Melody Wilkinson has served as judge of the 17th District Court since 2009 and has earned a reputation as a thoughtful conservative judge who impartially interprets and applies the law. Her courtroom is also known to be one that operates quickly and efficiently for litigants and jurors alike.

Judge Wilkinson has always been deeply committed to contributing to the legal community in Tarrant County and beyond. As such, she has served in numerous legal community leadership roles over the past 30 years, including President of the Fort Worth-Tarrant County Young Lawyers Association, President of the Texas Young Lawyers Association, President of the Tarrant County Bar Association, Board Member of the State Bar of Texas, President of the Texas Association of District Judges, and is a Life Fellow in the American Bar Association.

Prior to her being elected to the bench, she began her legal career with the respected Fort Worth firm of Cantey & Hanger, where her practice focused primarily business and general litigation and labor/employment law. She later opened and managed Fort Worth offices for two other law firms specializing in product liability defense and a variety of general litigation matters.

Judge Wilkinson has also been actively involved in her local community as a volunteer for such diverse organizations as Easter Seals of North Texas, United Cerebral Palsy of Tarrant County, the Sports Advisory Council of the City of Fort Worth, and Metropolitan YMCA of Fort Worth. She has also served on the Deans Advisory Council for both our local law schools: Texas Wesleyan School of Law and Texas A&M School of Law. 

A Tarrant County native, Judge Wilkinson graduated from Angelo State University and Texas Tech University School of Law. She has three adult children-one son and twin daughters, and is a member of St. Andrew Catholic Church.