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Court Personnel

Disclaimer: These materials give specific information about the procedures that a litigant must follow in a suit in the San Antonio Division of the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas. Different requirements may apply under the Local Rules and standing orders of other federal courts outside the Western District of Texas. Also, the information presented in these pages is for educational purposes only, and does not constitute legal advice. Every case is different, and the correct legal answer always depends on the facts of the individual case. If you want a legal opinion about your own case, you should seek help from a licensed attorney.

1. ALWAYS be polite and patient with court personnel, regardless of how they treat you. If you make an enemy of the clerk's office or of the court staff, you will find it more difficult to get things done in your case. It may help to remember that the court personnel are not personally responsible for the rules that apply to your lawsuit.

2. Before you call the court to ask a question, look in the Local Rules and the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to try to find an answer.

3. The District Clerk's Office keeps all the paper records of your court. Everything you file in the case should be filed with the clerk's office. The clerk's office is the best place to ask about the status of your case. For example, if you want to know if the judge has ruled on a motion, or if you want a copy of an order, contact the district clerk.

4. The judge's law clerk acts as the judge's personal assistant in handling your case. The law clerk researches the case for the judge and helps the judge prepare for hearings and trials. Sometimes, you will need to talk to the law clerk to warn the judge that you are filing a motion that will require immediate attention, such as a request to extend a deadline. Because the judge's law clerk is involved in the judge's decisions, it is improper for you to try to influence the clerk in your favor or to try to get the clerk to give you inside information about your case. Do not ask the judge's law clerk for legal advice. Do not ask the judge's law clerk how or when they think the judge will make a decision.

5. The judge's courtroom deputy handles the judge's schedule for hearings and trials and handles the physical administration of the judge's courtroom. For example, the courtroom deputy will keep track of your exhibits at trial and will make arrangements for any special equipment you need in the courtroom. If you have a question about scheduling, call the judge's courtroom deputy.

6. Never contact the judge directly. It is improper for either side to talk with the judge about the case outside the hearing of the other side (this is called ex parte contact with the judge).

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This page was last updated on: 01/03/02