Larry Joe Doherty

Larry Joe Doherty or LJD (born July 29, 1946) is a Texas legal ethics attorney and former television star of the syndicated courtroom show Texas Justice.

Doherty received a J.D. (Juris Doctor) from the University of Houston in 1970.

He is a member of the Houston Bar Association and the State Bar of Texas.

Doherty is a senior partner in the Houston law firm Doherty, Long & Wagner.

Doherty specializes in legal malpractice cases.

Doherty is considered a pioneer in the field of legal malpractice, making a name for himself as the lawyer who sued other lawyers.

He built a highly successful practice holding other attorneys accountable for misrepresenting their clients.

As a senior partner in the law firm of Doherty, Long and Wagner, Larry Joe specialized in legal malpractice, because, as he explains, "people need to believe that the rule of law applies equally to everyone - and that no one, no matter how powerful, is beyond being held accountable for their actions."

Doherty and his wife Joanne have endowed a Chair on Ethics at the University of Houston Law Center.

Doherty starred in the show Texas Justice from 2001–2005.

The court show is currently in syndication.

Doherty judged cases in the show, making legally binding decisions.

The series lasted for 5 seasons, from March 26, 2001, until November 14, 2005.

It was officially cancelled in September 2005.

Doherty's style on the show drew a contrast with other TV court shows that emphasize conflict between parties.

Instead, Doherty was known for focusing on the root causes of the personal conflicts and emphasizing the importance of litigants to accept responsibility for their actions.

According to a piece in Slate by Virginia Heffernan, "In his questioning, he looks for signs of affection and agreement.... He orchestrates things so that each case imparts a small emotional lesson ("be kind," "lighten up")."

Doherty entered the race after McCaul's relatively low 2006 win percentage against Democratic opponent Ted Ankrum.

The district had been designed to be safe for Republicans, but the Austin Chronicle noted:

"Now, here we are five years down the road from Tom DeLay's infamous re-redistricting of Texas. DeLay is gone from Congress, disgraced. Nationally, voters swept the Republican 'permanence' away in 2006. Even DeLay's seat is now held by a Democrat, one of the very politicians whose career he tried to end. And here in Austin, another of those supposedly safe seats is under serious threat."

Doherty's challenge generated intense interest among Texas and national political observers, as a seat previously thought to be "safe Republican" looked increasingly competitive.

However, Doherty first had to survive the Democratic primary.

On April 4, 2007, Doherty announced his candidacy for the United States House of Representatives for the Tenth Congressional District of Texas, the seat currently held by Republican Michael McCaul.

He was the Democratic candidate for the 10th Congressional District of Texas in 2008, unsuccessfully challenging incumbent Republican Michael McCaul.

Born in Hillsboro, Texas, Doherty is married to Joanne Doherty.

Doherty decisively defeated primary challenger Dan Grant on the March 4, 2008 primary, with 61% to 39% out of 85,000 votes cast.

During the primary, Doherty was criticized by supporters of his primary opponent because his campaign treasurer, Houston philanthropist Jim "Mattress Mac" McIngvale, had participated in a fundraiser for Republican Mitt Romney's presidential campaign.

Doherty used the criticism as an opportunity to point out his political independence.

"I'm not going to be anybody's rubber stamp, and my treasurer is free to support anybody he wants to," Doherty said.

"This is an independent country, last time I checked."

Focusing on his own record in legal ethics, Doherty's critique of McCaul focused on the incumbent's association with former Republican Majority Leader Tom DeLay.

One mail piece highlighted McCaul's vote to change House ethics rules in a way that would have allegedly benefited DeLay.

Doherty's campaign also aired a television ad titled, "The Code," attempting to tie McCaul to the unfolding financial crisis by highlighting McCaul's Wall Street contributions and his vote against capping CEO salaries.

McCaul refused to face Doherty in a debate setting.

According to the Houston Chronicle, "McCaul, an Austin Republican representing the district that includes a chunk of northwest Harris County, steadfastly refuses to debate his Democratic opponent, a colorful lawyer who once served as judge on the TV series Texas Justice."

The Austin American Statesman provided three possible dates to McCaul's campaign, which were rejected.

Doherty and McCaul are believed to have only met once during the campaign, at a Houston Chronicle interview.

The Statesman later endorsed Doherty's candidacy, citing McCaul's refusal to debate.

Doherty's strong fundraising efforts and closing polling numbers elevated the race's national profile.

A 2009 commentary on Texas Justice states, "Judge Larry Joe's appeal lay in his accent, his double entendres, his ear for the rhythm of people's speech, his ability to rhyme on a dime, and the way he gently poked fun at the litigants. His lack of actual judicial experience might explain why ruling on the cases was not his strong suit."