John R. Norris

Overview Johns trust and estate practice is focused on helping families. John has provided private wealth services to clients since the mid-1980s, when he first began to handle trust and estate litigation as a young attorney. He cut his teeth on estate administration as well and went on to build a 40-year career in the field with the same boutique probate litigation firm in Dallas. From the beginning, John was fascinated by the complexity of probate law and the unique situations each estate presented, and he loved knowing that his work helped families in the midst of difficult circumstances. In recent years, Johns practice has shifted from trust and estate litigation to a majority focus on estate administration, with John often serving as a court appointed administrator. He continues to oversee associates cases and trials and is particularly knowledgeable about guardianship matters, including seeking, establishing, contesting, and administering guardianships, as well as contested estate matters, such as common law spouse claims, disputed heirship claims, trustee community property issues, and the defense of executors and administrators. John and his colleagues joined Husch Blackwell in 2023 in order to offer more administrative support and greater legal resources to clients. After four decades of experience, John knows probate law backwards and forwards, and theres very little he hasnt seen. Clients respect his honesty and his reputation as a straight shooter who clearly explains their legal situations. However, John is perhaps most known for his devotion to helping clients: he has long seen the heart of practice as simply helping people and their families. Industry Financial Services & Capital Markets Services Private Wealth Trust, Estate, & Fiduciary Litigation Recognition Thomson Reuters Texas Super Lawyers, 2003-2023 BL Rankings The Best Lawyers In America , 1997-2026 Litigation - Trusts and Estates, 2011-2026 Dallas Bar Association Probate, Trusts & Estates Section Lifetime Achievement Award, 2021 Dallas Bar Association Probate, Trusts & Estates Section, Nikki DeSazo & Pro Bono Award, 2015 Judge William W. Treat Award of Excellence, 2020, National College of Probate Judges Education J. D., Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law B. B. A., University of Texas Admissions Texas Professional Memberships and Certifications Board Certified, Estate Planning and Probate Law - Texas Board of Legal Specialization American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, Fellow Dallas Bar Association; Probate, Trusts & Estates Section State Bar of Texas Texas Bar Foundation, Fellow Dallas Bar Foundation, Fellow Senior Citizens of Greater Dallas Volunteer Guardianship Program, Advisory Committee Chairperson, 1998-present Certified by the State Bar of Texas to serve as Ad Litem in Guardianship Proceedings