Judge Christina A. Bryan
Individual Rules, Standing Orders & Policies
- Rules last changed:
Limits & Logistics
Document Limits
Courtesy Copies
Courtesy copies
Deposition Excerpts
- 1 copy
Joint Pretrial Order
- 1 copy • Upon Filing
Adjournments
- Motions for continuance must be filed at least two weeks before the trial date set in the Scheduling and Docket Control Order.
Communication
Clerk
Phone
Clerk
Phone
Clerk
Phone
Clerk
Letter via ECF
Clerk
Page & Word Limits2 rules
Machine summary. Not checked yet.Mandatory?
The requesting party must file a letter of no more than three pages summarizing the dispute, the date, time and method of the parties’ conference and the identity of the attendees, the outcome of the discussions, and the relief sought from the court.
Summary: Letter requesting court conference on discovery dispute must not exceed 3 pages.
Letter
3 pages
Applies to: Attorney
Machine summary. Not checked yet.Mandatory?
Without leave of court, all motions are limited to 25 double-spaced pages with 12-point font and 1” margins.
Summary: All motions are limited to 25 double-spaced pages with 12-point font and 1-inch margins, unless leave of court is granted.
Motion
25 pages
Document Format Requirements8 rules
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If a power-point presentation is used during oral argument, provide a printed copy of the presentation to the court and opposing counsel at the hearing.
Summary: Printed copy of power-point presentation used in oral argument must be provided to court and opposing counsel at the hearing.
Machine summary. Not checked yet.Mandatory?
Provide video or audio exhibits on a thumb drive or disc labeled with the exhibit number.
Summary: Video or audio exhibits must be provided on a thumb drive or disc labeled with the exhibit number.
Machine summary. Not checked yet.Mandatory?
The .pdf document must contain bookmarks identifying each exhibit and bookmarks set to the portions of the document cited or referenced in the motion or brief. Further, when a motion or brief refers only to a small portion of a voluminous exhibit, the party should highlight the referenced portion of the exhibit.
Summary: Exhibits over 50 pages provided as PDF must include bookmarks for each exhibit and cited portions, and highlight small referenced portions.
Machine summary. Not checked yet.Mandatory?
The Joint Pretrial Order shall follow the form set forth in Local Rule 16.2, Appendix B.
Summary: Joint Pretrial Orders must follow the form specified in Local Rule 16.2, Appendix B.
Machine summary. Not checked yet.Mandatory?
Parties must submit Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law to the court in an electronic Word document.
Summary: Findings of fact and conclusions of law must be submitted as electronic Word documents.
DOCX
Machine summary. Not checked yet.Mandatory?
The parties shall submit the proposed charge to the Case Manager in an electronic Word document.
Summary: Joint proposed jury charge must be submitted as Word document to Case Manager.
DOCX
Machine summary. Not checked yet.Mandatory?
Counsel for each party shall provide a tabbed and indexed notebook of exhibits for the court and the witness.
Summary: Counsel must provide tabbed, indexed exhibit notebooks to court and witness.
Machine summary. Not checked yet.Mandatory?
Counsel must provide the court with a single copy of any deposition from which excerpts will be used at trial and should use color-coded highlighting to represent each parties’ requested deposition excerpts.
Summary: Deposition excerpts must use color-coded highlighting for party designations.
Document Filing Requirements15 rules
Machine summary. Not checked yet.Mandatory?
Prior to any scheduled Rule 16 Conference, the parties must conduct the initial meeting required by Rule 26, make mandatory disclosures in accordance with Rule 26, file the Joint Discovery/Case Management Plan, and submit a proposed Scheduling and Docket Control Order.
Summary: Joint Discovery/Case Management Plan must be filed prior to Rule 16 Conference.
Document Type
Joint Discovery Case Management Plan
Machine summary. Not checked yet.Mandatory?
Non-dispositive motions will be automatically struck if they do not include a Certificate of Conference in compliance with Local Rule 7.1(D).
Summary: Non-dispositive motions must include a Certificate of Conference compliant with Local Rule 7.1(D) to avoid being struck.
Document Type
Non Dispositive Motion
Machine summary. Not checked yet.Mandatory?
For bench trials, each proposed conclusion of law will contain citation of legal authority supporting the conclusion.
Summary: Bench trial proposed conclusions of law must include supporting legal authority citations.
Document Type
Findings Of Fact Conclusions Of Law
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These references shall be supplemented at the close of each trial day during the bench trial.
