(Note: I am running a series of Q&As for judicial candidates in contested Democratic primaries. There are a lot of judicial races on the ballot in Harris County this election, and so this is intended to help introduce the candidates and their experiences to those who plan to vote in March. I am running these responses in the order that I receive them from the candidates. I will also be conducting some in-person interviews of candidates who will be involved in contested primaries for non-judicial offices. Please see my 2010 Election page for a full list of Q&As and interviews.)
1. Who are you and what are you running for?
My name is Michael J. Skadden. I am seeking the office of Judge of Probate Court No. 2 of Harris County, and will run in the Democratic primary of March 2, 2010. This is a countywide office, and thus I seek support from every resident and voter of Harris County. I am running because I hope to modernize the court and make it more user friendly to the citizens of our county. There is no reason why the probating of a will should be the rather difficult and sometimes very expensive experience it is now for many. In the case of disputes that lead to litigation, I intend to preside over proceedings that are fair and where the opponents are respectful of the law and of each other.
I’m a third generation Houstonian, and got an M.A. in Spanish from Rice University in 1977. I subsequently got a Ph.D. in Spanish from the University of Texas at Austin (1984) and my law degree from the University of Texas School of Law in 1986. Again, you can check out my other associations and memberships, and a great deal more about my practice at my website www.michaelskadden.com. My campaign website is www.skaddenforjudge.org. Both are in English and Spanish.
2. What kind of cases does this court hear?
The probate courts are countywide courts that hear cases related to probate and estate matters, i.e., those that relate to wills and succession. However, the court has also an important administrative component as regards estates and other financial matters related to successions.
3. Why am you running for this particular bench?
There are only four probate courts in Harris County. Any of them would be a good platform from which to reform the courts and make them more user-friendly. As an experienced probate attorney, I naturally am interested in the administration of the probate courts. The court filing and files systems are badly in need of modernization. As a judge this task would be a priority.
4. What are your qualifications for this job?
I have been practicing and lecturing on probate law for almost twenty years now, specializing in international probate. This requires a through understanding of how our probate system works, because it includes explaining in legal opinions to foreign courts precisely how our probate system does work. It also offers insight into the workings of foreign probate procedures and law. I was also a member of the committee that looked into the possibilities of creating a collaborative probate procedure for Harris County, and have been a member of the Probate Section of the Houston Bar Association for years. Furthermore, I have extensive administrative experience with profit and non-profit corporations, advising as well as running them.
5. Why is this race important?
No one can avoid death or taxes! Most citizens at some time will have to deal with probate, estate and succession matters, and hence with the probate court. We want the judges in these positions to serve the interests of the people and justice.
6. Why should people vote for you in the primary?
As a longtime civil rights and human rights lawyer I probably have a better understanding of the ordinary person’s concerns as regards the administration of justice. As a trilingual person (Spanish and French) who has lived abroad, I’m very sensitive to the cultural characteristics of the very diverse populations of our county. As a corporate lawyer for both profit –especially software companies- and non-profit corporations, I have the administrative experience to run an entity competently, and am very familiar with the modernization of information systems, which the probate courts sorely need.
I’m a long time Democratic activist, including chairing precinct caucuses, and attending as a delegate several state, county and district conventions. I am a Board Member of the Harris County Democratic Lawyers Association.
I’m an experienced candidate, as I ran for the old House District #134 in 2000 when it was difficult to run as a Democrat in Harris County. While I didn’t win, I did poll more than 15,000 votes and received 41.5% of the turnout in what is largely a Republican district. I proved a Democratic candidacy was competitive in this former district, and I believe it is now in Harris County as a whole, and that as a candidate I can draw votes from a very diverse electorate. I hope you are one of them!