Justice (Fmr.) Douglas S. Lang of Dallas has been selected as one of four recipients of the 2024 Texas Bar Foundation’s Outstanding 50 Year Lawyer Award. The award recognizes attorneys whose practice has spanned 50 years or more and who adhere to the highest principles and traditions of the legal profession and service to the public.

Justice Lang is Senior Counsel and Co-Chair of the Appellate Practice Group at the law firm of Thompson Coburn LLP.  He served for over 16 years on the Fifth District Court of Appeals in Dallas, a 13-judge appellate court with the highest case volume of the 14 intermediate appellate courts in Texas. While on the court, Justice Lang authored more than 2,100 opinions and participated in deciding more than 6,100 cases. During that same period, Justice Lang served for six years as a member of the Texas Multi-District Litigation Panel and as Chair of the Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct.

Justice Lang is renowned and highly respected for his tireless leadership in bar and community activities, his dedication to mentoring young lawyers, and his devotion to civility and ethics in the legal profession. Among many leadership roles in which he has served are President of the Dallas Bar Association, President of the National Council of Bar Presidents, and Secretary of the American Inns of Court Foundation. Justice Lang is also a Life Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation.

Justice Lang is a frequent speaker at civic and continuing education events around Texas and nationally and has many published articles to his credit on appellate law, civility, and ethics. He is a graduate of Drake University, the University of Missouri School of Law, and, immediately after law school, served as a law clerk at the Supreme Court of Missouri.

Since returning to the practice of law, Justice Lang has represented clients in a number of Texas Courts of Appeals, The Texas Supreme Court, The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and The United States Supreme Court.  Also, he has assisted colleagues and client on appellate cases in, among other jurisdictions, New York, California, Illinois, and Missouri.

The Bar Foundation commissioned an oral history to recognize and preserve the accomplishments of Justice Lang’s legal career.  Additionally, he will be publicly recognized at the Texas Bar Foundation Annual Dinner held on June 21, 2024 at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas.

Founded in 1965 by attorneys determined to assist the public and improve the profession, the Texas Bar Foundation has become the largest charitably funded bar foundation in the country. The Texas Bar Foundation relies on the contributions of its Fellows to improve the lives of Texans. To date, through the generosity of the Fellows, the Texas Bar Foundation has awarded more than $26 million in grants to numerous organizations across the state.

Election to the Fellows of the Texas Bar Foundation is one of the highest honors that can be bestowed upon a member of the State Bar of Texas, representing one-third of one percent of Texas attorneys. Selection is based on an outstanding record in the legal profession as well as proven commitment to support the community at large. For more information about the Texas Bar Foundation, please visit www.txbf.org.