Jonathan Buck

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Jonathan is a trial lawyer and creative problem-solver with more than 20 years of experience serving the Austin community. Leaning into his experience as a law clerk to a federal judge and counsel at top national and regional firms, he uses his diverse skill set to guide the firm’s clients in a broad array of practice areas and industries.

For a decade, Jonathan dedicated the lion’s share of his practice to serving Austin's most vulnerable communities as counsel for Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas (VLS). At VLS, he guided a team of 300+ pro bono lawyers handling cases involving real estate, consumer, employment, licensing, foreclosure, debt, bankruptcy, torts, public benefits, criminal justice, and nearly every type of issue impacting hard-working Austin families struggling to catch up with Austin’s ever-rising cost of living.

Before VLS, Jonathan worked as senior counsel in Kelly Hart & Hallman’s Austin office, where he practiced in the firm’ s litigation and environmental law practice groups. He handled broad scope litigation matters for national banks, tech companies, real estate developers, oil & gas operators, and many other global and regional businesses. At Kelly Hart, Jonathan served on a trial team that won a take nothing jury verdict for a global oilfield services company in a toxic tort case in which the plaintiffs asked the jury to award more than $100M dollars. As an associate at Haynes Boone, he handled business litigation matters including construction, real estate, securities fraud, and products liability.

Jonathan graduated with honors from the University of Texas Law School in 2001 and was recognized three times as a “Rising Star” in business litigation by Texas Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters). 

Professional Licenses

• Texas state courts
• U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas
• U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Western District of Texas
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas
• U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas
• U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas (Inactive)
• U.S Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims

Federal Clerkship

Law Clerk, Hon. David Hittner, United States District Judge, Southern District of Texas, 2004.

Honors

• Named a Texas Rising Star in the field of business litigation by Super Lawyers® (2006, 2010 and 2011)
• Barrister Member, Lloyd Lochridge American Inn of Court, 2019-2022
• Associate Member, Lloyd Lochridge American Inn of Court, 2010-2011
• Associate Member, Robert W. Calvert American Inn of Court, 2005-2009

Community Leadership

• Team Leader, Capital Area AIDS Legal Project, Hill Country Ride for AIDS, 2016-2019
• Board of Directors, Austin Bar Association, Civil Litigation Section, 2011-2015
• Board of Directors, Texas Advocacy Project, 2003-2007 
• Vice Chair, TYLA Law Focused Education Committee, 2004-2005
• Vice Chair, AYLA VoTexas Committee, 2004-2005
• United Way Young Leaders Society, 2001-2005
• Volunteer, AYLA Martin Middle School Mentor Program, 2004-2005
• Volunteer Advisory Attorney, University of Texas Domestic Violence Clinic, 2005-2010
• Volunteer Attorney, VLS, 2001-2012

Education: 

• 2001 – J.D., with honors, The University of Texas School of Law
• 1996 – B.A., Colorado College