Gaynelle Griffin Jones

Gaynelle Griffin Jones (November 20, 1948 – March 1, 2013) was an American jurist and lawyer who was the former United States Attorney for the Southern District of Texas.[3]

Gaynelle Griffin Jones
United States Attorney for the Southern District of Texas
In office
1993–1997
PresidentBill Clinton
Preceded byRonald G. Woods
Succeeded byMervyn M. Mosbacker
Justice of the First Court of Appeals of Texas (Place 2)
In office
1992–1993
Appointed byAnn Richards
Preceded byJon N. Hughes[1]
Succeeded byAdele Hedges[1]
Personal details
Born
Gaynelle Griffin[2]

(1948-11-20)November 20, 1948
Dallas, Texas, U.S.
DiedMarch 1, 2013 (aged 64)
Houston, Texas, U.S.
SpouseRobert Jones
ChildrenAthena
EducationEmerson College (BA)[2]
Boston College (JD)

She was born in Dallas, Texas and graduated from A. J. Moore High School.[4] Jones received her bachelor's degree from Emerson College and her J.D. degree from Boston College Law School. In 1993, President Bill Clinton appointed Jones as United States Attorney for the Southern District of Texas. She was the first African-American woman to serve in that position.

Before her appointment as U.S. Attorney, Jones was also the first African-American woman to serve on the First Court of the Texas Courts of Appeals. In later years, she worked as litigation counsel for Hewlett-Packard Company and was an adjunct professor at the University of Houston Law School.[5][6]

She practiced law for forty years in Massachusetts, Louisiana, and Texas specializing in corporate law and criminal law.[4]

She was married to Robert Jones and had a daughter named Athena.[4]

Death

edit

She died on March 1, 2013, aged 64, in Houston, Texas, from cancer.[4]

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ a b Court History (Justices and Clerks)
  2. ^ a b Emerson 1969 Emersonian yearbook
  3. ^ "Houston lawyer Gaynelle Griffin Jones, 64, dies". 4 March 2013.
  4. ^ a b c d Gaynelle Griffin Jones obituary & cemetery info
  5. ^ Obituary for Gaynelle Griffin Jones
  6. ^ Gaynelle Griffin Jones-University of Houston faculty