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Fifth Circuit

Northern District of Texas Exhibit Requirements

The Northern District of Texas is one of the largest federal districts, covering 100 counties including the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. The court handles substantial commercial litigation, patent cases, and federal criminal prosecutions. With seven divisions, the district has developed comprehensive local rules while allowing significant judge-specific variations.

N.D. Tex.CM/ECF (PACER)Per scheduling order
Prepare ExhibitsFederal Court Guide PDF

Quick Reference

E-Filing SystemCM/ECF (PACER)
File Size Limit50 MB per document
Plaintiff MarkingP-1, P-2, P-3...
Defendant MarkingD-1, D-2, D-3...
Exchange DeadlinePer scheduling order
Primary RuleCivil L.R. 16.2, 26.1

What This Guide Covers

Civil L.R. 16.2 scheduling conference requirements
Civil L.R. 26.1 discovery procedures
Patent Local Rules for IP litigation
Electronic filing required in all cases
Multi-division case assignment
ADR requirements in most civil cases
Bates numbering strongly encouraged
Trial exhibit procedures per individual judges

Divisions & Courthouses

Dallas

  • •Earle Cabell Federal Building
  • •Largest division - most commercial cases
  • •Patent litigation hub
  • •Major criminal prosecutions

Fort Worth

  • •Eldon B. Mahon U.S. Courthouse
  • •Tarrant County and surrounding areas
  • •Growing commercial caseload

Lubbock/Amarillo/Abilene/Wichita Falls/San Angelo

  • •West Texas divisions
  • •Varied caseloads
  • •Same local rules apply

Judge-Specific Practices

N.D. Tex. judges maintain individual standing orders that may significantly modify general local rules. Dallas division judges in particular often have detailed case management procedures. Always check the assigned judge's standing orders on the court website before filing. Patent cases have specialized rules that apply in addition to general local rules.

Pro Tips for N.D. Tex.

  • 1Texas federal courts strongly prefer numbered exhibits (P-1, D-1) over lettered
  • 2Check assigned division and judge-specific orders carefully
  • 3Patent cases follow specialized Patent Local Rules
  • 4ADR (mediation) is required in most civil cases - budget accordingly
  • 5File large document sets in multiple parts if necessary
  • 6Dallas judges often have detailed individual case procedures

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Not checking division-specific procedures
Failing to comply with Patent Local Rules in IP cases
Missing ADR deadlines or requirements
Using lettered exhibits when numbers are expected
Not reviewing individual judge standing orders
Failing to meet initial disclosure deadlines under Civil L.R. 26.1

Related Court Guides

🆕 Trial Binder Mode

Alphabetic labels with per-exhibit numbering

Federal Overview

FRCP Rule 26 & CM/ECF

Federal PDF Guide

Comprehensive PDF download

State Courts

50 state guides

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