Judges of the Texas Business Court said the new statewide business court opened Sept. 1 and has handled hundreds of filings in its first year, describing work to stand up staff, local rules and a specialized docket meant to speed resolution of complex commercial disputes.

The remarks matter because the court was created by recent state legislation to provide a focused forum for complex business litigation, a change judges said can reduce delay and give litigants more predictable trial schedules compared with a typical district court docket.

The court was established “by House Bill 19 of the 2023 Texas Legislative Session,” and the legislation created a 10-judge business court with two judges each in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio, a speaker said. Judges reported they have developed local rules, coordinated calendars across the bench and begun issuing decisions on business disputes.

On caseload and filings, judges reported specific first-year figures: 185 new cases taken in, roughly 55 cases disposed of, and about 128 active pending cases remaining. The clerk’s office issued about 400 citations and the court received nearly 7,000 filings during the first year, the judges said. “We took in a 185 new cases. We disposed of around 55 cases, leaving us a pending balance of around 128 active cases,” one judge said.

Speakers described unusual operational features for the court. Judges said they have a much smaller active docket per judge than many trial judges in Texas — “A typical district court judge here in Texas has, at least in Harris County... 2 or 3,000 cases on their docket. I currently have 20 cases,” one judge said — and they emphasized the court’s ability to give business cases individual attention, schedule firm trial dates and move complex matters more quickly.

Judges also discussed outreach and marketing to let lawyers and businesses know the court exists and how it can save time and resources. “A lot of the effort we’ve put into it ... has been marketing the court,” a judge said, and speakers credited a partnership with the Office of Court Administration in building systems and facilities.

Several judges described the work as a “matter of first impression,” saying they are developing new case law and shaping practice in the court’s early weeks and months. “Everything we’re doing is really kind of a matter of first impression that we are really making law and shaping the law,” one judge said.

No formal votes or policy actions were recorded in the remarks reviewed; the statements were descriptive of the court’s organization, caseload and operations and did not include any formal motions or decisions reported for public record in this transcript excerpt.

Looking ahead, judges said the court will continue coordinating among its 10 judges, refining local procedures and handling further filings as the business court’s caseload grows.