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Biography
As a young man, Ray Brooks knew he wanted to be a trial lawyer. On summer brakes, he’d watch trials at the county courthouse. During recesses, he hounded lawyers with questions on how to do well in law school. They said get good grades and hone your writing skills, so he did just that. He attended Texas Wesleyan University where he took extra courses in English and Journalism. He became a staff writer for the college paper. Before long, the editors were asking him to write the lead stories. As a result, the University granted him the Guardian of the Golden Shear Award, which honors and recognizes students who influence the campus in terms of their academic achievements, leadership abilities, and all-round versatility. He continued to improve his writing skills and won the University’s short story contest two years in a row and graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1990.He received a partial scholarship to Texas Tech School of Law and began there in 1990. After his first year, he graded on to Law Review, an honor bestowed only upon the top 15 students. He continued to improve his writing skills and published a comment in the Law Review. A Proposed Change to Texas Contribution and Partial Settlement Laws, 24 Tx. Tech L. Rev. 891(1993). Due to his performance in school advocacy competitions, he was invited to become a member of the Board of Barrister’s in his second year, something not usually achieved by the few who do, until the third year. The Law School then granted him a full scholarship, and in his final semester, he won the Spring Moot Court Competition at Texas Tech.
After passing the bar exam in 1993, he immediately went to work for Robert Bean, P.C., in Garland Texas. Within one year, he was trying cases as first chair and won his first jury trial against a lawyer with much more experienced. He’s tried numerous cases dealing with contract disputes, negligence, malpractice, shareholder disputes, insurance coverage, consumer protection, wrongful death, work injuries, insurance bad faith, partnership disputes, and many different types of liability and tort claims. He has often surprised opposing counsel with his relentlessness. On several occasions, opposing parties have confessed to fault under his examination. He’s gotten defendants to admit to lying in front of the jury. In one case, he got a trial judge to sanction a party that had tried to deny liability initially, only to admit it after Mr. Brooks drew out the facts in his examination. When the defendant and her insurance company appealed, Mr. Brooks prevailed in the case of Peralta v. Durham, 133 S.W.3d 339 (Tex. App. Dallas 2004). That case is now widely cited by others when parties try to change positions at trial.
In 2006 he was admitted to the Washington State Bar and in 2007 to Montana. He is admitted to practice before the Federal Courts in the Northern and Eastern Districts of Texas, the Western District of Washington, and the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.