Importance of Candor to the Court
Dallas Court of Appeals Justices Ada Brown, Molly Francis, and Bill Whitehill spoke at a Dallas Association of Young Lawyers seminar in the Merrill Hartman Courtroom of the George Allen Courthouse. The justices geared their presentation toward young lawyers with little or no appellate experience and, as such, the tips
>> Read MoreMy Review of a Mexican Traffic Stop
As with all vacations, I had mixed feelings that this one was ending. I had a wonderful time, alternating between relaxing at the Cancun hotel with my extended family (including five young children) and taking day trips with my wife in our rental car. But I can never fully squelch
>> Read More21 Things That Court of Appeals Justices and Staff Attorneys Want You to Know
I recently attended a continuing legal education seminar co-sponsored by the Dallas Bar Association’s appellate section and the Tarrant County Bar Association’s appellate section. At the CLE, justices and staff attorneys from the Dallas Court of Appeals and the Fort Worth Court of Appeals shared insights as to their preferences. Here
>> Read MoreRules Related to Drafting Texas Appellate Briefs and Motions
There are many rules governing the contents of Texas appellate documents, and these rules are not necessarily intuitive. Here are some of those rules. Pursuant to the Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure, all appellate documents must use 14-point font (although footnotes may be in 12-point font). See TRAP 9.4(e). Appellate
>> Read MoreDeadlines in a Texas Appeal
Handling an appeal is deadline-intensive, and missing an appellate deadline can have serious consequences. Here are some of the deadlines to keep in mind. Request for Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law – The Texas Rules of Civil Procedure provide that the deadline to file a request for findings
>> Read MoreFour Newest Dallas Court of Appeals Justices
The Dallas Bar Association’s appellate section recently hosted a panel of the four newest Dallas Court of Appeals justices. Justice Ada Brown joined the court in 2013, Justice Craig Stoddart joined the court in 2014, and Justice Bill Whitehill and Justice David Schenck both joined the court in 2015. The
>> Read MoreDallas-area Judges Agree on Advice for Practice Before Their Courts
The Mac Taylor Inn of Court recently had a lunch meeting in the courtroom of Judge Martin Hoffman’s 68th District Court. Eight judges shared tips for practicing in their courts. The judges brought different perspectives to the table—federal court and state court, trial court and appellate court, elected and appointed.
>> Read MoreAppellate Lawyer Chad Ruback interviewed in NBC 5 studio
I was interviewed in the NBC 5 studio about a recent U.S. Supreme Court case.
>> Read MoreLegal commentary on CBS 6 o’clock news
The lead story on the 6 o’clock news featured Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, and me. Here is the video:
>> Read MoreTexas Supreme Court Justice Don Willett’s Thoughts on Amicus Briefs
This afternoon, Texas Supreme Court Justice Don Willett and Austin lawyer Don Cruse spoke at a continuing legal education seminar. Among other things, they addressed amicus briefs filed in the Supreme Court. The court requests a response to the petition for review in about 33% of cases. However, when an
>> Read MoreAppellate Judges Education Institute seminar in Dallas, TX
The American Bar Association’s Judicial Division and Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law will be hosting a seminar in Dallas, Texas from November 13-16, 2014. The seminar will be co-hosted by the ABA’s Council of Appellate Lawyers and the ABA’s Council of Appellate Staff Attorneys. Among the many speakers
>> Read MoreFive Judges from the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Offer Pointers on Appellate Advocacy
The Dallas Bar Association Business Litigation Section recently hosted an outstanding panel discussion with five judges from the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. I have been attending appellate continuing legal educations presentations for seventeen years, and this one was among the best I’ve seen. Judges Gregg Costa, Jennifer Elrod, James
>> Read More“The Best Lawyers in America” list
I am honored that my peers have once again voted to include me in “The Best Lawyers in America” list.
>> Read MoreInterview on KDAF CW Channel 33
As an appellate lawyer, I often have to answer difficult questions. On Channel 33 news, though, I got to answer an easy one. I was asked whether an individual could form his own country in North Dallas. Um, no. Here is the video:
>> Read MoreSupreme Court Hobby Lobby opinion might only directly impact two companies
After the Dallas Business Journal published an article about the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Hobby Lobby decision, a number of people asked me about potential impact on various business. Here are my thoughts: Despite all the attention the case has gotten, the opinion might only directly impact two U.S. companies.
