Low Pay Plagues Judicial Recruitment in New Texas Business Court

Texas’s refusal to boost the salaries of its judges—who are among the lowest paid in the country—may be complicating the state’s effort to build out its new business court, opening in 2024.

Gov. Greg Abbott (R) must recruit 16 judges for the business court, which was authorized by lawmakers to handle complex business disputes and was seen as an effort to funnel these matters to a group of judges handpicked by Abbott.

He’s now stuck searching for candidates with 10 years or more of experience in complex civil business litigation, who are willing to accept a starting salary of $140,000. ...