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The Third Court of Appeals, for Central Texas.
The Third Court of Appeals in Austin hears civil appeals from Travis, Williamson, Hays and Bell Counties and the rest of its Central Texas district, which makes it the appellate court for most of the cases our Round Rock office tries.
What we handle
- Notices of appeal and the deadlines that govern them
- Briefing an appeal, or defending a judgment
- Restricted appeals from default judgments
- Superseding a judgment pending appeal
- Interlocutory and accelerated appeals
- Mandamus
How we approach it
The court sits in Austin. Its district includes Travis, Williamson, Hays, Bell, Bastrop, Burnet, Caldwell, Comal, Lee and Llano Counties among others, so an appeal from a Williamson County judgment is decided here.
We try cases in the courts below it, and an appeal is built on the record made there. civil appeals · restricted appeals · superseding a judgment.
The court’s rules on AI
Texas state courts. No statewide rule on AI is in force. In June 2026 the Supreme Court of Texas preliminarily approved a new Rule 13 under which signing a filing certifies that the signer verified it, including that its citations, quotations and holdings are not fabricated; no final order had issued. The Business Court’s Local Rule 10(c) permits AI but makes the filer independently responsible for every filing. The courts of appeals have no AI rules but sanction fabricated authority under their inherent power, as the Dallas court did in 2025, and Ethics Opinion 705 advises verifying every output, protecting confidences and supervising its use.
Checked against each court’s own rules and orders on 5 November 2026 for John Henry’s talk “AI in Modern Litigation” at the Eastern District of Texas Bankruptcy Bench Bar Conference. Rules change; the full reference, with every order cited, is on the AI in litigation page.
Questions people ask
Which counties does the Third Court of Appeals cover?
Travis, Williamson, Hays, Bell and other Central Texas counties.
How long do I have to appeal to the Third Court of Appeals?
Generally thirty days after the judgment is signed, ninety with a timely motion for new trial, and twenty days in an accelerated appeal.
Where does the court sit?
In Austin.