Harris County District Courts Courtesy Copy Requirements

CRITICALCivil cases

Courtesy copy required for pleadings over 20 pages or with over 50 pages of exhibits, with written notice to all parties and additional documents.

Parties filing pleadings more than twenty pages in length or with more than 50 pages of exhibits must provide a courtesy copy of those pleadings and accompanying exhibits to the Court, and give written notice to all parties stating the specific documents that were provided. If a party highlights or otherwise marks a document in a courtesy copy provided to the Court, that party shall provide all other parties to the litigation an exact copy of what was provided to the Court. Also include a copy of the proposed order, latest live pleading and answer, latest DCO, and any legal authority, with any courtesy copy provided to the court.

CRITICALCivil cases

After e-filing pleadings and exhibits for trial, parties must provide two courtesy copies to the Court and written notice to all parties.

After parties e-file their pleadings and exhibits along with a cover letter, they must provide two (2) courtesy copies of those pleadings and accompanying exhibits to the Court (one for the Judge and one for the Court Reporter) and give written notice to all parties stating the specific documents that were provided.

CRITICAL

A hard copy of the exhibit list and a hard copy of the exhibits should be delivered to Judge C. Elliott Thornton and the court reporter 2 business days prior to the court proceedings. Exhibits with multiple pages should be stapled, bound and/or assembled so that they may be accurately preserved.

A hard copy of the exhibit list and a hard copy of the exhibits should be delivered to Judge C. Elliott Thornton and the court reporter 2 business days prior to the court proceedings. Exhibits with multiple pages should be stapled, bound and/or assembled so that they may be accurately preserved.

CRITICALCivil cases

For deposition excerpts, deliver two hard copies (judge and court reporter) tabbed and in binders along with a USB thumb drive.

If there will be any deposition excerpts, we will need a hard copy of the deposition(s) and during the trial the line and page should be quoted into the record in real time. Please deliver one hard copy for the judge and one hard copy for the court reporter, tabbed and in binders along with a USB thumb drive to:

CRITICAL

Trial courtesy-copy binders must be delivered to the trial coordinator no later than 4pm on the Thursday before the two-week trial period.

The TRIAL courtesy copy Binders are to be delivered to the trial coordinator, NO LATER THAN 4pm on the Thursday before the two-week trial period.

CRITICALCivil cases

The Court does not accept paper or emailed courtesy copies; a party may call after e-filing to draw attention to a document, or, if a courtesy copy is absolutely necessary, provide it on a flash drive or disc.

The Court no longer accepts paper courtesy copies or e-mails of courtesy copies. Instead, if a party wishes to bring a particular filing to the Court's attention, the party may (1) file the document electronically with the clerk's office as it normally does and then (2) call the Court to bring the document to the Court's attention, and ask the Court to view and consider the document that is already in the Court's electronic file system. Alternatively, if you absolutely must file a courtesy copy of the document (which is discouraged) then you must do so on a flash drive or disc.

CRITICALCivil cases

Do not deliver paper copies of mandamus petitions to the Court; provide the petition on a flash drive or disc instead.

COPIES OF MANDAMUS PETITIONS: Please do not serve the Court with paper copies of your mandamus petition. Please put it on a flash drive or disc and deliver it to the Court.

CRITICALCivil cases

When filing a motion for an emergency hearing, a courtesy copy must be sent directly to the Clerk.

If only one side thinks it is an emergency, please file a motion for emergency hearing. Please send a courtesy copy directly to the Clerk who will then give it to the judge to review and set an expedited hearing time or provide further guidance to the parties, as appropriate.

CRITICALCivil cases

A courtesy copy of any pleading filed within 24 hours of a hearing or submission date must be submitted.

The Court requires a courtesy copy of any pleadings that are filed within 24 hours of the hearing or submission date.

CRITICALCivil cases

A courtesy copy must include the proposed order, latest live pleading and answer, current Docket Control Order, and cited unpublished authority.

The courtesy copy must also include a copy of the proposed order, the latest live pleading and answer, the current Docket Control Order, and any unpublished legal authority cited in the filing—particularly if the authority is available only through Lexis.

CRITICALCivil cases

A courtesy copy of the filing and exhibits is required if the pleading exceeds 20 pages or contains more than 50 exhibit pages.

Parties filing pleadings exceeding 20 pages or containing more than 50 pages of exhibits must provide the Court with a courtesy copy of the filing and exhibits.

CRITICALCivil cases

A courtesy copy of the filing and exhibits is required when a pleading exceeds 20 pages or contains more than 50 pages of exhibits.