>> Read MoreChad Ruback interviewed live in Fox 4 studio
This morning, I gave a live interview to a Fox 4 news anchor regarding a new U.S. Supreme Court opinion. Here is the video:
>> Read MoreFrequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Texas Appeals
Whether you are a law student studying Texas appellate procedure or are a Texas lawyer who doesn’t regularly handle appeals, you might be in need of answers to frequently asked questions about Texas appellate law. Having been unable to find a compilation of appellate law FAQs specific to Texas state
>> Read MoreAppellate Judges Tell Dallas Lawyers How to Handle an Appeal
The Dallas Bar Association Judiciary Committee recently hosted a panel discussion with three prominent appellate judges. Catharina Haynes is the only federal appellate judge in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. After years of sitting as a Dallas state trial court judge, she was appointed to sit on the Fifth Circuit Court
>> Read MoreKTVT CBS 11 interview regarding recent appellate opinion
A couple of weeks ago, I was interviewed by a KDFW Fox 4 reporter regarding constitutional claims raised in recent litigation. Yesterday, I was interviewed by a KTVT CBS 11 reporter regarding an entirely different set of constitutional issues. Here is the video:
>> Read MoreKDFW Fox 4 interview regarding constitutional claims
I was interviewed by a KDFW Fox 4 reporter regarding constitutional claims raised in recent litigation. Here is the video:
>> Read MoreDallas Lawyers on Twitter
I have compiled the following list of Dallas-area lawyers on Twitter and their respective Twitter handles. The list does not include lawyers west of the Dallas-Tarrant county line. The list does not include law firms, but does include lawyers who work for law firms. The list includes lawyers who are
>> Read MoreNathan Hecht Sworn-In as Chief Justice of Texas Supreme Court
Yesterday, Nathan Hecht was sworn-in as chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court. The Texas Lawbook published an article I co-authored about Chief Justice Hecht’s tenure on the Supreme Court.
>> Read MoreChad Ruback to speak about how to ethically market a law practice
INVITATION FROM THE DALLAS ASSOCIATION OF YOUNG LAWYERS: Join the DAYL Solo and Small Firm Committee at noon on Wednesday, July 24th at the Belo Mansion for a one hour CLE, including .50 hours of ethics credit, and learn “How to Effectively Use the Internet to Market a Law Firm
>> Read MorePointers from a Dallas Court of Appeals Justice
Yesterday afternoon, I attended a CLE presented by Dallas Court of Appeals Justice Doug Lang. Here are some of the pointers offered by Justice Lang: 1. If the trial court judge makes an oral ruling but the ruling does not appear in the record, the ruling is not reversible on
>> Read MoreFifth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Offers Tips on Appellate Advocacy
I recently attended a CLE presented by Catharina Haynes, the only federal appellate judge with chambers in the Dallas – Fort Worth area. Judge Haynes offered a number of valuable tips on appellate advocacy: 1. The table of contents is often the first part of your brief read by an
>> Read MoreFacts in Oral Argument at the Texas Supreme Court
Last week, Texas Supreme Court Justice Debra Lehrmann spoke in Dallas about (1) how the court decides whether to grant or deny review; (2) common mistakes seen in appellate petitions and briefs; and (3) oral argument at the court. Because Justice Lehrmann had so many great insights, I am dedicating
>> Read MoreCommon Mistakes Seen in Appellate Petitions and Briefs
Last week, Texas Supreme Court Justice Debra Lehrmann spoke in Dallas about (1) how the court decides whether to grant or deny review; (2) common mistakes seen in appellate petitions and briefs; and (3) oral argument at the court. Because Justice Lehrmann had so many great insights, I am dedicating
>> Read MoreHow the Texas Supreme Court Decides Whether to Grant or Deny Review
Last week, Texas Supreme Court Justice Debra Lehrmann spoke in Dallas about (1) how the court decides whether to grant or deny review; (2) common mistakes seen in appellate petitions and briefs; and (3) oral argument at the court. Because Justice Lehrmann had so many great insights, I am dedicating
>> Read MoreVisual Aids at Appellate Oral Argument
Yesterday, I spoke at a State Bar of Texas Appellate Section CLE. One of the other speakers, Dallas Court of Appeals Justice Elizabeth Lang-Miers, addressed the use of visual aids at appellate oral argument. Justice Lang-Miers indicated that some attorneys seek to submit charts, diagrams, graphs, time lines, or other
>> Read MoreE-Filing Trends in Texas State Courts
