At a Glance
S.D. Tex. — Quick-reference summary of the most frequently needed rules for the Southern District of Texas.
Quick-reference summary of the most frequently needed rules for the Southern District of Texas.
| Topic | Rule | Key Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Font | Judge procedures | No district-wide requirement. Typically 13-point minimum (judge-specific). |
| Spacing | LR 10.2 | Double-spaced. |
| Page/word limits | Judge procedures | No district-wide limit. Commonly 25–30 pages motions, 10–15 replies (judge-specific). |
| Covers | LR 10.2 | Not permitted. |
| Submission (motion docket date) | LR 7.3 | 21 days after filing — automatic, no clerk notice, no appearance required. |
| Response deadline | LR 7.4.A | By submission day (21 days from motion filing). |
| Reply deadline | LR 7.4.E | 7 days from date response filed. |
| Hearings | LR 7.5 | Not automatic. Must request oral argument in the motion or response. |
| Proposed orders | LR 7.1.C, 7.4.D | Both sides must submit — movant (granting), respondent (denying). |
| Failure to respond | LR 7.4 | Taken as representation of no opposition. |
| Surreplies | Judge procedures | Not addressed district-wide. Judge-specific. |
| Divisions | 28 U.S.C. § 124(b) | Houston, Galveston, Corpus Christi, Victoria, Brownsville, McAllen, Laredo. |
| Galveston supplemental rules | Gal. Div. R. Prac. | Only division with its own published Rules of Practice. |
| Discovery filing rule | LR 5.4 | NOT filed with the clerk. |
| Response format | LR 26.2 | Every response must be preceded by the question or request. |
| Interrogatory limit | LR 33.1 | 25 maximum counting subparts. |
| Galveston discovery disputes | Gal. Div. R. Prac. 7 | Must file joint letter (2 pages max) before any motion to compel. |
| Removal attachments | LR 81 | Only: executed process, pleadings, answers, orders, docket sheet, index, counsel list. |
| E-filing format | Admin. Procedures | Text-searchable PDF, 5 MB max per document. |
| Pro hac vice fee | Fee Schedule | $100.00 (lowest of the three courts). |
| Local counsel required (PHV) | LR 83.1.I | Not required by Local Rules, but individual judges may require it. |
| Sealed civil action | LR 83.6.A | Present application to clerk with complaint in sealed envelope; miscellaneous case number assigned. |