Texas Legal Research: Free Online Resources

Court records from all 254 counties, although data varies court-by-court.. Users can preview and purchase documents. Users can upgrade to re:SearchTX Plus. One must register to use the site. The general public has more limited access than judges and lawyers, with coverage that only goes as far back as 11/1/2018.

Portal to the Texas Judicial pages. Contains a diagram of the court structure of Texas, which is links to each category of courts (e.g., Supreme Court, Court of Criminal Appeals, and District Courts). Also contains a judicial directory and an A-Z Index: a Texas Courts Online Encyclopedia with links arranged by topic.

Official website of the Texas Supreme Court. Opinions/orders available starting with October 1997. Search by case, opinion, oral arguments, and briefs (when filed). Also contains links to each of the Texas appellate courts.

Official website for the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Texas’ highest court for criminal cases. Opinions available in a searchable database.

Provided through the Texas Courts Online site, this page contains a listing of the 14 Texas state courts of appeal with links to each of their official websites. Also contains an interactive map of the state with a graphical depiction of the regions covered by each appellate court.

The Third Court of Appeals is the state appellate court serving the Austin area. Opinions of the court are searchable or browse the orders & opinions by docket date. Also contains links to each of the official county websites of the counties served by the Third Court of Appeals, as well as to the other Texas appellate courts.

Comprised of both civil and criminal courts. Provides standing orders, civil courts docket, local rules, and contact information.

View Local Rules, Forms, Standing Orders, Bail Forms, Citations/Notices and Protective Orders. From Texas Office of Court Administration.

An educational endeavor of the Justices of the Peace and Constables Association funded by a grant from the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. Includes legal resources such as deskbooks, checklists, and forms.

Every two years, the chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court prepares a state of the judiciary message. This message is usually delivered as a speech given to a joint session of the legislature. Collection from the Texas State Law Library.

Provided through the Supreme Court of Texas. Links to the Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure, Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, Texas Rules of Evidence, Texas Discovery Rules, and other Texas rules and standards.

These rules govern procedure in appellate courts and post-trial procedure for trial courts in criminal cases in Texas.

These rules govern the procedure in the justice, county, and district courts of Texas in all civil actions.

These rules govern civil and criminal proceedings in all courts of Texas, except small claims courts.