After an easy nomination process, Robert Pitman made Texas history on Dec. 16 when he was confirmed by the U.S. Senate, making him the state’s first openly gay U.S. district judge. Shortly after that confirmation vote, Pitman spoke with Texas Lawyer senior reporter John Council about being a first, how he won the confidence of Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz and why he’ll be sitting in both the San Antonio and Austin federal courthouses for the foreseeable future.
John Council: Congratulations on your recent confirmation. The fact that you are now Texas’ first openly gay federal judge has been mentioned repeatedly in news stories. However, I’ve never heard you speak about this. What do you make of making history?