Electronic filing has begun to change the way that lawyers prepare legal briefs and motions. The Dallas County trial courts began accepting electronic filing, also known as e-filing, several years ago. The Dallas Court of Appeals followed suit last year. Before adoption of e-filing, attorneys, paralegals, and couriers had to
>> Read MoreThree Keys to Presenting a Great Appellate Oral Argument
Earlier this week, I attended the annual banquet of the Patrick Higginbotham Inn of Court. The featured speaker was Seth Waxman, who served as chief appellate counsel to the U.S. government under President Clinton. Waxman said that there are three keys to presenting a great appellate oral argument:
>> Read MoreDorsaneo’s Top 5 Tips on Writing an Appellate Brief
SMU Law School Professor Bill Dorsaneo spoke at today’s Dallas Bar Association Appellate Section meeting. He offered a number of tips on writing an appellate brief. Here are my five favorites:
>> Read MoreInterview by Texas Lawyer reporter
Texas Lawyer reporter interviewed Dallas appellate lawyer Chad Ruback about oral arguments.
>> Read MoreLargest Judgments Rendered by Dallas – Fort Worth Courts
State courts in Dallas, Tarrant, Collin, and Denton counties all rendered large judgments in 2011. Perhaps not surprisingly, due to their smaller dockets, state courts in the outlying counties of the DFW area did not render any judgments over $1,000,000 in 2011. While federal courts sit in four locations in
>> Read MoreTexas Supreme Court justice shares thoughts about appellate advocacy
I recently attended a continuing legal education seminar at which Justice Don Willett provided some tips about practice before the Texas Supreme Court. Here are the highlights of his presentation.
>> Read MoreCourt of Appeals justice shares thoughts about appellate advocacy
I recently attended a continuing legal education seminar at which Justice Elizabeth Lang-Miers provided some tips about practice before the Dallas Court of Appeals. Here are the highlights of her presentation:
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of November 14, 2011
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of November 14, 2011
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of November 7, 2011
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of November 7, 2011
>> Read MoreCourt of Appeals justice shares thoughts about e-filed appellate briefs
I recently attended a continuing legal education seminar at which Justice Martin Richter spoke about e-filing in the Dallas Court of Appeals. Here are the highlights of his presentation:
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of October 31, 2011
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of October 31, 2011
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of October 24, 2011
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of October 24, 2011
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of October 17, 2011
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of October 17, 2011
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of October 10, 2011
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of October 10, 2011
>> Read MoreCourt of Appeals justices share their preferences about appellate briefs
At two continuing legal education seminars I recently attended, court of appeals justices have expressed their preferences about appellate briefs. In no particular order, here are their preferences:
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of October 3, 2011
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of October 3, 2011
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of September 26, 2011
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of September 26, 2011
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of September 19, 2011
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of September 19, 2011
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of September 12, 2011
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of September 12, 2011
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of September 5, 2011
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of September 5, 2011
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of August 29, 2011
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of August 29, 2011
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of August 22, 2011
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of August 22, 2011
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of August 15, 2011
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of August 15, 2011
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of August 8, 2011
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of August 8, 2011
>> Read MoreRuback article published in the Appellate Advocate
Chad Ruback wrote an article about starting an appellate law firm. The article was published in the Appellate Advocate (the journal of the State Bar of Texas appellate section).
