 He graduated from UT's law school with the highest grade-point average in its history—a position he held for 15 years.From 1958 to 1979, he was in private law practice in Dallas, Texas at the law firm of Thompson & Knight.Buchmeyer was nominated by President Jimmy Carter on August 3, 1979, to a seat on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas vacated by Judge William McLaughlin Taylor Jr.