Federal Magistrate Judge Christine Stetson

U.S. Magistrate Judge, Eastern District of Texas, Beaumont and Lufkin Divisions.

Sept. ’21 – present:     U.S. Magistrate Judge, Eastern District of Texas, Beaumont and Lufkin Divisions.

Aug. ’11 – Sept. “21   The Bernsen Law Firm.  Primary areas of practice include commercial litigation, contract disputes, civil rights litigation, consumer litigation and general personal injury litigation.

July ’00 – Feb. ’06  Germer Gertz, LLP, Beaumont, Texas.  Partner with primary areas of practice in commercial litigation including securities litigation; legal malpractice; defense of other professionals such as insurance agents; 20065construction litigation; general business disputes, and lease disputes.  At this time, practice also evolved into some personal injury work involving primarily railroads and some mass tort work in pharmaceuticals.

Mar. '99 – July ‘00:    Gardere & Wynne, L.L.P, Dallas, Texas. Primary area of practice was broad range commercial litigation including securities litigation; legal malpractice; defense of other professionals such as insurance agents; construction litigation; general business disputes, and lease disputes..

Nov. '93 - Mar.' 99: Vial, Hamilton, Koch & Knox, L.L.P., Dallas, Texas. Primary area of practice was a broad range commercial litigation involving the defense of professionals such as broker/dealers, insurance agents and adjusters, accountants, agents, contractors, and real estate agents; insurance coverage, environmental litigation, securities fraud; lease disputes; commercial and consumer collections; breach of contract actions; bad faith cases; oil and gas litigation, and declaratory judgment actions.

Sept. '92 - Nov. '93:    Bickel & Brewer, Dallas, Texas. Primary area of practice was general commercial litigation including involvement in complex litigation between national hospital corporation and a university.

Education

May '92: Albany Law School of Union University, Albany, New York. Juris doctorate, cum laude; Associate Editor Albany Law Review; Member of Moot Court team specializing in corporate law and participant in Widener University National Competition; Semifinalist Albany Law School Senior Prize Trials. May '89: State University of New York at Binghamton, Binghamton, New York. Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude.

Professional activities and associations

  • State Bar of Texas, 1992

  • New York State Bar, 1993

  • United States District Courts for the Northern, Southern, Western and Eastern Districts of Texas

  • Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals

  • U.S. Court of Federal Claims

  • U.S. Supreme Court

  • Jefferson County Bar Association

    • Director: 2023-2025

  • Litigation Council, Litigation Section of State Bar of Texas

Articles and Presentations:

“Setting the Standard,” ABOTA Women’s Leadership Summit, Panelist, Beaver Creek, Colorado, June, 2025.

“Scoring Big in Mediation,” Eastern District of Texas Bench/Bar, Panel Discussion, October, 2024.

“Common Pitfalls Post-Removal to Federal Court,” Advanced Personal Injury, TexasBarCLE, September, 2023.

“Examination of Snap Removal:  when and by whom is it appropriate under current case law,” News for the Bar, Spring, 2022.

“Elements of Police Excessive Force Cases,” Advanced Personal Injury, TexasBarCLE, July, 2021.

“This is What Trial Lawyers Do,” Jefferson County Bar Association, February 26, 2021;

“Premises Liability Update,” Litigation Update, Litigation Section of State Bar of Texas, January 22, 2021;

“Trial Tactics that Should Go the Way of the Dinosaurs,” Litigation Section CLE, Annual Meeting State Bar of Texas, June 25, 2020; moderator;

“Prisoner’s Rights and Wrongful Death:  Montano v. Orange County,” Current Appellate Issues CLE, Jefferson County Bar Association, March 31, 2017;

"Sanctions in Texas Courts," delivered to the Vial, Hamilton, Koch, and Knox, L.L.P. Insurance Symposium, August 20, 1998;

"Bad Faith Update," delivered to the Vial, Hamilton, Koch, and Knox, L.L.P. Insurance Symposium, August 22, 1996

"Duty to Defend and Reservation of Rights," delivered to the University of Houston School of Law's Advance d DTPA/Insurance/Consumer Law Course, San Antonio, Texas May 31, 1996;

 "DTPA Basics", presented to Vial, Hamilton, Koch, and Knox, L.L.P. Associate Training March 7, 1995; co-author;

"The Modern Stowers Doctrine in Light of APIE v. Garcia," delivered to the fourth Annual Vial, Hamilton, Koch, and Knox, L.L.P. Insurance Symposium, August 18, 1994; co-author, and

"Construction Claims under the DTPA and Residential Construction Liability Act," delivered to the Seventh Annual Construction Law Conference at the University of Texas School of Law, February, 1994; co-author.