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Texas Appellate Law Podcast

Texas Appellate Law Podcast

By: Todd Smith & Jody Sanders
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 Welcome to the Texas Appellate Law Podcast—your backstage pass to the Texas and federal appellate systems. Join your hosts, Texas appellate lawyers Todd Smith and Jody Sanders, as they explore the nuances of appellate advocacy with judges, court staff, leading trial and appellate practitioners, academics, and legal innovators. Whether you're immersed in an appeal or building your trial strategy, each episode delivers practical insights to help you enhance your advocacy skills, strengthen your arguments, and stay current with evolving legal trends. Connect with us at texapplawpod.com or on LinkedIn and X (@texapplawpod). Brought to you by Texas Appellate Counsel PLLC, a solo practice dedicated to appellate advocacy, trial support, and consulting for trial lawyers. For more information visit texappcounsel.com. Sponsored by Court Surety Bond Agency and Proceed (formerly Counsel Press.) Produced and powered by LawPods, podcast marketing that converts prospects and drives revenue. The views expressed by the participants on this podcast are their own and not those of their law firms, courts, or employers. Nothing you hear on this show establishes an attorney-client relationship or is legal advice.Copyright 2026 Todd Smith & Jody Sanders Economics Leadership Management Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics: Judicial Accountability and the Future of the Central Docket | Judge Amy Clark Meachum

    Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics: Judicial Accountability and the Future of the Central Docket | Judge Amy Clark Meachum
    Apr 23 2026
    Judge Amy Clark Meachum, the Local Administrative Judge for Travis County, joins hosts Todd Smith and Jody Sanders to unpack recent legislation affecting the Texas judiciary and what it means for how courts operate today. Judge Meachum traces the escalating reporting and accountability mandates imposed on Texas trial courts through the 88th and 89th Legislatures; explains the central docket fight and how the Supreme Court's latest rule amendments will affect the Travis County system; and breaks down the new summary judgment rule’s impact on the courts. The pressure to perform on paper is real, she says—judges are managing their dockets with one eye on clearance rates and the other on the State Commission on Judicial Conduct. "No one's checking your substance. They're just checking your numbers. And that's why I call it lies, damn lies, and statistics." Her advice for practitioners: file your summary judgment motion only when it's ready and will be worth the judge’s time.Connect and Learn More☑️ Judge Amy Clark Meachum | LinkedIn☑️ 201st Civil District Court☑️ 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 | YouTubeProduced and Powered by LawPodsSponsored by Court Surety Bond Agency and Proceed.
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    56 mins
  • AI in the Judiciary: Power, Limits, and the Social Contract | Judge Scott Schlegel

    AI in the Judiciary: Power, Limits, and the Social Contract | Judge Scott Schlegel
    Mar 31 2026
    When a lawyer messes up by using an AI platform that produces mistakes, they might get sanctioned by a judge. When a judge messes up using an AI platform, “it could become precedent. So, it’s a much different conversation.” Judge Scott Schlegel, of Louisiana's Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, speaks from his experience as an early leader in courtroom efficiency. Today, he supports a measured judicial approach to AI with this guiding principle: “It's not our job to be first. It's our job to get it right.” Tune in to this conversation with hosts Todd Smith and Jody Sanders to hear about his newer project: the Judicial AI Consortium (JAIC), which he is developing with U.S. Magistrate Judge Maritza Dominguez Braswell of Colorado and Judge Xavier Rodriguez of the Western District of Texas. The consortium is designed to be a simple forum where judges can “ask stupid questions, talk to each other about how you're using it, what you're seeing out there. Is it helpful? Is it useful? How far should we go?” About 200 judges around the country have signed up so far.Connect and Learn More☑️ Judge Scott Schlegel | LinkedIn☑️ United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit on LinkedIn | Instagram | YouTube☑️ 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 | YouTubeProduced and Powered by LawPodsSponsored by Court Surety Bond Agency and Proceed.
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    54 mins
  • The New Rule 166a: What Texas Lawyers Need to Know | Michael Duncan

    The New Rule 166a: What Texas Lawyers Need to Know | Michael Duncan
    Mar 12 2026
    The final version of rewritten Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 166a—the summary judgment rule—became effective March 1, 2026. In this episode, Michael Duncan, an appellate and motions practitioner in Austin who clerked for a Texas Supreme Court justice, unpacks the updated rule with hosts Todd Smith and Jody Sanders. Together, they examine what the Supreme Court changed for the better from the proposed amendment—clarifying the burden of proof for traditional motions, allowing parties to extend response deadlines by agreement, and explicitly requiring evidence with a traditional motion. They also flag new and unresolved concerns, such as the removal of "promptly" from the court's hearing-setting obligation and the potential for abuse of the filing-triggered response deadline. Michael also shares his comparison chart that untangles the four sets of standards governing motions filed during the transition period.Connect and Learn More☑️ Michael Duncan | LinkedIn☑️ Naman, Howell, Smith & Lee on LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook☑️ 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 | YouTubeProduced and Powered by LawPodsSponsored by Court Surety Bond Agency and Proceed.
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    55 mins
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