As an attorney with over 27 years of experience practicing civil law, and a small business owner himself, Brian has a personal understanding of the law and how it impacts every community in Houston. Having dedicated his entire career to practicing law, Staley possesses the courtroom experience and legal background essential for the role.
Brian attended the University of Mississippi on a full academic scholarship. After college, he went to work for the Central Intelligence Agency in Washington, D.C. as an Intelligence Research Specialist/Imagery Analyst. He left Washington to attend law school at South Texas College of Law in Houston, graduating in 1996, and passing the Texas bar the same year. His and his wife Carol were married in Houston in 1990. They are the proud parents of three grown children, who all live and work in Houston.
In addition to being licensed to practice law in Texas, he is also licensed in Arizona, Colorado, the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Southern, Eastern, Western, and Northern U.S. District Courts in Texas. He is the 2023-24 Chairman of the Commercial and Consumer Law Section of the Houston Bar Association, and is a member of the Texas Creditor’s Bar Association, and the State Bar of Texas. In 2024, Brian was elected a Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation.
With thousands of litigated cases, mediations, pre-trial hearings, bench trials, jury trials, and appeals, his credentials are impressive. Both an attorney and a small business owner, Brian is well-versed in the intricacies of civil law and its broader implications on Houston’s community. His experience is vast: he’s represented clients not just in Harris County, but in over ninety Texas counties, and has litigated thousands of cases—some of which saw victories at the Texas Supreme Court.
For Brian, upholding the rule of law is more than just a duty—it’s the cornerstone of liberty. He firmly believes in ensuring everyone’s right to a fair trial, regardless of whether they’re represented by an attorney or advocating for themselves. Every Texan, according to him, deserves a judge who approaches them with dignity, fairness, and respect. Outside the courtroom, Brian’s entrepreneurial journey alongside his wife has further anchored his understanding of resilience and the value of community support. From navigating regulations to facing challenges like flooding and government-imposed shutdowns, he knows the grit required to weather storms both metaphorical and literal.
“Integrity means holding myself to the highest ethical standards. It means never forgetting that my highest duty is to the law, the constitution, and the citizens of Harris County. If a case before me involves anyone with whom I have a financial interest, I will recuse myself. I will not require a court of appeals to intervene to force me to do the right thing. Fairness means that when you come to court, the judge is not biased either for or against any of the parties. Fairness means the judge will apply the law as it is written to the facts of the case. The judge should not be secretly working behind the scenes for one of the parties. I will hold myself to the highest ethical standards, so that everyone, regardless of who they are, receives a fair and balanced trial.”
Source: https://www.staleyforjudge.com/
