Judge Steven Kirkland

02/27/2026

Regardless of what you think about immigration, a wall in Big Bend makes no sense!

01/28/2026

Yesterday i was traveling so I didn't get to post this on the International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Traveling in Central Europe last spring, I continue trying to process the many sights and experience of that trip - a trip that was not planned or aimed at remembrance, but where the impact of the holocaust was inescapable. The cruelty scope and impact of the Shoah as well as the many previous pograms and restrictions on Jews is also hard to describe. These are a few of the photos of memorials and monuments along the way - from the memorials in Budapest, Vienna Bratislava and Prague, to the cemeteries in Mikulov and Prague, to the propaganda artwork drawn by children in the N**i camps on display in Prague, and the plaques in the streets and buildings marking places where Jewish families were driven from their homes and sent to ex*****on camps.

09/21/2025

Never thought I want to quote Tucker Carlson, but these are interesting times …

“You hope that a year from now, the turmoil we're seeing in the aftermath of his murder won't be leveraged to bring hate speech laws to this country. And trust me…if that does happen, there is never a more justified moment for civil disobedience than that, ever, and there never will be, because if they can tell you what to say, they're telling you what to think. There's nothing they can't do to you, because they don't consider you human. They don't believe you have a soul. A human being with a soul, a free man, has a right to say what he believes, not to hurt other people, but to express his views.”

I also think hate speech laws have a place in our legal landscape, but his take on those here raises consequences that need to be considered.

I am heartened to see more people from the right speaking out against the latest moves by this administration that are contrary to the values we share as Americans across the political spectrum!

07/21/2025

The National LGBTQ+ Bar is proud to present a comprehensive and national bench guide designed to empower judges to best serve and meaningfully work with LGBTQ+ people in the courthouse, whether they are jurors, parties, counsel, staff, or fellow judges.

A collaborative project of the International Association of LGBTQ+ Judges (International Association of LGBTQ Judges), The National Judicial College, and the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association & Foundation, this Guide is intended to serve as a resource for judges seeking to build trust with the LGBTQ+ community and foster cultures of inclusivity and respect in their courtrooms. It covers a wide array of topics relating to the LGBTQ+ community, including the basics (such as key terms) and more complex legal considerations (such as case management tactics that thoughtfully consider LGBTQ+ people and experiences).

LGBTQ+ Inclusion From the Bench: A Best Practices Guide for Judges LGBTQ+ Inclusion From the Bench: A Best Practices Guide for Judges is a collaborative effort by three organizations — the International Association of LGBTQ+ Judges, the National Judicial College, and the National LGBTQ+ Bar Associ...

07/18/2025

“When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, say something! Do something! Get in trouble, good trouble, necessary trouble.” Cong. John Lewis.

07/16/2025

There are folks that you just have to keep in your life. The old Court team from the 215th will forever be in mine! And after an hour and half of laughter, I can say we’re all doing well! Only missing Ernest- but rumor has it, he’s fine too!

07/07/2025

Even though we missed the big Pride celebrations, it was wonderful to enjoy a city that celebrates its LGBT+ community. Hasta pronto CDMX!

07/07/2025

To trans sisters and brothers, I see you at home and when I travel! I feel your fear and the struggle is real. Vivian las trans!

07/06/2025

Congratulations David and Jenna! Thanks for inviting me to be part of your wedding. David and I met in the horrible campaign of 2012 and have been friends ever since!

06/26/2025

I got this sad message from Santa Maria, a nonprofit dedicated to serving women and families in recovery. And I expect it is just the beginning. We will need to be more responsive to fundraising requests from non profit recovery programs in the future, AND we will need to advocate more vocally for recovery services to our elected officials.

"It is with heavy hearts that we share difficult news that will impact the lives of many women and children we serve. Due to a significant reduction in state-administered federal funding from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) for substance use disorder treatment, Santa Maria is facing an unprecedented $15 million reduction in funding over the next five years.

As a result, we are making the heartbreaking announcement that, effective September 1, 2025, we will be closing our Jacquelyn treatment location and detox unit –and reducing our workforce by the equivalent of 40 full-time employees, which represents a 21% reduction in our workforce. This decision was not made lightly. We are grieving the loss of critical services, safe beds, and healing opportunities for countless women and their children."

Santa Maria will continue to provide recovery services, just not the detox.

06/01/2025

As a veteran of extremely long judicial ballots, I predict some strange results in these Mexican judicial elections. No doubt some victors will be excellent judges, and some will not. It is an impossible chore to put this many choices on voters at one time, so don’t expect the change to “fix” the system. Buy it will force a reset. And maybe that’s good. Good luck Mexico.

For the first time, Mexicans will vote for thousands of candidates to fill more than 2,600 positions in federal, state and local courts.