THE HONORABLE JUDGE
JOHN J. SPECIA, Jr.
EDUCATION
St. Mary’s School of Law (J.D. 1975)
University of Texas (B.A. 1972)
ADMISSIONS
State Bar of Texas
HONORS
Distinguished Law Graduate (Judicial), St. Mary’s School of Law, 2005
Rosewood Gavel Award for Outstanding Judicial Service, St. Mary’s University School of Law, 2001
Special Commendation, Texas Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, 1999
CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) Judge of the Year, 1998
Jurist in Residence, Judicial Commission on Mental Health
Founding member of both The Judicial Commission on Mental Health and The Supreme Court of Texas Permanent Judicial Commission for Children, Youth and Families
Dale Wood Award for Outstanding Protection of Children by the Judiciary, 2001
CERTIFICATIONS
MEMBERSHIPS
Advisory Council Member and Community Impact Committee Member – United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County
Founding Member and Jurist in Residence – Judicial Commission on Mental Health
Founding Member – Supreme Court of Texas Permanent Judicial Commission for Children, Youth and Families
Chair – Texas Supreme Court Task Force on Foster Care (past)
Chair – Texas Supreme Court Task Force on Child Protection Case Management and Reporting (past)
Board Member – Central Catholic Marianist High School (past)
Board Member – National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (2000-2006) (past)
Numerous other Civic and Professional Board Positions (past)
MILITARY
San Antonio
Judge Specia. has practiced Mediation and Private Judging since 2006. During this time period, he has conducted over 1,000 mediations involving all areas of civil and family law.
Having been invited by Texas Governor Rick Perry in 2012 to be Commissioner of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, Judge Specia accepted the position and served in that capacity until 2016. Judge Specia spearheaded an overhaul of Child Protective Services, developed system enhancements, and significantly expanded the child abuse and neglect prevention and early intervention program. Under his leadership, Texas became a national leader in child welfare transformation efforts and research into child abuse and neglect fatalities.
From 1988-2006 he served as the District Judge for the 225th Judicial District Court in Bexar County, Texas where he acquired extensive experience in all aspects of civil trial practice. Due to the unique Bexar County rotating docket system, on a daily basis he was assigned civil pretrial hearings, jury trials, and non-jury trials involving contract disputes, construction disputes, medical and legal malpractice, personal injury, and business litigation. He also presided over numerous family law cases involving divorce, custody and visitation disputes, and adoptions.
Outside of his daily professional duties, Judge Specia’s life-long dedication to public service also includes efforts in civil, family, and juvenile programs, with a special commitment to children and the prevention of child abuse.
Judge Specia’s practice focuses primarily on dispute resolution (mediation and private judging). He serves as a Senior District Court Judge, subject to assignment. He is currently assigned by the Texas Supreme Court to preside as the Pretrial Judge on a multidistrict litigation, as he has done on other multidistrict lawsuits in the past.
With Bettsie, his wife of over fifty-four years, he enjoys travel, bike riding and time with their seven grandchildren.