Former First Texas Court of Appeals Judge Jane Bland has returned to the private practice of law, joining Vinson & Elkins in Houston.

Bland, who joined the firm Monday as a partner in its appellate practice, is one of many Republican appeals court candidates in Texas who lost a re-election bid last November. She served on the Houston appeals court for 15 years, beginning in 2003, and as a state district judge in Houston for six years before that. Prior to her time on the bench, Bland practiced at Baker Botts in Houston.