Texans for Lawsuit Reform

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In the News

Legislation to Shift District Court District Boundaries Referred to Texas Senate Panel

Law.com, March 5, 2021

By Ryan Tarinelli

Texas legislation that would tweak boundaries for certain court of appeal districts has been referred to a state Senate committee.

The bill, which was referred to the Jurisprudence Committee in the Texas state Senate on Wednesday, would change the boundaries of the Fifth, Sixth and 12th courts of appeal.

The legislation is backed by state Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston. She is chair of the Jurisprudence Committee.

Under the bill, Hunt County would be removed from the Fifth Court of Appeals District, Gregg and Rusk counties would be removed from the Sixth Court of Appeals District and Upshur and Wood counties would be cut from 12th Court of Appeals District.

Multiple sources have told Texas Lawyer that the current version of the bill could be modified to make additional changes to the boundaries of the appellate courts.

“I’d say there are certainly justices who are talking about it,” Chief Justice Bonnie Sudderth of Fort Worth’s Second Court of Appeals said previously. “What is there to talk about, until we see what it is?”

A tort reform advocacy group, Texans for Lawsuit Reform, has pushed for the intermediate appellate courts to be more efficient.

“Our 14 appellate courts have unequal workloads, and in some parts of our state, a district court answers to several different appellate courts,” the group has argued. “Texas should consolidate its intermediate appellate courts to achieve more efficiency and administrative rationality.”

The group says Texas has more intermediate appellate courts than the federal judicial system. It says the state’s appellate court system structure has defects that lead to confusion, inefficiencies and “unnecessary burdens on Texas’ two high courts.”

“One of the most acute defects is that the intermediate appellate courts have overlapping geographic territories,” the group argues on its website.

On a separate topic, Texas lawmakers are also considering legislation against any rules that could limit a person’s ability to get a license to practice law because of a “sincerely held religious belief.”

Under the legislation, policies would not be allowed to burden an applicant’s free exercise of religion, freedom of association or freedom of speech with respect to a religious belief.

The legislation has been referred to a state Senate committee on state affairs.

Angela Morris contributed to this report.

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Texans for Lawsuit Reform

16 hours ago

Texans for Lawsuit Reform

Living through a pandemic has made us keenly aware of how important delivery and service vehicles are to our daily lives. From groceries to vaccinations, commercial vehicles have been the integral piece to getting us what we need when we need it most. Unfortunately, some personal injury lawyers have set their sights on the very businesses that are getting us through this challenging time. Read and share: bit.ly/3sAJrfk ... See MoreSee Less

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Forum: South Texas commercial vehicle operators, owners under attack

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Living through a pandemic has made us keenly aware of how important delivery and service vehicles are to our daily lives. From groceries to vaccinations, commercial vehicles have been the integral pie...
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Texans for Lawsuit Reform

4 days ago

Texans for Lawsuit Reform

In case you missed it: In addition to massive premiums, the cost of paying a lawyer to defend one of the lawsuits against owners of commercial vehicles can devastate a small company. And every dollar spent fighting an unnecessary lawsuit is one less dollar that can be invested in a company’s employees or community. Watch the Latest Video from the Keep Texas Trucking Coalition and join here: www.keeptexastrucking.com ... See MoreSee Less

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Texans for Lawsuit Reform

5 days ago

Texans for Lawsuit Reform

In case you missed it: What started as lawsuits targeting big trucks has evolved. Now any vehicle with a company logo on it is a target for lawsuits. That’s why a broad coalition of more than 500 businesses and industry groups of all sizes have banded together to stop abusive lawsuits against commercial vehicles. The future of our state depends on it. Visit www.keeptexastrucking.com to join the coalition today. ... See MoreSee Less

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TLR has thousands of supporters across Texas who are committed to a fair and balanced civil justice system. Join our team today!

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Fighting lawsuit abuse keeps our courts fair and our economy strong. Learn more →

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TLR's objective is to restore litigation to its traditional and appropriate role in our society. A lawsuit takes a heavy emotional and financial toll ...

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lawsuitreform avatarTLR@lawsuitreform·
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Living through a pandemic has made us aware of how important delivery & service vehicles are to our daily lives. Unfortunately, some personal injury lawyers have set their sights on the very businesses that are getting us through it. Read & RT: #tortreform

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