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of August 1, 2011
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of August 1, 2011
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of July 25, 2011
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of July 25, 2011
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of July 18, 2011
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of July 18, 2011
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of July 11, 2011
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of July 11, 2011
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of July 4, 2011
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of July 4, 2011
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of June 27, 2011
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of June 27, 2011
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of June 20, 2011
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of June 20, 2011
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of June 13, 2011
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of June 13, 2011
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of June 6, 2011
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of June 6, 2011
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of May 30, 2011
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of May 30, 2011
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of May 23, 2011
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of May 23, 2011
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of May 16, 2011
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of May 16, 2011
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of May 9, 2011
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of May 9, 2011
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of May 2, 2011
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of May 2, 2011
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of April 25, 2011
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of April 25, 2011
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of April 18, 2011
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of April 18, 2011
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of April 11, 2011
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of April 11, 2011
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of April 4, 2011
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of April 4, 2011
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of March 28, 2011
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of March 28, 2011
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of March 21, 2011
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of March 21, 2011
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of March 14, 2011
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of March 14, 2011
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of March 7, 2011
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of March 7, 2011
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of February 28, 2011
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of February 28, 2011
>> Read MoreTexas Supreme Court oral argument
Dallas Appellate Lawyer Chad Ruback argues before the Texas Supreme Court
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of February 21, 2011
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of February 21, 2011
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of February 14, 2011
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of February 14, 2011
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of February 7, 2011
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of February 7, 2011
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of January 31, 2011
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of January 31, 2011
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of January 24, 2011
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of January 24, 2011
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of January 17, 2011
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of January 17, 2011
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of January 10, 2011
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of January 10, 2011
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of January 3, 2011
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of January 3, 2011
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of November 21, 2010
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of November 21, 2010
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of November 15, 2010
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of November 15, 2010
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of November 8, 2010
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of November 8, 2010
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of November 1, 2010
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of November 1, 2010
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of October 25, 2010
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of October 25, 2010
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of October 18, 2010
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of October 18, 2010
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of October 11, 2010
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of October 11, 2010
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of October 4, 2010
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of October 4, 2010
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of September 27, 2010
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of September 27, 2010
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of September 20, 2010
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of September 20, 2010
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of September 13, 2010
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of September 13, 2010
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of September 6, 2010
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of September 6, 2010
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of August 30, 2010
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of August 30, 2010
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of August 23, 2010
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of August 23, 2010
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of August 16, 2010
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of August 16, 2010
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of August 9, 2010
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of August 9, 2010
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of August 2, 2010
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of August 2, 2010
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of July 26, 2010
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of July 26, 2010
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of July 19, 2010
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of July 19, 2010
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of July 12, 2010
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of July 12, 2010
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of July 5, 2010
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of July 5, 2010
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of June 28, 2010
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of June 28, 2010
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of June 21, 2010
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of June 21, 2010
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of June 14, 2010
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of June 14, 2010
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of June 7, 2010
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of June 7, 2010
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of May 31, 2010
Dallas Court of Appeals cases for the week of May 31, 2010
>> Read MoreNetworking the Wrong Way
Chad Ruback will be presenting a Dallas Association of Young Lawyers networking seminar on August 19th.
>> Read MoreDallas Court of Appeals holdings
Chad Ruback is going to start posting summaries of the most notable holdings of the Dallas Court of Appeals.
>> Read MoreTexas Lawyer interview
Chad Ruback was interviewed on-camera (regarding the Sotomayor confirmation hearings, among other things).
>> Read MoreMagazine’s 2009 “Best Lawyers” list
Eight appellate lawyers are included in the 2009 D Magazine list of the “Best Lawyers” in Dallas.
>> Read MoreMy niece and nephew
Last weekend, my girlfriend and I babysat for my 21-month-old niece and my 6-week-old nephew.
>> Read MoreBusy week
This week, I’ll be filing a brief in the Dallas Court of Appeals, arguing a post-trial motion in a trial court, and participating in an appellate court oral argument in the Waco Court of Appeals.
>> Read MoreDunking booth
Last night, I sat in a dunking booth to help the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers raise money for lung cancer research.
>> Read MoreDallas Appellate Lawyer Chad Ruback can be found at http://twitter.com/appellatelaw.
>> Read MoreWeb Programmer David Demko
Dallas Appellate Lawyer Chad Ruback getting help from web programmer David Demko.
>> Read More