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The following are summaries of selected civil opinions issued by the Third Court of Appeals during January 2025. The summaries are an overview; please review the entire opinion. Subsequent histories are current as of February 10, 2025.  ARBITRATION: Court reverses trial court’s failure to enforce arbitration clause. Design Tech Homes of Tex., LLC v. Siemens, No. 03-23-00735-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Jan.

EVIDENCE ADMISSIBILITY – BREACH OF COMPUTER SECURITY: Evidence found on defendant’s phone by defendant’s wife was inadmissible. State v. Holloway, ___ S.W.3d ___, No. 03-23-00423-CR (Tex. App.—Austin July 26, 2024, no pet.) (designated for publication). Holloway was charged with aggravated sexual assault. Evidence of an extraneous offense was found on Holloway’s phone by his wife. She found the evidence by

The University of Texas School of Law’s William Wayne Justice Center for Public Interest Law and the Civil Rights Clinic released a report recommending changes to Texas’ parole system. Parole reform is needed, the authors argue, because the state has become over-reliant on incarceration: Texas has a prison population of 130,000–the most in the country.1 Further, in 2024, the Texas

The American Bar Association has suspended its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) standard in response to the Trump administration’s Department of Education (DOE) mandate that such policies be eliminated or federal funding for higher education may be cut. The suspension of this standard, called Standard 206, will last until at least Aug. 31, 2025, the ABA Legal Education and Admissions

The American Bar Association condemns recent remarks of high-ranking officials of the administration that appear to question the legitimacy of judicial review and demand impeachment of a judge merely because the court did not agree with the government’s position. These comments pose serious risks to our constitutional framework that separates power among three co-equal branches. Last week, the administration lost

The International Academy of Trial Lawyers has one mission: to protect and promote the Rule of Law.  We condemn the new administration’s repeated disregard for the U.S. Constitution, as well as statutory and common law. In accordance with their Constitutional mandate, courts have rightfully intervened to protect legal rights and the Rule of Law.  Sunday (Feb. 23, 2025), Vice President

Over these 33 years of Entre Nous, I have pondered the odd and tortured legalese we use in our work, and the unique quirks of our noble profession. Much of this labor of love emanates from certain truths which afflict us. Lawyers are smart, often driven, but with all the other stresses we suffer as we chase changes in laws

This article provides an update for local lawyers on the new Fifteenth Court of Appeals. Historical Foundation The creation of the Fifteenth Court of Appeals marks a milestone in Texas’ judicial evolution.  The foundations of our appellate system date back to 1891 when a constitutional amendment established the Texas Supreme Court as the highest court for civil matters and invited

Dr. Calvin A. Kelly leaned back in the barber’s chair for a trim. Chatting with the other clients, thoughtfully listening to their stories, Kelly was doing more than maintaining a tidy beard. Visiting the barbershop— traditionally one of the most trusted environments for Black men —shored up his work just down the hall, where he runs the first trauma recovery

Here are the Travis County and District Court jury trial verdicts for January 2025.