Parties filing pleadings exceeding 20 pages or containing more than 50 pages of exhibits must provide the Court with a courtesy copy of the filing and exhibits.

CRITICALCivil cases

A courtesy copy must include the proposed order, latest live pleading and answer, current Docket Control Order, and cited unpublished authority.

The courtesy copy must also include a copy of the proposed order, the latest live pleading and answer, the current Docket Control Order, and any unpublished legal authority cited in the filing—particularly if the authority is available only through Lexis.

WARNING

When only one side deems a matter an emergency, e-file the emergency motion and email a courtesy copy directly to the Clerk.

If only one side feels that it is an emergency, they should e-file a motion for emergency/expedited hearing and email a courtesy copy directly to the Clerk who will then give it to the Court for review and to set an expedited hearing or provide further guidance.

WARNINGCivil cases

Courtesy copies of proposed findings and conclusions should be emailed to the Trial Coordinator in Microsoft Word format.

Courtesy copies should be filed via e-mail to the Trial Coordinator in Microsoft Word format.

WARNING

Please send a courtesy copy directly to the Clerk who will then give it to the judge to review and set an expedited hearing or provide further guidance to the parties, as appropriate.

Please send a courtesy copy directly to the Clerk who will then give it to the judge to review and set an expedited hearing or provide further guidance to the parties, as appropriate.

WARNING

In an effort to reduce paper usage, please do not submit courtesy copies of any motion or response. Also, the Court does not need copies of exhibits.

In an effort to reduce paper usage, please do not submit courtesy copies of any motion or response. Also, the Court does not need copies of exhibits.

WARNINGCivil cases

A courtesy copy of a special setting request letter must be sent to the Clerk.

that you are unable to secure a hearing date as soon as necessary on the Court's regular oral hearing docket, or if you require a special setting, please file a letter with the Court, and serve it on all parties, requesting a special setting with alternative dates that are convenient for all parties and the date by which you are requesting the matter be heard by the Court. Please send a courtesy copy of the letter to the Clerk who will then give it to the judge for review.

WARNINGCivil cases

Courtesy copies of the proposed findings and conclusions should be emailed to the Trial Coordinator in Microsoft Word format.

Courtesy copies should be filed via e-mail to the Trial Coordinator in Microsoft Word format.

WARNINGCivil cases

The Court no longer accepts paper courtesy copies or e-mails of courtesy copies.

The Court no longer accepts paper courtesy copies or e-mails of courtesy copies.

WARNINGCivil cases

If a courtesy copy is necessary, please bring a paper copy.

If a courtesy copy is necessary, please bring a paper copy.

WARNINGCivil cases

Parties filing pleadings more than 25 pages in length or with more than 50 pages of exhibits may provide a courtesy copy of those pleadings and accompanying exhibits to the Court, and give written notice to all parties stating the specific documents that were provided.

Parties filing pleadings more than 25 pages in length or with more than 50 pages of exhibits may provide a courtesy copy of those pleadings and accompanying exhibits to the Court, and give written notice to all parties stating the specific documents that were provided.

WARNINGCivil cases

If a courtesy copy is marked or highlighted, the filing party must provide an exact copy to all other parties.

If a party highlights or otherwise marks a document in a courtesy copy provided to the Court, that party shall provide all other parties to the litigation an exact copy of what was provided to the Court.

INFOCivil cases

Motions with hyperlinks may have courtesy copy delivered on a USB thumb drive.

If you have hyperlinks on motions that have been filed, you can provide a courtesy copy of the motion in a USB thumb drive with your courtesy copies.

INFOCivil cases

Courtesy copies of motions are permitted; if provided, they must be given to the court clerk and will be destroyed after the hearing.

The Court permits courtesy copies of all motions. Please provide all courtesy copies to the court clerk. Once the hearing is concluded all courtesy copies will be destroyed.

INFOCivil cases

For a motion containing hyperlinks, counsel may provide a USB thumb-drive courtesy copy along with any required courtesy copies.

If a motion contains hyperlinks, counsel may provide a courtesy copy of the motion on a USB thumb drive with any required courtesy copies.

INFOCivil cases

For a motion containing hyperlinks, counsel may provide a USB thumb drive copy with any required courtesy copies.

If a motion contains hyperlinks, counsel may provide a courtesy copy of the motion on a USB thumb drive with any required courtesy copies.

INFOCivil cases

Courtesy copies should be provided three days before the scheduled hearing when possible.

Courtesy Copies should be provided 3 days before the scheduled hearing if possible.