Chapa Reelected to State Association Board

Justin Chapa of Arlington ISD has been reelected to a three-year term on the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) Board of Directors, representing TASB Region 11, Position C. Chapa was also elected to serve as first vice-president. The election was held during the Association’s 2026 Delegate Assembly.  

Chapa has served on the Arlington ISD Board of Trustees since 2017. He previously served on the district’s Financial Futures, Citizens Bond Oversight, and Capital Needs steering committees.

A first-generation college student, he spent his undergraduate years at Harvard University, earning a bachelor’s in government with honors. Upon graduating, he joined Teach for America and taught 12th grade government and economics classes at Rivera High School in Brownsville, Texas. He then pursued his Juris Doctorate at Stanford Law School, where he concurrently earned a master’s in education.

Chapa practices law as a senior attorney at McDowell Hetherington LLP, focusing on complex civil litigation and appeals. He previously clerked for Judge Catharina Haynes of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and Judge David Godbey of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas. Chapa has been named a “Texas Rising Star” by Super Lawyers, a “Best Lawyer Under 40” by D Magazine, and a “Top Attorney” by 360West.

Chapa co-founded a scholarship program for graduating seniors at his alma mater, Sam Houston High School. The program has awarded more than $50,000 in scholarships since 2007. He has served on the boards of United Way Tarrant County, Arlington ISD Education Foundation, Arlington Public Library Foundation, and Leadership Arlington, among other groups.