Among other activities, Mike has:

  Been a Boy Scouts of America, Merit Badge Counselor

  Been a Volunteer Legal Liaison for hospice workers

  Done Tarrant County Bar Association volunteer work, including:

• Sponsoring Legal Line for all of 2013 and attending to assist with administrative tasks
• People's Law School - a program to provide basic legal
      classes to the public (Co-Chairman 2009-2010)
• Taking calls for Legal Line - a program that answers legal questions
      asked by the general public
• Working with the Mentor Program - Mike was on the Committee for,
  and actively involved in, this program which assists lawyers with practical
      advice and information for their practice
• Serving as a Fee Arbitrator - A process by which those with disputes
      regarding their fees may have them resolved.
      Mike has chaired numerous arbitrations.

  Served on an Ethics Committee regarding end of life issues

 

 

Mike worked as an election clerk in many Republican Primaries as well as serving as Election Judge during the General Election. He was a delegate to many Senate District Conventions, including 2004, 2006 and 2008. He attended the 2010, 2012 and 2014 State Conventions. He has supported many state and local Republican candidates over the years, including supporting Tom Phillips, the first Republican elected Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court since Reconstruction, in 1988. Mike worked with Victory 2008 in Tarrant County making phone calls and working on behalf of Sen. John Cornyn, State Rep. Mark Shelton and State Rep. Bill Zedler.

Mike has also been:

• a Member of the Lincoln Council of the Tarrant County Republican Party
   
• President of the Northeast Tarrant Republican Club (2009-2012)
   
• 2d Vice President of Membership, Northeast Tarrant Republican Club (2007-08)
   
• a Member of the Tarrant County Republican Assembly, the Arlington Republican Club, and the Southwest Republican Club
   
• an Associate Member of the Republican Women of Arlington and the Fort Worth Republican Women

 

 

Mike has been and continues to be a champion of conservative values. He believes the Constitution clearly defines the role of judges as deciding disputes, not making law. He adheres to an originalist interpretation of the Constitution and believes that the Legislature was created to reflect the will of the people in passing laws.

Mike attended the University of Texas at Arlington.  He was awarded a Baccalaureate degree in Political Science in 1985. His minor was in History with an emphasis on Constitutional History.

 

Mike attended the prestigious and nationally-recognized Texas Tech University School of Law in Lubbock, Texas, 1985-1988. He earned a Doctor of Jurisprudence Degree in May 1988 with the academic distinction of graduating magna cum laude. Mike was 4th in his class of 163 students and was on the Dean's List for academic achievement for every semester he attended Texas Tech. Mike was inducted into the Order of the Coif for high achievement in the Study of Law. He received the coveted American Jurisprudence award for excellence in the study of law in four courses:

• Commercial Law
• Family Law
• Conflicts of Law
• Texas Criminal Procedure
  

 

Mike was a member of the distinguished Texas Tech Law Review. He served as Research Editor during the 1987-1988 term, a position which required ensuring that case law cited in articles to be published were correctly cited and interpreted by the authors. He also checked the form, spelling and punctuation of complicated legal citations. Mike competed in the Mock Trial Competition at Texas Tech during 1986 and 1987. During law school Mike was also selected by Professor Frank Skillern to provide research assistance on a book concerning the vital laws of Water Rights, an issue which will be critical in the years ahead.

 

Mike's understanding of the political process and devotion to giving back to the community is also exemplified by his current work as a Part-Time Adjunct Professor of Government at Tarrant County College where he teaches classes concerning United States Government. He has also taught Texas State and Local Government.

Mike is a former Part-Time instructor for the Legal Studies Program at Texas Wesleyan University.

Mike holds a second degree Red Belt in Tae Kwo Do under the instruction of Grandmaster Roy Kurban.