Meet Judge Carter
Judge Eric William Carter, a native Houstonian, graduated from Strake Jesuit. He earned a B.A. in Political Science from The University of Texas and completed U.T.’s Business Foundations Program. Eric received his Juris Doctorate from the South Texas College of Law. Eric wed Dr. Lauren K. Shepard, a Board Certified Pediatrician from Sugar Land, Texas, in 2015. The couple have two children: Theodore and June. The family lives in the Houston Heights with their pet, Dylan the Cat. Eric is the youngest son of Eric G. Carter, a trial lawyer, and Rev. Dr. Suzan Orr Carter. His brother, Kyle Carter, currently presides over the 125th Civil District Court of Harris County, Texas.
Public and Private Sector Legal Experience
While in college, he served as Legislative Aide to a former Texas State Representative and clerked for the House Committee on General Investigating and Ethics.
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Eric is currently a named partner of The Carter Law Firm. He began his legal career by jointly managing a docket of 4000+ cases and trying hundreds of Medical Fee Dispute Resolution cases before the State Office of Administrative Hearings in Austin, Texas. He went on to build his litigation practice by assisting individuals, families and small businesses manage various types of disputes. His practice takes him to various courts, including Justice Courts, State and Federal District Courts, and State Appellate Courts. Eric’s cases cover commercial and business litigation, fraud and negligence actions, contractual disputes, personal and business torts, federal SEC regulations, real estate transactions, landlord/tenant actions, and more.
His experience includes representing both plaintiffs and defendants. The cases he finds especially gratifying are his appointments as Guardian Ad Litem. Entrusted to act as an agent of the State District Courts, he is committed to work for the benefit of injured children in Harris County. Judge Carter was first elected to Justice of the Peace in 2016.
Focused on Community
Community service, for Eric, began at an early age. He worked with his parents, volunteering through his local church, to repair flood-damaged homes. As a teenage member of the Amigos de las Américas — a community health-promotion program serving Central and South America — he travelled to La Maravilla, Costa Rica, to work for two months. For his efforts, he received a Presidential Student Service Award from President Bill Clinton. He is a former member of the Board of Directors of Wesley Community Center, a center with the mission of "helping people help themselves and each other" in the Near Northside, Houston. As a Freemason and a member of the Arabia Shrine Temple, he remains dedicated to those who need help the most: injured children.
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With his brother, District Judge Kyle Carter, he participates in a judicial outreach program called Judges at Work in Schools (JAWS), which is designed to bring the courtroom to the classroom and educate Houston’s youth about the judicial system. Eric continues to work for the Houston community. As Justice of the Peace, Judge Eric William Carter started Judge Carter’s Teen Court, designed to educate our youth regarding the criminal justice system.
Judge Carter's Teen Court
Every semester, Judge Carter hosts Judge Carter's Teen Court. Our program draws student participants from HISD and Aldine ISD, plus administrators, parents, and volunteers from all over Harris County. This extraordinary group comes together to adjudicate real cases involving real teens while learning about the justice system in the process.
Judge Carter's Teen Court works like this:
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First, we start with a real teen's real case, pending in Harris County Justice of the Peace - Precinct 1, Place 1. This teen volunteers their case to be adjudicated by teen peers in the community. The peers take on the role of prosecution, defense, jury and even bailiff and, with the guidance of legal professionals, learn about these various legal careers while adjudicating this real case.
The Teen Jury then deliberates and is responsible for returning a punishment. Punishment often comes in the form of further community service or other responsibility-building exercises. Judge Carter's Teen Court is designed to bridge the gap between the classroom and the courtroom and provide insight into the workings of the judicial system. The hope is, through this program, the participants learn a little about the criminal justice system and about the legal careers operating in a courtroom setting. Most importantly, all the teen participants get to experience the Court in a constructive, positive way.
Keep an eye out for the next session of Judge Carter's Teen Court!
Interested in supporting this amazing program? Help us here!
Election 2028
Election information will be updated as soon as it becomes available.
Political Advertising paid for by the Eric William Carter Campaign, Dr. Lauren K. Shepard, Treasurer.