Christian Rice focuses on appellate litigation in both federal and state forums. He has represented clients before the U.S. Supreme Court, the Texas Supreme Court, and federal and state intermediate courts of appeals. Christian has experience in trial litigation, from drafting or answering complaints through trial preparation. He has also served as first- or second-chair in nearly 30 administrative hearings and drafted roughly 50 merits briefs in proceedings before administrative law judges and executive agencies. In this capacity, Christian has conducted dozens of cross-examinations.
Christian served as a law clerk for Judge Patrick E. Higginbotham on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. During his clerkship, the Fifth Circuit awarded him the Clerk of Court’s Challenge Coin for identifying a Fifth Circuit Internal Operating Procedure that failed to comply with the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure. Chief Judge Elrod recognized him as “an eagle-eyed law clerk” and thanked him for “his excellent help to the court.” He is the only law clerk in Judge Higginbotham’s 50-year tenure on the bench to receive this distinction.
Before becoming a lawyer, Christian worked on transportation and environmental policy for a congressional committee and a national trade association, educating members of Congress and federal executive branch officials on a wide range of issues, including Federal Aviation Administration drone regulations, Environmental Protection Agency regulations, and federal research and development appropriations.
Concentrations
• Appellate Briefing
• Dispositive and Other Critical Motions
• Embedded Appellate Counsel
Experience
Government Experience
• Policy Staff, U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology 2014-2016
Judicial Clerkships
• Hon. Patrick E. Higginbotham, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
