Maya Guerra Gamble is the first judge elected to the 459Th District Court serving Travis County. She is an Austin native who, before being elected Judge, was a trial lawyer her entire career. As a lawyer, Maya specialized in Child Protective Services and devoted herself to helping the most defenseless and needy among us.

"For me, being a Judge is about service to Travis County. I have endeavored to preside over a courtroom that listens to all, treats parties consistently and respectfully, and returns rulings quickly.

As a Latina and as the child of an immigrant, Maya is fully aware that discrimination based on race and gender still take a toll on community and progress.

Maya has served on the Austin Bar Association Board of Directors as Chair of the Equity Committee since 2020. In that role, Judge Guerra Gamble helped create the Inaugural Equity Summit which took place virtually with over 350 attendees in May 2021.

Maya has given her time and talent on numerous committees and boards, working to improve the lives of families involved in Child Protective Services as well as to improve the overall quality of the legal practice in the family and civil courts of Travis County and throughout Texas. Maya has also conducted continuing-legal-education presentations for local and statewide organizations, including the State Bar of Texas. In her personal life, Maya volunteers extensively as Cub Master for Pack 9 and as a Committee Member for Troop 9.

Maya and her husband Chris have been married for more than 15 years and have two children, Gus and Abe. She received both her B.A. and J.D. degrees from Yale University.

COMMUNITY

•Court Appointed Family Attorneys Section, Austin Bar
   -At Large Member in 2005-2007
   -Mentor Chair, 2015-present

•Supreme Court Standing Commission on Children
   -Task Force on Foster Children & Education, 2012-2014
   -Permanent Subcommittee on Foster Children & Education, 2014-present

•Texas Children's Commission Member
   -Parent Resource Guide Committee, Member, 2013-present

•Child Protective Services Committee
   -Single Case Plan Committee, 2015

•Travis County Child Welfare Board
   -Member, 2014-present
   -Vice Chair 2016-present

•Executive Board Member, Capitol Area Council, Boy Scouts of America, Inc., 2018-present

•Cub Scout Pack 9
   -Den Leader
   -Cubmaster

•Fulmore Middle School PTA
   -Library Fundraiser
   -PTA

•Bryker Woods Elementary School PTA
   -PTA

•Boy Scout Troop 9
   -Committee Member

EXPERIENCE

• First Judge elected to preside over the 459th Civil District Court serving Travis County

• Solo Practice, Child Welfare Attorney

• Of Counsel, O’Connell & Soifer LLP

• Assistant Attorney General, Office of the Attorney General of Texas

• Honors Program Trial Attorney, Commercial Litigation Section, U.S. Department of Justice

• Law Clerk, The Honorable Richard D. Cudahy, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit

• Yale Law School, J.D., May 1996

• Yale University, B.A. with Distinction, May 1992

Awards

•The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children's Law Enforcement Award, 2003

•Texas Attorney General's Merit Award, August 2002

•U.S. Attorney General's Award for Exceptional Service, June 2000

•U.S. Department of Health & Human Services' Office of Inspector General's Cooperative Achievement Award, September 2000

•President's Council on Integrity & Efficiency's Award for Excellence, September 2000