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Court Procedures — 215th District Court (August 4, 2026) — posted on the court's own website — the court-procedure tier (standing procedures, policies, and preferences the court itself publishes), distinct from the TOPICs-registered local-rules tier (TRCP 3a registration applies to local rules). Operative requirements quoted verbatim; the posted document is the controlling text.
Texas > Harris County > 215th District Court
All litigants and counsel are expected to show respect for each other and the Court. … (5) Do not interrupt opposing counsel or witnesses. … All counsel must appear in business attire for all hearings, including in the courtroom and for those hearings that may be held virtually. … Men are expected to wear a suit (sports coat and dress slacks are permissible) and tie; women are to wear the appropriate equivalent. … Do not mislabel something as an “emergency” unless it is truly an emergency. … Motions for Continuance must explain why the moving party cannot meet the current schedule and needs more time. … Any continuance sought, other than an agreed continuance for a first trial setting, must be set for oral hearing, whether agreed or opposed. … In-person appearance is required. … Counsel must immediately report to the Clerk the resolution of any matter that is set on the Court’s docket. … In accordance with the Local Rules of Harris County District Courts, all cases shall be electronically filed. … Do not use all caps. … Each exhibit must be filed separately, as an attachment to the lead document. … Certificate of Conference (1) A certificate of conference is required for all motions (including discovery motions), pleas, and special exceptions, except for: … (2) The certificate of conference must include a detailed statement of the movant’s efforts to resolve the issues in the motion with the opposing party prior to the filing of the motion. … Counsel shall include the date, time, and place of such conference and the names of all parties participating. … (3) The proposed order must delineate each ruling that the party is requesting with a corresponding grant/deny or overrule/sustain. … The movant must certify that this has been done in a certificate of service and provide proof of mailing and/or delivery upon request. … Therefore, Parties must confer thoroughly and comply with Rule 191.2 of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure and Rule 3.3.6 of the Local Rules of the Civil Trial Division of the Harris County District Courts before setting discovery disputes on the Court’s docket. … (3) Proposed orders should be granulated – meaning, they must list each discovery issue separately with blanks to grant or deny the motion on each disputed request. … Reconsideration Motions (1) All Motions for Reconsideration are heard by submission only. … Sanction Motions (1) Do not request sanctions unless the opposing party has violated a previous order. … Severance Motions (1) The motion must state the basis for the severance and the order of severance must contain the following: … August 4, 2026 (1) All motions for substitute service under Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 106 must be accompanied by an affidavit that includes the following information: … (4) The Court requires that a Motion for Substitute Service requesting service by publication must be set for oral hearing. … Summary Judgment Motions (1) All Motions for Summary Judgment are heard by submission only. … Instead, parties desiring to have a motion for summary judgment considered after this deadline must file a motion for the Court to extend it. … (4) The Court is required to comply with the new requirements of Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 166a, effective March 1, 2026: … (a) A Motion for Summary Judgment must be set for consideration on the Court's docket on not less than thirty-five (35) and not more than ninety (90) days' notice after filing. … (b) Except on leave of Court or agreement of the parties, Respondent(s) must file a response to a Motion for Summary Judgment within twenty- one (21) days after the Motion is filed. … Except on leave of Court or agreement of the parties, if Movant(s) opt(s) to file a Reply, the Reply must be filed within seven (7) days after the Response is filed. …
Reviewer note: Own-site content fetched by us 2026-08-22 (Phase 3 justex/page sweep; hashed receipts in custody). Operative mandatory-language provisions quoted verbatim; the full posted document is the controlling text.
1 verbatim requirement on judge preferences.
20 verbatim requirements on judge preferences.