How long is an oral argument in a Texas appeal?

The Texas Supreme Court generally permits the petitioner a total of twenty minutes for oral argument (some of which the petitioner can choose to reserve for a rebuttal) and permits the respondent twenty minutes. The courts of appeals each have their own policies regarding oral argument length. For example, the Second District Court of Appeals (a/k/a the Fort Worth Court of Appeals) closely tracks the Texas Supreme Court’s policy, with the appellant having twenty minutes for oral argument (some of which the appellant can choose to reserve for a rebuttal) and the appellee having twenty minutes. As another example, the Fifth District Court of Appeals (a/k/a the Dallas Court of Appeals) generally allows the appellant twenty minutes to begin, the appellee twenty minutes, and the appellant five minutes for rebuttal.

Back to Frequently Asked Questions

DISCLAIMER