Ernest Higginbotham

Ernest R. Higginbotham joined the College of Law in April 2015 on a part-time basis to serve as Mentorship Program Facilitator to help evaluate and implement the innovative Louis A. Bedford, Jr. Mentorship Program. His legal experience includes large firm private practice, corporate law department management, and extensive participation in professional organizations. He also brings over forty years’ involvement in the religious, cultural and civic life of Dallas.

A native Texan, Ernie Higginbotham attended public school in Dallas and graduated from Carthage High School in East Texas. He attended Princeton University where he graduated cum laude in History. In 1969-70, he saw combat in Vietnam and Cambodia as a Field Artillery officer and was awarded two Bronze Stars, a Purple Heart and an Army Commendation Medal for valor.

Returning home, he attended the University of Texas School of Law, where he was a member of the Texas Law Review, Order of the Coif, and graduated with honors. After law school, he served as Briefing Attorney for Texas Supreme Court Justice Ruel C. Walker. Moving to Dallas, he joined the firm of Strasburger, Price, Kelton, Martin & Unis (now Strasburger & Price, L.L.P.), where he practiced for 27 years with an emphasis on antitrust and commercial litigation. After taking early retirement as a Senior Partner, he joined Canada-based international technology company Nortel Networks as Vice President, Litigation, to develop and manage a team with global responsibility for the company’s varied litigation. To cope with serious challenges to the company’s accounting practices, he helped organize and coordinate a team of U.S. and Canadian lawyers to respond to investigations by the S.E.C., Ontario Securities Commission, F.B.I. and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, as well as class actions in the U.S. and three Canadian provinces. Before joining the College of Law, he was Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Government Affairs, for UnitedLex Corporation, a global legal consulting, technology and outsourcing company, where he assisted corporate and law firm clients in managing electronic stored information (ESI) in litigation.

His participation in professional organizations includes American Law Institute (Life Member), State Bar of Texas Antitrust and Business Litigation Section (former Chairman), Texas Law Review Association (former President), Antitrust Section of the American Bar Association, Litigation Sections of both the State Bar of Texas and the American Bar Association, American Bar Foundation (Life Fellow), Texas Bar Foundation (Life Fellow), and Dallas Bar Foundation (Charter Fellow). He has been included in The Best Lawyers in America (Business Litigation) and has served as a faculty member of ALI-ABA Course of Study on Civil Practice and Litigation Techniques in Federal and State Courts and on the Board of Editors of Federal Evidence Practice Guide.

His prior community involvement has included Greater Dallas Community of Churches (President), Dallas Theater Center (Secretary and General Counsel), Dallas Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Vice-President), First Presbyterian Church of Dallas Foundation (President), Leadership Dallas (Class of 1983), Presbyterian Communities and Services (Secretary).

He is currently involved in First Presbyterian Church of Dallas (Elder, Sunday School Teacher), weekly meal service volunteer at the Second Chance Café at The Bridge homeless assistance center, lead volunteer for monthly Family Stabilization Food Program at The Stewpot, and Synod of the Sun (Assistant Stated Clerk). He currently serves on the boards of Evergreen Life Services and the Presbyterian Historical Society.