Leadership in the legal profession is earned by peers: attorneys who know the work firsthand. Justice Pratt has held elected and appointed positions at every level of the Texas bar, including the presidency of the Texas Young Lawyers Association, a statewide organization serving over 40,000 new attorneys across all 254 Texas counties. The American Bar Association named her one of the top 40 young lawyers in the nation.
Bar leadership + recognition
Elected by peers. Recognized nationally.
Based in the Texas Panhandle.
State Bar of Texas
President Citation (2024)
Litigation Council (2024-Present)
Board of Directors (2022-25)
Administration of the Rules of Evidence Committee (2019-22)
Texas Young Lawyers Association
President (2023-24)
President-Elect (2022-23)
Immediate Past President (2024-25)
Vice President (2021-22)
District 3 Director
American Bar Association
On the Rise Top 40 Young Lawyers in the nation (2020-21)
Texas Tech Alumni Association
Rising Star Award (2023)
Daniel H. Benson Public Service Award (2021)
Herschell L. Barnes Ambassador Award (2014)
Bob Black Bar Leaders Award (2013)
Lubbock Area Bar Association
Secretary (2026)
Treasurer (2025-26)
Director since 2018
Outstanding Young Lawyer Award (2014, 2023)
Law Related Education Committee
Amarillo Area Bar Association
Texas Bar Foundation
Board of Trustees (2025-28)
Sustaining Life Fellow
Lubbock County Women Lawyers' Association
President (2012-13)
Justice Pratt has practiced throughout the 46 counties of her district for her entire legal career. West Texas shaped who she is, and it's the place she and her family call home.
Conservative Republican appointed to serve the Texas Panhandle and West Texas
The Seventh Court of Appeals has intermediate appellate jurisdiction of both civil and criminal cases appealed from lower courts in forty-six counties of Texas.
These counties include: Armstrong, Bailey, Briscoe, Carson, Castro, Childress, Cochran, Collingsworth, Cottle, Crosby, Dallam, Deaf Smith, Dickens, Donley, Floyd, Foard, Garza, Gray, Hale, Hall, Hansford, Hardeman, Hartley, Hemphill, Hockley, Hutchinson, Kent, King, Lamb, Lipscomb, Lubbock, Lynn, Moore, Motley, Ochiltree, Oldham, Parmer, Potter, Randall, Roberts, Sherman, Swisher, Terry, Wheeler, Wilbarger, and Yoakum.
Servant leadership. Academic excellence. Award-winning commitment to public service and the legal profession. A conservative Republican. Governor Abbott's choice for the Texas Panhandle's appellate court.
about justice pratt
Governor Abbott chose a conservative Republican to serve the Texas Panhandle on appeal
When a seat opened on the Seventh Court of Appeals, Governor Greg Abbott turned to a proven conservative Republican with more than sixteen years of legal experience. Justice Laura Pratt brings to the bench a record of rigorous legal work across municipal law, natural resources, environmental compliance, and administrative and regulatory matters -- the legal landscape of West Texas. A woman of faith, a wife, and a mother of three, Justice Pratt has built her career and her life in this region. The values that guide her life are the same values she carries to the bench.
A Texas Tech School of Law graduate who earned her degree magna cum laude, Justice Pratt also holds an undergraduate degree in biochemistry from the University of Arkansas -- a scientific foundation that shapes a precise, evidence-driven approach to legal analysis. This combination of service, West Texas values, legal excellence and analytical disciplineis exactly what the Seventh Court of Appeals demands.
Appointed by Govenor Abbott in March 2026
The appointment
Governor Greg Abbott appointed Justice Pratt to Place 2 of the Seventh Court of Appeals on March 13, 2026, selecting a conservative Republican with a record of principled legal work and strong ties to the Texas Panhandle. Created in 1911, the Seventh Court of Appeals hears intermediate appeals from courts across one of the largest appellate districts in Texas.
Under Texas law, justices appointed to fill a vacancy face the voters at the next election to complete the unexpired term. Justice Pratt is asking Republican precinct chairs across her District to support her place on the primary ballot and give Republican voters the opportunity to confirm Governor Abbott’s conservative choice.
Court
Seventh Court of Appeals, Place 2
Appointed By
Govenor Greg Abbott
Date
March 13, 2026
Courthouse
Amarillo, Texas
Term
Through Dec. 31, or until a successor is duly elected
Legal experience
Sixteen years of legal work built in West Texas
As a member attorney at Sprouse Shrader Smith, PLLC in Amarillo and Lubbock, Justice Pratt handled the legal matters that define the Texas Panhandle economy: complex business litigation, land and water rights, agricultural law, local government law, environmental compliance, and regulatory proceedings before state and federal agencies. A published author on environmental law, eminent domain, and litigation practices, Justice Pratt brought particular depth to issues with direct consequences for West Texas landowners and the industries that drive this region.
Earlier in her career, as an assistant city attorney and municipal prosecutor for the City of Lubbock, Justice Pratt developed expertise in municipal law and local government; experience that informs a clear understanding of how legal decisions affect Texas Panhandle governments and the families they serve.
Sprouse Shrader Smith PLLC
Member attorney -- complex commercial litigation, agricultural law, natural resource law, regulatory compliance, and local government law
City of Lubbock
Assistant City Attorney
Municipal Prosecutor
Published Author
Written and published legal articles for electronic newsletters, local and state bar journals, continuing legal education, and law reviews on a variety of current legal issues and topics.
Bar Memberships
Admitted to practice in the state and federal courts of Texas and New Mexico
Admitted to practice in the U.S. Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit
16+
years in practice
TOP 40
aba Young Lawyers
MAGNA CUM LAUDE
Faith, Family & Community
OneVoiceHome - Lubbock
Co-founder, Board Member and Officer, and First Executive Director of a local nonprofit serving survivors of sex trafficking.
Turning Point Community Church
Active member and leader in community ministry, where her husband, Josh also serves as an Elder.
Frenship ISD
Frequent volunteer with Frenship ISD and at her children's schools in the district.
Josh is an assistant principal at Frenship High School.
Young Men's Service League
Laura serves on the Young Men’s Service League (YMSL) with her son Zach. YMSL is a community organization where mothers and sons serve together to impact their local communities.
Amarillo Republican Women
Lubbock Area Republican Women
Justice Pratt’s Christian faith forms the foundation for all she does. Protecting the vulnerable, supporting families, and strengthening the community are convictions Justice Pratt has practiced throughout her career, and the same convictions she brings to the bench. For example, in 2014 Justice Pratt co-founded OneVoiceHome, a Lubbock nonprofit protecting and serving survivors of sex trafficking in the Texas Panhandle, and served as its Executive Director. Justice Pratt lives in Lubbock with her husband, Josh, and their three children.
Conservative values lived out across the Texas Panhandle
Governor Abbott chose a conservative Republican to serve the Texas Panhandle on appeal. Now, Republican precinct chairs within the District have the opportunity to put that choice before the voters.