Judge Joe Spurlock II, a longtime legal presence in Tarrant County and a founding faculty member of Texas A&M School of Law, has died.
Texas A&M University School of Law issued a statement mourning the passing of Judge Joe Spurlock II, senior professor of law and director of the Asian Judicial Institute.
By the time he joined the faculty, Judge Spurlock had already spent years in private practice and served as an assistant criminal district attorney, a member of the Texas Legislature, a trial court judge and an appellate justice.
“Judge Spurlock was my first mentor in my law career 19 years ago,” commented colleague Lynn Rodriguez. “I would always reach out to him and he would give the best advice. He was funny, intelligent, kind and the best professor. I love him. I am beyond sad right now.”
Judge Spurlock was the son of Clarice Spurlock, the first woman elected to the Fort Worth City Council in 1953. His grandfather, Sheriff Joe G. Spurlock of Throckmorton County, Texas, died in 1910, two days after being shot while attempting to serve a warrant. His father, Joe C. Spurlock, was a trial and appellate court judge who helped create the Texas Trial Lawyers Association. Otis Rogers, his great-uncle, was a Fort Worth attorney, as is his brother Dean Spurlock.
Outside of his roles as a professor, judge, lawyer and civic advisor, Judge Spurlock has served in other capacities as well. He was a Boy Scout Master and District Chairman, Council committee member and regional representative for the Boy Scouts of America. In the U.S. Army, he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his service in Vietnam. He is active in his church, where he taught adult Sunday school for many years.
A 1960 economics graduate of Texas A&M University and a member of the Corps of Cadets, Judge Spurlock received his J.D. from the University of Texas and his LL.M. in Judicial Process from the University of Virginia.
Story edited from Texas A&M Law School news release. This story will be updated.
For more on Joe Spurlock:
https://law.tamu.edu/faculty-staff/find-people/faculty-profiles/joe-spurlock-ii