Editor’s note: On Nov. 15, Texas Lawyer brought together four Harris County judges to discuss their courtrooms and the legal issues they see from the bench. Among other things, the discussion covered the beauty of brevity in motions and orders; whether attorneys should provide a narrative back story when requesting relief; how judges approach boilerplate language; and when an emergency motion really is an emergency.
The judicial roundtable, “Going Through the Motions: Best Practices as Seen From the Bench,” took place at South Texas College of Law in Houston. Harris County judges Al Bennett of the 61st District Court, Sylvia Matthews of the 281st District Court, Robert Schaffer of the 152nd District Court and Randy Wilson of the 157th District Court sat on the panel. A transcript of part of the discussion, edited for length and style, follows. The second installment will appear in the Jan. 2, 2012, issue of Texas Lawyer.
