About Member
Jud Woodley is a Board Certified Criminal Defense lawyer. Although Jud is a specialist in criminal law, his practice includes representing people in family law matters and select personal injury matters, as well. He keeps things fresh by taking a break from criminal cases once in a while to take on a divorce case, a child custody case, or a car wreck case. Jud was born in Brownwood, Texas, and raised in Comanche, Texas. Jud's father, Keith Woodley, is an attorney who has represented people in serious legal matters all over the State of Texas since 1972. Jud became a lawyer because he was inspired by how people would go to Keith for help when they were in serious trouble or when their family was in disarray. Through a combination of talent and loyalty, Keith could help people find relief from problems that were overwhelming them. Jud was a late bloomer academically. During high school, Jud played football and had fun without attaching much importance to education. That all changed when he enrolled at Tarleton State University and took a class in World History taught by the late Chris Guthrie, PhD. Dr. Guthrie was a master story teller and a brilliant historian. Dr. Guthrie was the second person, after Jud's dad, who inspired him intellectually. Jud often says his goal was to read every book Dr. Guthrie had read. He decided to major in History, started reading voraciously, and made straight "A"s in every class from that point on. Jud was fortunate to be admitted to Texas Tech Law School in 2001 and graduated in 2004. Because Jud made good grades in law school, he was recruited and hired by a large civil defense law firm in Dallas, Texas. He spent his first year as a lawyer at Cowles & Thompson in Dallas but was a fish out of water in the big city. He decided to return to the Comanche and Brownwood area to practice law with his father. Keith threw Jud in the courtroom trying criminal cases immediately. Keith believed the best way to learn was by doing. Jud would try any criminal case anywhere, which took him to a lot of different courtrooms over the years. Jud tried so many jury trials that he became very, very good at it. Today, there is not a lawyer in the Comanche and Brownwood area that has a more natural rapport with a jury than Jud. He is good with juries because he respects them, trusts them, and believes in them to arrive at just verdicts. Jud relishes a jury trial and works tirelessly to be ready to try his case when the Judge calls the jury in to begin trial.