Sam Allen Lindsay (born October 16, 1951) is an American attorney who serves as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, with chambers in Dallas, Texas.

Early life and education

Lindsay was born in San Antonio, Texas and raised in South Texas. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Government from St. Mary’s University in 1974, graduating magna cum laude. In 1977, he earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Texas School of Law in Austin.

Career

After graduating from law school, Lindsay served as a staff attorney for the Texas Aeronautics Commission from 1977 to 1979. In 1979, he joined the Dallas City Attorney's office, where he progressed through various posts until being named City Attorney in 1992. He was the head of the Federal Litigation Section from 1979 to 1986, a Chief of litigation division/executive assistant city attorney from 1986 to 1990, a first assistant city attorney from 1990 to 1991, an Acting city attorney in 1991, and finally a City Attorney from 1992 to 1998.

Federal judicial service

On November 8, 1997, Lindsay was nominated by President Bill Clinton to be a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, to a new seat created by 104 Stat. 5089. He was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate on March 11, 1998, and received commission on March 17, 1998. Lindsay was the first African American to serve on the federal District Court in Dallas.

Notable cases

Lindsay is a Trustee of The Center for American and International Law. CAIL trains law enforcement officers, including FBI personnel.

Personal life

Lindsay's daughter, Rachel Lindsay, is an attorney and television personality who first appeared as a contestant on The Bachelor, coming in third place. On February 13, 2017, ABC announced that she would be the bachelorette on the next season of The Bachelorette, becoming the first African-American lead in the history of the franchise.