Vanessa D. Gilmore is a former United States District Judge for the Southern District of Texas. She was appointed to the federal bench by President Bill Clinton in 1994. At the time of her appointment, she was the youngest sitting federal judge in the country and the first University of Houston graduate to serve on the federal bench.

Judge Gilmore is also an author. Her works include the novel Saving the Dream and Lynn’s Angels: The True Story of E. Lynn Harris and the Women Who Loved Him. She also co-authored a children’s book titled A Boy Named Rocky: A Coloring Book for the Children of Incarcerated Parents.

Throughout her career, she has received numerous awards for civic leadership and community service. She previously served as president of the YWCA of Houston and as a member of the Hampton University Board of Trustees for seventeen years.

As of 2025, Judge Gilmore serves on the boards of Texas Children’s Hospital, the DePelchin Children’s Center, the Kinder Institute for Urban Research, and the Board of Visitors at MD Anderson Cancer Center. She is also a member of the Contemporary Arts Committee at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. In addition to her public service, she owns Tea With Judge V, a tearoom located on historic Riverside Drive in Houston.