 1978-79
University of Texas at Austin—J.D. 1982 (Board of Advocates; Tex. Int’l L. Journal).
Memberships & Affiliations
Texas Bar Association
Federal Bar Association
Houston Young Lawyers Association; President 1993-1994
Houston Young Lawyers Association; Judicial Liaison 1996-1999
Houston Young Lawyers Association; Co-Chair, Scouting with the HYLA 2005-Present
Houston Young Lawyers Foundation; Board of Trustees 1992-1993
Pro Bono College—State Bar of Texas
Houston Bar Association; Board Member (ex-officio) 1993-1994
Houston Bar Foundation—Fellow; Texas Bar Foundation – Fellow
Association of Women Attorneys—Member
Mexican American Bar Association of Houston—Member
Houston Lawyers Association—Member and Mentorship Volunteer
Texas Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists—Board Member (1999- present)
Member—Garland Walker Inn of Court (American Inns of Court)
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