Legal research for Texas law firms - Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and Fort Worth

Short answer: Texas has two high courts - the Supreme Court of Texas for civil cases and the Court of Criminal Appeals for criminal cases - and fifteen courts of appeals. Your research should start with the high court for your type of case, then the court of appeals that covers your county, then the rest of the state. Watch for transfer cases, which must follow the original court's precedent.

Texas courts by city

The Fifteenth Court of Appeals, based in Austin, began hearing cases on September 1, 2024. It has statewide jurisdiction over certain appeals involving the State of Texas and its agencies and officers, challenges to the constitutionality or validity of a state statute or rule when the Attorney General is a party, and appeals from the Texas Business Court. If your matter involves the State, check whether the appeal belongs there.

Federal appeals from all four Texas districts go to the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans.

Two high courts, two kinds of authority

• Supreme Court of Texas - final word on civil and juvenile matters
• Texas Court of Criminal Appeals - final word on criminal matters

A civil practitioner citing a Court of Criminal Appeals case (or the reverse) should be sure the point isn't one where the two courts' approaches differ.

Transfer cases

The Supreme Court of Texas moves appeals between courts of appeals to balance dockets. Under Texas Rule of Appellate Procedure 41.3, the court that receives a transferred case must decide it according to the precedent of the court it came from, unless it would have to apply a different rule under the Rules of Appellate Procedure. When you research a pending appeal, find out where it started.

Citations and unpublished opinions

• S.W.3d - the main reporter for Texas appellate decisions
• Texas Rules of Form (the "Greenbook") - Texas-specific citation conventions, including petition history
• Unpublished opinions - Texas Rule of Appellate Procedure 47.7 sets out how they may be cited, and the rule differs for criminal and civil cases. Check it before relying on one.

Texas codes

Texas statutes are organized into codes - the Civil Practice and Remedies Code, Penal Code, Family Code, Property Code, Business and Commerce Code and others. The official text is on statutes.capitol.texas.gov.

LegiMatch's statute finder includes the official text of the Texas codes and the U.S. Code, with the decisions that cite each section. It's free in every account.

A fact-first workflow for Texas matters

Many Texas cases turn on detailed facts: premises defects, governmental immunity under the Texas Tort Claims Act, oil and gas leases, non-competes. A fact-first search helps:

1. Describe the facts in plain English. Example: "Our client tripped on a sunken drain grate hidden by rainwater outside a city recreation center in Houston. The city had an open work order describing the hazard and has filed a plea to the jurisdiction."
2. Limit to Texas, and add Fifth Circuit and Texas federal decisions if the case is in federal court.
3. Read the closest decisions first, noting the court and petition history.
4. Check treatment before relying on any decision.
5. Read the statute (here, Civil Practice and Remedies Code chapter 101) in the version in force on the relevant date.

LegiMatch returns up to 100 similar decisions for each matter, ranked by a match score that shows how much facts, legal issues, statutes, jurisdiction and recency contributed. Results are real decisions linked to the court's text; the tool can't invent citations. It's research support, not legal advice.

Frequently asked questions

Which court of appeals covers Houston?

Both the First and the Fourteenth Courts of Appeals sit in Houston and cover the same counties. Appeals are assigned between them, so research both.

What is the Fifteenth Court of Appeals?

A court of appeals with statewide jurisdiction over certain appeals involving the State of Texas, its agencies and officers, challenges to the validity of a state statute or rule when the Attorney General is a party, and Business Court appeals. It began hearing cases on September 1, 2024.

Is a Dallas court of appeals decision binding in Houston?

Texas courts of appeals aren't bound by each other's decisions, but trial courts generally follow the court of appeals for their district. Decisions from other courts of appeals are persuasive, and transfer cases follow the transferring court's precedent.

Where can I read Texas statutes for free?

On the Legislature's official site, statutes.capitol.texas.gov, and in LegiMatch's free statute finder.

Sources

• Texas Judicial Branch, court structure and Fifteenth Court of Appeals (txcourts.gov)
• Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure 41.3 and 47.7
• Texas Constitution and Statutes (statutes.capitol.texas.gov)
• United States Courts, court locator (uscourts.gov)