“There’s never any point at which I would have to say, ‘Well, I’m only going to do trial work now’ or ‘I’m only going to do appellate work,’” Dylan Russell says. He can straddle that line because, as he explains to hosts Todd Smith and Jody Sanders, “I just like the law so much
“I give trial lawyers a menu of options,” Andrew Gould explains to hosts Todd Smith and Jody Sanders about his strategic approach as head of appellate at plaintiffs’ firm Arnold & Itkin. After building their appellate practice from scratch following his years as a federal prosecutor, Andrew shares battle-tested techniques for navigating the trial
Milo Bobbitt built an appellate practice from scratch at his firm. After an internship with then-Justice Willett at the Texas Supreme Court, he successfully defended a significant oil and gas contract victory on appeal, complete with a quote from the movie “Armageddon” in the opinion. “I was writing a new brief about every month for
In this milestone episode, hosts Todd Smith and Jody Sanders celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Texas Appellate Law Podcast. Reflecting on 145 episodes of conversations with judges, practitioners, and legal innovators, they discuss how the podcast has evolved alongside major shifts in legal practice—from the pandemic’s acceleration of virtual proceedings to the emergence of
Hosts Todd Smith and Jody Sanders welcome Adam Shniderman of Alexander Dubose & Jefferson to discuss his unique journey through academia, clerkships, and private practice. Adam shares how his academic background in criminology and forensic evidence provided a solid foundation for his legal career. He compares clerking at the Texas Supreme Court and the Ninth
The Texas Appellate Law Podcast will soon celebrate five years on the air. What began as an idea between two appellate lawyers hoping to demystify our practice area has evolved into a platform for candid conversations with judges, court staff, and fellow attorneys.
When Jody Sanders and I recorded our first episode, we had no
For Chris Dove, it started when he came upon articles in Above the Law about the saga of then-95-year-old federal Judge Pauline Newman. A giant in IP law, Judge Newman faced allegations of poor health and declining cognitive abilities in 2023. Those allegations led to a council’s recommendation that the judge be suspended and
Like every Texas lawyer licensed since 1988, I’d never known a Texas Supreme Court without Chief Justice Nathan Hecht.
That changed on January 1, 2025.
As widely reported in Texas legal news, Chief Justice Hecht retired from the Court on
I’m thrilled to announce the launch of Texas Appellate Counsel PLLC, a solo practice dedicated to appellate advocacy, trial support, and consulting for trial lawyers.
This online publication is part of that venture. It reflects both the firm’s name and my work as a lawyer.
I’ve had my
Chief Justice Nathan Hecht is retiring after an extraordinary 43 years on the bench. In this special episode, he joins Todd Smith and Jody Sanders to reflect on his remarkable career as Texas’s longest-serving Chief Justice. He shares personal stories, pivotal milestones, and the transformative reforms he championed, from modernizing court technology to improving access