"I thought I knew what it was like to be a trial judge. And the truth is, I didn't," says Justice Scott Field of the Fifteenth Court of Appeals, back for his second visit to the show after first joining for Episode 6 in 2020. After leaving private practice to serve as the inaugural judge of the 480th District Court in Williamson County, he returned to the appellate bench as one of the Fifteenth Court's three original justices. In this episode, he joins Todd Smith and Jody Sanders to talk about ruling quickly on a docket of about 1,800 cases, why he stopped worrying about reversal, and how trial lawyers can make a judge's job easier, from proposed orders to workable jury charges. He also describes starting a statewide court with no chambers or courtroom, the ABCs (and Ds) of the Fifteenth Court's jurisdiction, and how docket equalization and a growing business court docket are changing the new appellate court's work.

Connect and Learn More

☑️ Todd Smith | LinkedIn | X

☑️ Jody Sanders | LinkedIn | X

☑️ Texas Appellate Law Podcast on LinkedIn | X | Instagram

☑️ Texas Appellate Counsel PLLC

☑️ Kelly Hart & Hallman, LLP | LinkedIn

☑️ Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube

Produced and Powered by LawPods

Sponsored by Court Surety Bond Agency and Proceed.