Law

Texas Courts Online

The most comprehensive guide to information by and about Texas courts. Includes opinions, rules of court, directories, and other information.

Case Law

State Case Law: Texas (LexisNexis^® Academic)

This online database, available to members of the UNT community, searches and retrieves the full text of recent published Texas supreme court and appellate decisions.

West's Texas Digest (Call Number KFT1241.1 .T41)

Indexes Texas state and Federal cases decided in Texas. Includes case summaries written by the legal staff at West. Uses West key number plan.

Texas Jurisprudence (Call Number KFT1741.T4)

Legal encyclopedia that summarizes Texas case law, organized by topic and also searchable by name of case and by statute affected.

South Western Reporter (Call Number KF135 .S71)

Full text of opinions for cases argued and determined in the courts of Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, and Texas.

The Texas Court System

A printable chart of the Texas Court Structure is available from the National Center for State Courts.

High Courts

Supreme Court of Texas

Has statewide, final appellate jurisdiction in all civil and juvenile cases.

Court of Criminal Appeals

Highest state court for appeals resulting from criminal cases.

Intermediate Appellate Courts 

Courts of Appeals

Intermediate appellate jurisdiction in both civil and criminal cases appealed from district or county courts. 

State-Level Trial Courts

Texas District Courts

Trial courts of general jurisdiction of Texas. District courts have original jurisdiction in all felony criminal cases, divorce cases, cases involving title to land, election contest cases, civil matters in which the amount in controversy (the amount of money or damages involved) is $200 or more, and any matters in which jurisdiction is not placed in another trial court.

County-Level Trial Courts

Constitutional County Courts

As provided in the Texas Constitution, each of the 254 counties of the State has a single county court presided over by a county judge. They have limited civil and criminal jurisdiction.

County Courts at Law [Statutory County Courts]

Because the Constitution limits each county to a single county court, the Legislature has created statutory county courts at law in the larger counties to aid the single county court in its judicial functions. The legal jurisdiction of the special county-level trial courts varies considerably and is established by the statute which creates the particular court. 

Statutory Probate Courts

The Statutory Probate Courts of Texas are located in the state's six largest metropolitan areas and have original and exclusive jurisdiction over their counties' probate matters, guardianship cases, and mental health commitments.

Local-Level Trial Courts

Municipal Courts

These courts have original and exclusive jurisdiction over violations of city ordinances and, within the city limits, have concurrent jurisdiction with justice of the peace courts over Class C misdemeanor criminal cases where the punishment upon conviction is by small fine only.

Justice of the Peace Courts

Justice of the peace courts have original jurisdiction in Class C misdemeanor criminal cases, which are less serious minor offenses. These courts also have jurisdiction of minor civil matters.

Rules of Court

Rules and Standards (Supreme Court of Texas)

Compilation of state and local rules and standards for Texas courts.

Court Rules, Forms, and Dockets (Law Library Resource Xchange)

Court rules and forms for all levels of courts in Texas, including U.S. district and bankruptcy courts. Browse to find the resource you need, or search by keyword.

Texas Court Rules: History and Process (Supreme Court of Texas)

This paper explains how the Texas Supreme Court has derived its authority to promulgate procedural rules like the 1999 discovery rules revisions, the new combined Rules of Evidence, and the new Rules of Appellate Procedure, and describes the process by which the Court drafts such rules. It also briefly surveys the historical origins of the more important sets of Texas procedural rules.