Foundation Papers

Texas has fourteen intermediate appellate courts. The structure of Texas’s intermediate appellate court districts is fraught with defects that create conflicts among the courts, unnecessary burdens on Texas’s two high courts, inefficiencies, and confusion.

2020– Small claims trials are proceedings in which litigants seek redress in relatively low-dollar amounts, without the complexity of more formal proceedings. The purpose of small claims courts—in Texas and elsewhere—is to provide speedy, simplified, low-cost legal resolutions to small civil disputes

2019– Over the past twenty-five years, Texas has led the way in restoring fairness to our civil justice system. We now have the opportunity to lead the way in establishing a stable, consistent, fair, highly qualified,

2018–  This paper will outline the TCPA’s provisions, discuss appellate court opinions interpreting the statute, review other jurisdictions’ anti-SLAPP statutes, and suggest possible changes to Texas’s statute.

2018–  For state courts the breakdown of selection systems is as follows:

2017–  An asbestos lawsuit firestorm was kicked off by a 1973 court decision. In the three decades that followed that decision, tens of thousands of asbestos-injury lawsuits were filed nationwide.

2017–  To prevent a California-style lawsuit explosion, Texas’s statute could be amended—in keeping with the ADA’s goals…

2016–  Beginning in 2012, Texas courts experienced a sudden and unprecedented increase in insurance policyholder lawsuits against their insurance carriers.

2009–  The Texas Workplace Injury Compensation study explores the impact of workplace injury compensation of injured workers and businesses that subscribe to the workers’ compensation system.

2008–  The primary goal of any jury selection system is to impanel a fair and impartial jury in every case. Selection procedures should promote the selection of juries that truly represent the community, encourage citizens to serve on juries, discourage avoidance of service, and prohibit invasion of jurors’ privacy.

2007–  This paper examines the Texas court system, the federal court system, and the court systems of other states in an effort to determine the best method for structuring, administering and financing Texas’s courts. The paper concludes with specific recommendations.

There have been repeated legislative efforts in recent years to create specialized business courts in Texas. In 2007, TLR Foundation published The Texas Judicial System, Recommendations for Reform, outlining numerous suggestions for changing the structure and operation of Texas’s judicial system, including the creation of complex litigation courts—a concept similar to business courts.