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Standing pretrial scheduling order of the Travis County District Courts (effective May 1, 2023) controlling pretrial matters in every case set on the civil or family jury docket: the 30/12/10/6/4/3-day deadlines for expert challenges, witness and exhibit lists, deposition designations, motions in limine, proposed jury charges, objections and the pre-trial conference; the certification required in any proposed scheduling order; jury questionnaires; courtroom technology; and what counsel must bring to the pretrial hearing.
Applies to every case set on the civil or family jury docket of the Travis County District Courts; references to counsel include self-represented parties. Procedural information only; not legal advice.
STANDING PRETRIAL SCHEDULING ORDER FOR CIVIL AND FAMILY JURY TRIALS IN THE TRAVIS COUNTY DISTRICT COURTS — effective as of May 1, 2023 (File No. GN-61-121012, Local Rules and General Orders). For any case set on the civil or family jury docket of the Travis County District Courts, the following provisions shall control pretrial matters absent further order of the Court. All references to "counsel" include self-represented parties. The date of trial is not counted for purpose of any actions stated below. Failure to observe the requirements of this Order will authorize removal of the case from the jury docket at the discretion of the Court or will be deemed a waiver of any motion or evidence not in compliance with this Order. Any proposed pretrial scheduling orders submitted for approval to the Court after the effective date of this Order shall include (1) a certification by all counsel of record that none of the proposed deadlines are shorter than those in this Standing Order; and (2) a statement that none of the deadlines in the Standing Pretrial Scheduling Order shall be shortened without leave of Court, even if the parties agree. The provisions in this Standing Order are in addition to any requirements of the Local Rules of Civil Procedure and Rules of Decorum for the District Courts of Travis County and other applicable rules. 1. THIRTY DAYS BEFORE TRIAL: 1.1 All challenges to expert witnesses shall be filed. 1.2 Counsel shall exchange their lists of fact and expert witnesses, including rebuttal witnesses that reasonably should be anticipated, that each intends to call at trial; persons not so identified will not be allowed to testify unless good cause is shown. 1.3 Counsel shall exchange their lists of exhibits that each reasonably anticipates will be offered in evidence; exhibits not timely listed will not be admitted unless good cause is shown; counsel should stipulate insofar as possible to the authenticity and admissibility of exhibits to be used at trial. 2. TWELVE DAYS BEFORE TRIAL: Counsel shall exchange page and line references for all deposition testimony to be offered in the case in chief. 3. TEN DAYS BEFORE TRIAL: Counsel shall exchange motions in limine, which shall not include the matters in the Travis County Standing Order in Limine. 4. SIX DAYS BEFORE TRIAL: 4.1 Counsel shall exchange cross-designations of page and line references of all deposition testimony to be used at trial; counsel shall also provide a written statement of page and line references to their respective designations on which they seek a ruling on any evidentiary objections, including the basis for the objections; failure to timely object will be deemed a waiver of any objections. 4.2 Each party shall file and serve on all other parties a proposed jury charge, including questions, definitions, and instructions, which shall include citations to the Texas Pattern Jury Charge and other authority that supports the submission. 5. FOUR DAYS BEFORE TRIAL: Counsel shall provide a written statement of page and line references to cross-designations on which they seek a ruling on any evidentiary objections, including the basis for the objections; failure to timely object will be deemed a waiver of the objection. 6. THREE DAYS BEFORE TRIAL: Counsel shall confer in person or by telephone, in good faith, in an attempt to resolve (a) all objections to deposition designations and exhibits, (b) all disputed motions in limine filed by an opposing party, and (c) all disputed language in the opposing party's proposed jury charge; any objections not resolved by conference will be heard at the pretrial conference, which is generally held on the first morning of trial. GENERAL MATTERS — 7. USE OF JURY QUESTIONNAIRE: Use of a questionnaire with a jury panel is solely within the discretion of the trial court. 8. USE OF ELECTRONIC COURTROOM TECHNOLOGY: 8.1 Counsel shall not display any material to the jury absent authorization of the Court and/or by agreement of counsel; materials not admitted in evidence shall never be displayed to the jury without prior authorization of the Court; if a party elects to display material to the jury, a copy of the electronic media shall be made available to opposing counsel to use before the jury; all materials must be redacted to eliminate inadmissible material prior to use before the jury. 8.2 Counsel should be prepared with paper copies of materials to be used on electronic media in the event of equipment malfunction or other unanticipated technical error. 8.3 All video depositions and corresponding written transcripts shall be edited to eliminate cumulative testimony and to present only those matters that are relevant and material; all extended silent passages and objections/exchanges between counsel shall be omitted. 9. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PRETRIAL HEARING: At the pretrial hearing, which is usually held on the first morning of trial, counsel shall submit the charge to the Court electronically in Word format, noting the provisions of the Pattern Jury Charges that apply to each instruction and question, if any; if case law supports the submission of particular provisions of the charge, note that in the charge and provide a copy of the case(s) with the petition history noted and the material language highlighted for the Court. In addition, counsel shall furnish the Court two hard copies of their active trial pleadings, exhibit lists, witness lists, motions in limine, and proposed orders on their motions in limine. This Order is effective as of May 1, 2023; signed by all Civil District Judges and filed with the District Clerk's Office on May 1, 2023.
STANDING PRETRIAL SCHEDULING ORDER FOR CIVIL AND FAMILY JURY TRIALS IN THE TRAVIS COUNTY DISTRICT COURTS — Effective as of May 1, 2023. For any case set on the civil or family jury docket of the Travis County District Courts, the following provisions shall control pretrial matters absent further order of the Court.
Reviewer note: Recomposed 2026-09-07 (completeness fix F2): the 2026-09-06 composition carried the superseded January 1, 2020 edition (doc 632) and bundled the current May 1, 2023 edition (doc 1351) as a copy. Now composed from the 1351 text layer read in full (OCR artifacts corrected); 632 recorded as the prior edition. Bound to Travis County (civil/family jury docket of the district courts).
6 verbatim requirements on case management in STEVEN P. DELUCA's division.
4 verbatim requirements on case management in LAUREN N. PEFFER's division.