U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Ronald B. King of the Western District of Texas has been selected to receive the prestigious 2026 American Inns of Court Bankruptcy Distinguished Service Award, which recognizes a judge or attorney specializing in bankruptcy law who has exhibited ongoing dedication to the highest standards of the legal profession, the rule of law, and personal ethics and integrity. King will receive the award at the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges in San Diego in October.
“Having served on the bench for an astonishing tenure of over 37 years—the longest-tenured bankruptcy judge in the history of Texas—Judge King has had ample opportunities to mentor young attorneys and adults, to promote throughout our society ideals of civility, professionalism, and excellence in the administration of justice,” writes Jay H. Ong, then president of the Hon. Larry E. Kelly Bankruptcy American Inn of Court and former managing shareholder at Munsch Hardt, Kopf & Harr P.C. in Austin, who nominated King for the award. “I wholeheartedly state from my own personal experience that he has consistently maximized those opportunities.”
King has been a U.S. bankruptcy judge for the Western District of Texas since 1988 and served as chief U.S. bankruptcy judge from 2006 to 2021. Although he officially retired in 2021, he still helps his Western District colleagues with their caseloads by serving as a recall judge. Earlier in his career, King spent a decade handling complex business litigation as a shareholder at Foster, Lewis, Langley, Gardner & Banack Inc.
King has been committed to the American Inns of Court movement. He was a founding member and the inaugural president of the Honorable Larry E. Kelly Bankruptcy American Inn of Court and is still an active member of the Inn’s executive committee. He is also director of the San Antonio Federal Bar Association. King is also renowned for his volunteer work beyond the legal community, including leading public-school activities and organizations, serving as an instructor for a financial literacy program for high school students, and being a board member of the Alamo Volleyball Association.
King earned a magna cum laude undergraduate degree in political science from Southern Methodist University in 1974, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. In 1977, he earned a magna cum laude law degree from the University of Texas School of Law, where he was a member of the Order of the Coif.
The American Inns of Court, headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, inspires the legal community to advance the rule of law by achieving the highest level of professionalism through example, education, and mentoring. The organization’s membership includes nearly 30,000 federal, state, and local judges; lawyers; law professors; and law students in more than 360 chapters nationwide. More information is available at www.innsofcourt.org.
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