About Judge Payne
Judge Latosha Lewis Payne has been the Presiding Judge of the 55th District Court, a civil court, since January 1, 2019. Civil district courts handle wrongful death, motor vehicle accidents, property disputes, contract disputes, and employment disputes and anything else that is not juvenile, family, probate or criminal.
Law Before the Bench
Prior to her election to the bench, Judge Latosha Lewis Payne practiced at Am Law 200 international law firms for most of her 18 - year law practice. Her complex civil trial practice included but was not limited to environmental, toxic tort, wrongful death, personal injury, real estate/ banking, breach of contract and fraud cases in both state and federal courts. She is a former elected Partner of Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP n/k/a Foley Lardner and was a Co-Founding Partner of Trahan Dinn Kornegay Payne LLP, a woman-owned civil litigation and insurance coverage law firm.
Judge Payne is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law, a distinction that less than 5% of attorneys in Texas have achieved. She has also been honored as a fellow of the American Bar Foundation and Texas Bar Foundation. Shas has received many honors, including "Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year" by the Houston Young Lawyers Association.
Education
Judge Latosha Lewis Payne grew up in Acres Homes until she was 12 years old and thereafter her single mom moved the family to Cypress. She is an honors graduate of Cypress Creek High School as well as a former debater and track and basketball athlete.
Judge Payne went on to graduate from Tulane University, H. Sophie Newcomb Women's College, with a B.A. in both Environmental Studies and Political Science, minor in Philosophy. She was a D1 scholarship athlete who is the former Tulane record holder and Metro Conference Champion in the 400 Meter Hurdles. She is a Tulane Honors Scholar and recipient of a post-graduate fellowship from the Thomas J. Watson Foundation to study "Culture and the Development of Women's Sports" in Kenya, Swaziland, Ghana, and Jamaica for a year after college.
Judge Payne earned her law degree from the University of Texas School of Law. While in law school, she was a member of the Board of Advocates as a Moot Court participant, Juvenile Justice clinic participant, and was selected to study for a semester at the University College of London.
Service and Leadership
Judge Latosha Lewis Payne has always been about service to the community and leadership that brings about change. Judicial service is no different. She was voted by her colleagues in the district courts to serve as the Harris County Local Administrative Judge for all 67 district courts twice and served for four years. During her tenure, she lead the courts through the end of the pandemic and advocated for the increase in 11 district courts, including 5 civil district courts that had not been created in Harris County in 41 years.
Judge Payne has been a board member of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Houston, Houston Lawyers Association (served as President), and Leadership Women (served as President). She serves as Head Coach for the 11-12 Girls Division with the Track Houston Youth Track Club, the largest youth track club in the United States.
