For Chris Dove, it started when he came upon articles in Above the Law about the saga of then-95-year-old federal Judge Pauline Newman. A giant in IP law, Judge Newman faced allegations of poor health and declining cognitive abilities
The Texas Supreme Court has directed the Supreme Court Advisory Committee (known as SCAC) to study and propose rules that would eliminate pre-grant merits briefing and prohibit central dockets like those used in Travis and Bexar Counties.
The Court has
For many years, I’ve said that appellate lawyers are the last of the generalists, meaning we must be able to learn and advocate in any area of the law when doing our jobs. I like the way El Paso solo
Have you wondered how to engage an appellate specialist to help with a critical trial-court hearing without fully bringing them into the case as co-counsel? If you’re in Travis County district court, consider a limited appearance under the Local Rules
I get this question periodically. The short answer is that the Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure don’t impose a deadline. But that doesn’t mean a relator (the party wishing to challenge a trial court’s order by filing a petition for
Collage courtesy of TexasBarCLE
Two new statewide courts, the Business Court and the Fifteenth Court of Appeals, opened their doors on September 1, 2024. I recently served as course director for a brand-new TexasBarCLE program—Handling Your First (or Next)
Like every Texas lawyer licensed since 1988, I’d never known a Texas Supreme Court without Chief Justice Nathan Hecht.
That changed on January 1, 2025.
Todd Smith, Chief Justice Hecht, and Jody Sanders in the Chief’s chambers
A Rare Opportunity
I’m thrilled to announce the launch of Texas Appellate Counsel PLLC, a solo practice dedicated to appellate advocacy, trial support, and consulting for trial lawyers.
This online publication is part of that venture. It reflects both the firm’s name and
Chief Justice Nathan Hecht is retiring after an extraordinary 43 years on the bench. In this special episode, he joins Todd Smith and Jody Sanders to reflect on his remarkable career as Texas’s longest-serving Chief Justice. He shares personal stories,
The highly publicized Robert Roberson case has raised critical questions about the death penalty and separation of powers. In this episode, Todd Smith and Jody Sanders sit down with criminal defense attorney Doug Gladden to tackle this difficult topic. Known for his insightful
