Judge Ralph Swearingin awarded the highest Alternative Dispute Resolution Award in the State of Texas
Judge Ralph Swearingin of Tarrant County Justice Court Precinct 1 has been awarded the highest Alternative Dispute Resolution / Mediation Award in the State of Texas. He joins a very distinguished group of Texas “ADR” pioneers and longtime influential advocates of Alternative Dispute Resolution. He has proven that ADR and Mediation in particular efficiently serve our communities and our State. He developed a Texas Association of Counties 2009 “Best Practices” award-winning “In-Court Mediation Program” for “Court Innovation” which has proven to be a template for other judges and courts. He has trained many law students in practical ADR and provided an opportunity for many lawyer-mediators to gain valuable experience. His Tarrant County Fort Worth Court and the efficient management of his docket has also become a model for other courts in Texas. His longtime Court Manager Daisy Ramoz (formerly Espinoza) has diligently and faithfully assisted him.
The “Justice Frank G. Evans Award” was created and is dedicated as a living tribute to Justice Evans, who is considered the founder of the Alternative Dispute Resolution movement in Texas. This Award is awarded to “persons who have performed exceptional and outstanding efforts in promoting or furthering the use or research of alternative dispute resolution methods in Texas. The recipients should be persons who are recognized leaders in the field of ADR”. The Award is presented by the ADR Section of the State Bar of Texas at their Annual Meeting, although the Award is not required to be made annually.
Judge Ralph Swearingin has literally dedicated his life to serving the law and community. He has served as Judge of Tarrant County Precinct 1 Justice Court since 2007. He has decades of law enforcement experience, legal knowledge and judicial experience in Justice Courts. He held a career in policing for more than 30 years, about 20 years at the Command Level. He received Fort Worth Police Department’s Medal of Valor, is a graduate of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, and holds a Master Police Officer Certification. He is a 1994 graduate with Honors from Texas Wesleyan University School of Law and licensed attorney since 1994.
Since 2013, his Court has made e-Filing available, in 2015 he added Guide-N-File for Pro Se litigants, and since 2019 all filings are mandated to be electronic. Judge Swearingin has served on numerous Texas Supreme Court Committees including appointment by Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice to the Task Force for “Rules in Small Claims Cases and Justice Court Proceedings” completely rewriting Court Procedural Rules then adopted for 819 Texas Justice Courts in 254 counties in 2013. He also serves on the Texas Supreme Court’s Mental Health Task Force, Judicial Information and Technology Committee and Landlord-Tenant Forms Task Force. He is a frequent Continuing Legal Education presenter. In 2015, he was chosen “Justice Court Judge of the Year” by the Texas Justice Court Judges Association.