Ron Clark was sworn in as United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Texas on 11/22/2002. He served as Chief Judge from 1/1/2015 to 2/28/2018 when he took Senior status. One of fewer than 100 attorneys certified in Civil Trial Law and in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, he spent twenty-three years trying cases and as appellate counsel in state and federal courts. During that time he also served three terms in the Texas House of Representatives. He authored the Texas Municipal Law and Procedure Manual, 2d, 3d, and 4^th editions, and was a contributor to Rayburn on Condemnation (1990).

Judge Clark holds a J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law, where he was Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Criminal Law. He is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Connecticut, where he received a B.A. in Economics with High Honors and an M.A. in Economics. After graduating from the Army Airborne and Ranger schools, he served as a platoon leader and then as tank company executive officer in the 2^nd Armored Division.