Welcome to the First Court of Appeals, Houston, Texas
The First Court of Appeals serves the Houston, Texas Area. The Court consists of nine justices who hear appeals and original proceedings from ten counties.
Counties Served
Legal Citation
Latest News
Texas Rule of Appellate Procedure 49 dealing with rehearings and en banc consideration has been revised effective October 1, 2021.
Read more...
Anders Guidelines
November 08, 2016
If you plan to file an Anders brief and supporting motion to withdraw in a criminal case pending before this Court, please take note of the information contained in the Court's Anders guidelines . As with any brief, compliance with Texas Rule of Appellate Procedure 38 is required. See the briefing checklist for a complete list of requirements. These Anders guidelines supplement but do not replace the briefing requirements.
Attorneys practicing before 1st and 14th Courts now have access to a record portal that will allow attorneys to download the clerk and reporter records from their offices.
Read more...
Alias Names in Cases
October 13, 2014
All documents filed in parental-rights termination cases or juvenile court cases, except for the docketing statement and appellate record, must use alias names. Tex. R. App. 9.8
Appellate Pro Bono Program
October 13, 2014
The State Bar of Texas (SBOT) and the Houston Bar Association's Appellate Practice Section (HBA) sponsors and administers a pro bono program. The goal of the program is to match a litigant with a civil appeal, who is financially unable to obtain legal representation, with a volunteer lawyer who agrees to serve without expectation of compensation for their service. If you believe that your civil appellate matter might qualify for inclusion in the SBOT/HBA pro bono program, details can be found in the following places: (1) State Bar of Texas Pro Bono Project , and (2) Houston Bar Association web site.