Fort Worth attorneys, both 100 years old, named Tarrant County’s first ‘Legal Legends’

Two long-time Fort Worth attorneys have been named Tarrant County “Legal Legends” in recognition of their significant contributions to the profession and the community.

Judge L. Clifford Davis, the first Black judge to be elected in Tarrant County, and Kleber Miller, an attorney who tried his last case at age 88, were honored by their colleagues at a Tarrant County Bar Association luncheon on Tuesday, Oct. 15.

Davis and Miller were previously inducted into Texas Legal Legends , but they are the first attorneys to be given this honor in Tarrant County, according to Scott Lindsey, the president of the local bar .

“They truly represent the absolute best of us, and it is really a pleasure to be able to honor them today,” Lindsey said.

Davis celebrated his 100th birthday on Oct. 12, and Miller on Aug. 11. Both men spent over 70 years in the legal profession.

Fort Worth criminal defense attorney MarQuetta Clayton called Davis a “living legend.” Clayton is a Democratic candidate for judge of Tarrant County’s Criminal District Court No. 2, the same court Davis was elected to in 1984 as the county’s first Black judge.

“It’s a full circle moment,” Clayton said.

Davis was born in Arkansas and received his law degree from Howard University Law School in 1949. He’d applied to the University of Arkansas but was denied admission due to segregation policies. He’s said that is what motivated him to become a lawyer .

After moving to Fort Worth in the 1950s, Davis filed a lawsuit to desegregate the Mansfield Independent School District, followed by the Fort Worth ISD.

Davis’ work to desegregate Texas schools made him a target for threats, but attorney Mike Heiskell told those who gathered for Tuesday’s luncheon that Davis always acted with dignity and courage. The cases he was involved in didn’t just impact our communities, Heiskell said, they changed them.

Miller was born in a small rural community near Austin. He served in the United States Navy during World War II and graduated from the University of Texas School of Law in 1951.

Miller moved to Fort Worth in the 1950s and is a founding partner of the law firm Shannon, Gracey, Ratliff, & Miller, LLP .

Colleagues describe him as “a humble man” and “real gentleman” who treated friends and opponents with equal courtesy. Over the course of his long career, he’s been heavily involved in both legal and community organizations, including the American Red Cross and the Rotary Club of Fort Worth.

Miller retired from law practice on his 98th birthday.