By K Smith Leonard
Placed in a position of prominence in the Spring Branch home of Judge Michael Landrum and his wife, Mary Grace, is a black and white photo taken of young Michael in cowboy hat and boots sitting alongside his more formally attired father, Dr. H.M. Landrum, on the sidelines of a Spring Branch basketball game in the mid-1950s.
The picture is a symbol of cherished lessons about service learned by observing their respective families in action. Mary Grace remembers conversations around the dinner table about the value of a good education and her family’s excitement whenever it was time for her grandfather, a 40-year school board member, to run for office. “That meant it was time for me to start hanging election flyers on my Ohio neighbors’ doors,” she laughed.
For Judge Landrum, memories revolve around sports where his dad was a sidelines fixture. In addition to official school administration duties, Dr. Landrum was the volunteer announcer for the Spring Branch Bears calling touchdowns, interceptions and everything else that happened on the gridiron. He also remembers his parents’ role as founding members of Chapelwood United Methodist Church and his mother’s leadership as Sunday School superintendent. “It didn’t matter where you went to church, everyone attended Friday night football. That’s what brought the community together,” Judge Landrum remembers.
The judge’s public service commitment extends far beyond the bench and often has an educational component: mentoring young lawyers, educating people about the importance of civic duties such as voting and jury service, judging moot court and mock trial sessions at local law schools, and providing volunteer legal counsel for a school that serves children with special needs. He also fondly recalls home restoration efforts alongside his son Mathew as part of a Memorial High School volunteer group. Life-long learning is equally important to Mary Grace. She’s volunteered on numerous non-profit boards, was elected three times as a Spring Branch ISD Trustee, and is serving as a three-time gubernatorial appointee to the Texas Service Commission. In 2012, Franciscan University recognized her as Outstanding Alumna in Education and, in 2019, America’s Service Commissions named her U.S. Commissioner of the Year.
Throughout their 37-year marriage, this couple has made a powerful team. “I’m so proud of what Michael has accomplished as a judge,” Mary Grace said. “He is a man of integrity and fairness. “Members of the Houston Bar Association rated him among the best civil district judges in Harris County,” she added. “Their evaluation considers the important judicial attributes of legal knowledge, impartiality, thorough preparation, decisiveness, ethics and efficiency.”
“It is my goal to give everyone who appears before me my respect and full attention,” Judge Landrum said. “I treat each case as the most important case out there because to those participating, it is.”
