Long-time Exxon Mobil lawyer inducted into Warren E. Burger Society

Williamsburg, Va., Nov. 14, 2018 — Jack Balagia, Jr., the retired general counsel of Exxon Mobil Corporation, is being inducted into the National Center for State Courts’ Warren E. Burger Society.

The Burger Society honors individuals who have used their time, talent, and support to the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) in exceptional ways. It is named for the former chief justice of the United States who helped found NCSC in 1971. The induction ceremony takes place Nov. 15 in Washington, D.C.

Throughout his career, Balagia has been a leader in promoting improvement in the legal profession and in the state courts. He has co-chaired NCSC’s general counsel committee.  

After graduating from the University of Texas Law School and clerking for a U.S. district court judge, he joined the Austin, firm of McGinnis, Lochridge and Kilgore in 1977 and began representing Exxon.  He joined Exxon's litigation section in 1998 and served as its coordinator of upstream litigation until 2004, when he was named assistant general counsel.  In 2010, he became the company’s vice president and general counsel and served in that capacity until his retirement in November 2016.

Balagia has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America and has been named a “Texas Super Lawyer” by Texas Monthly magazine.  He has served as president of the University of Texas Law School Alumni Association Executive Committee and as a vice chair of the UT Law School Foundation Board. His civic contributions include board positions with the Salvation Army, the U.S. Chamber, the Houston Bar Foundation and committees of the State Bar of Texas.

The National Center for State Courts, headquartered in Williamsburg, Va., is a nonprofit court organization dedicated to improving the administration of justice by providing leadership and service to the state courts. Founded in 1971 by the Conference of Chief Justices and Chief Justice of the United States Warren E. Burger, NCSC provides education, training, technology, management, and research services to the nation’s state courts.