About Richard Mithoff

Richard Warren Mithoff has been described by the National Law Journal as “one of the nation’s highest profile litigators,” and the Texas Lawyer, noting his “impressive trial record,” has described his approach to the law as “magic.

A native of Lufkin and reared in El Paso, Mr. Mithoff attended the University of Texas at Austin, majoring in business administration. After graduating in 1968, he enrolled in the UT Law School, graduating in 1971. He was Project Editor of the Texas Law Review in his final year at UT. Following graduation, he clerked for U.S. District Judge William Wayne Justice. In 1974, he went into practice with legendary trial attorney Joe Jamail with the firm that later became Jamail, Kolius & Mithoff. In 1984 he established the Mithoff Law Firm.

Mr. Mithoff has endowed a series of scholarships at his alma mater, the University of Texas at Austin, including a Presidential Scholarship in law for educationally, socially and culturally disadvantaged students at the UT Law School, a Presidential Scholarship for disabled students at UT Business School and an endowed professorship in neonatal/perinatal medicine at the UT School of Medicine. The UT Medical School endowment funded community outreach perinatal centers, as well as the Life Flight program to bring injured babies quickly from outlying community hospitals to major medical centers.

In 2014 The University of Texas School of Law renamed its pro bono center the Richard and Ginni Mithoff Pro Bono Center, following a total of $2 million in donations from the Mithoffs. In 2015 the UT School of Law presented him with the Leon Green Award for outstanding contributions to the legal profession. Former Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court Tom Phillips introduced him at that event.

Active in State Bar committees and Continuing Legal Education, Mr. Mithoff has served on the Supreme Court of Texas Committee on Judicial Appointments, on the State Bar of Texas Committee on Pattern Jury Charges, and as Special Assistant Disciplinary Counsel to the Texas Commission for Lawyer Discipline. He has also been a guest speaker at many seminars on a variety of topics throughout the country. He has served as president of the Houston Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates and president of the Houston Trial Lawyers.

In 1997, Mr. Mithoff was awarded the Jurisprudence Award by the Anti-Defamation League in recognition of his “immense talents, persuasive ability, and energy to fight for the principles enshrined in the Constitution and the League’s mission–justice and fair treatment for all.”

Richard and Ginni Mithoff were awarded the first “Ben Taub Humanitarian Award” by Harris County Hospital District Foundation in 2000 in recognition of their philanthropic endeavors as exemplified by the “generosity, interest and advocacy for health care” of the late Ben Taub. The hospital district named its world-class trauma center the Ginni and Richard Mithoff Trauma Center at the Ben Taub Hospital in 2007.

In 2014 the couple was honored at the 24th Annual Children’s Scholarship Ball, benefiting the Irvin Kaplan Children’s Scholarship Fund at the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center.

They were selected as Honorees at the “Children at Risk Accolades” luncheon in 2002 for their “continuous commitment and service to the children of Houston” and were honored by County Judge Robert Eckels and the Harris County Commissioners Court with a proclamation that Wednesday, October 2, 2003, be Ginni and Richard Mithoff and Children at Risk Day, in recognition of their efforts “making a positive difference in the lives of the children of our community.” The couple was honored in 2003 with the “Samaritan Spirit Award” in recognition of their “significant contributions to human health and growth” and in 2007 by Family Services of Greater Houston as the “2007 Family of the Year.”

In 2008, Texas Appleseed presented Mr. Mithoff with the J. Chrys Dougherty “Good Apple Award” for his lifetime commitment to justice and his pursuit of diversity and highest standards for the legal profession. A video presentation was created for this event.

In 2006 the Texas Bar Foundation awarded him the Ronald D. Secrest “Outstanding Trial Lawyer of the Year.”

In 2010, Mr. Mithoff was awarded the “Clarence Darrow Award” by the Harris County Democratic Lawyers Association.

In 2012 Richard and Ginni Mithoff were given the “Amazing Grace Award” by Childbuilders, for their commitment to working with children and families.

In 2016 Texas Watch – a non-partisan citizen advocacy organization dedicated to ensuring that corporations and insurance companies are accountable to their customers – named him the 2016 Champion of Justice.

In 2017, Access to Justice honored Mr. Mithoff for setting up the Joe Jamail Endowment for legal services for veterans. He was honored by Texas Supreme Court Justice Nathan Hecht.

In 2018 The University of Texas School of Law honored Mr. Mithoff with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Mr. Mithoff enjoys skiing and mountain climbing. His summits have included Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa and the Grand Teton in Wyoming, as well as numerous climbs in Patagonia (South America), the Pyrenees (Spain), Mont Blanc range (France), Drakensberg range (South Africa), and numerous rock climbs in Wyoming and Colorado. He and his wife, Ginni, have two grown children, Michael and Caroline, and five grandchildren: Mia, daughter of Michael and his wife, Melissa and their twin sons, Max and Matthew, and Isabella and Alex, children of Caroline Mithoff and her husband Scott Perez.