Summary: Bench trial finding references must be supplemented daily at trial close.
Document Type
Findings Of Fact Conclusions Of Law
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Findings of fact shall include references to testimony and exhibits that support the finding.
Summary: Bench trial findings of fact must include references to supporting testimony and exhibits.
Document Type
Findings Of Fact Conclusions Of Law
Machine summary. Not checked yet.Mandatory?
Whenever possible, the charge should conform to the Fifth Circuit Pattern Jury Instructions or the Texas Pattern Jury Charge, as modified by case law or statutory amendments. Counsel must identify and provide legal authorities for any proposed deviation from the applicable pattern jury charge.
Summary: Joint proposed jury charge should conform to pattern instructions; deviations require cited authority.
Document Type
Joint Proposed Jury Charge
Machine summary. Not checked yet.Mandatory?
The parties shall include in the proposed jury charge all necessary instructions or definitions.
Summary: Joint proposed jury charge must include all necessary instructions and definitions.
Document Type
Joint Proposed Jury Charge
Machine summary. Not checked yet.Mandatory?
If the parties cannot, in good faith, agree on all instructions, definitions or questions, the parties should nonetheless submit a single, unified charge with notations of any disagreement. Each disputed item should be labelled to show which party is requesting the disputed language. Accompanying each instruction shall be all authority or related materials upon which each party relies.
Summary: Joint proposed jury charge must be unified with disagreement notations and supporting authority.
Document Type
Joint Proposed Jury Charge
Machine summary. Not checked yet.Mandatory?
Each requested instruction must be numbered and presented with authority.
Summary: Joint proposed jury charge instructions must be numbered and include legal authority.
Document Type
Joint Proposed Jury Charge
Machine summary. Not checked yet.Mandatory?
Objections to designations of deposition excerpts must be identified by page and line, include supporting authority, and be filed with the Pretrial Order.
Summary: Deposition excerpt objections must include page/line references, authority, and be filed with Pretrial Order.
Document Type
Deposition Excerpt Objections
Machine summary. Not checked yet.Mandatory?
Such numbering shall correspond to the exhibit list included in the Joint Pretrial Order.
Summary: Exhibit numbering must correspond to exhibit list in Joint Pretrial Order.
Document Type
Joint Pretrial Order
Machine summary. Not checked yet.Mandatory?
The proposed voir dire questions and topics must be included in the Joint Pretrial Order.
Summary: Proposed voir dire questions and topics must be included in Joint Pretrial Order.
Document Type
Joint Pretrial Order
Machine summary. Not checked yet.Mandatory?
Parties shall mark and number all exhibits prior to trial.
Summary: All exhibits must be marked and numbered prior to trial.
Document Type
Exhibits
Machine summary. Not checked yet.Mandatory?
Counsel must designate the portions of any deposition to be read at trial by citing the page and line reference in the Joint Pretrial Order.
Summary: Deposition portions for trial must be designated by page and line in Joint Pretrial Order.
Document Type
Joint Pretrial Order
Machine summary. Not checked yet.Mandatory?
Parties must notify the court of agreed continuances by submitting an unopposed or agreed motion for continuance along with a proposed order.
Summary: Agreed or unopposed motions for continuance must be submitted with a proposed order.
Document Type
Motion
Filing & Service rules
Courtesy Copy Requirements
Courtesy copies of exhibits are required if exhibits exceed 50 pages, to be provided as a single PDF.
The court generally does not require courtesy copies of motions or exhibits. However, if the exhibits exceed 50 pages (either singly or in combination), the party must provide the exhibit/exhibits in the form of a single electronic pdf document.
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Page 6 | VI. MOTION PRACTICE
Plaintiff must deliver one courtesy copy of the Joint Pretrial Order with attachments to the court.
Plaintiff must deliver a courtesy copy of the Joint Pretrial Order to the court with all attachments.
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Page 7 | VII. Trial
Counsel must provide single copy of deposition excerpts with color-coded highlighting.
Counsel must provide the court with a single copy of any deposition from which excerpts will be used at trial and should use color-coded highlighting to represent each parties’ requested deposition excerpts.
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Page 8 | VII. Trial
Sealing & Redaction Procedures
Designated Material filed with the Court or used in a judicial proceeding is public unless a party moves to file it under seal; the Protective Order does not automatically seal it.
Any Designated Material which becomes part of an official judicial proceeding or which is filed with the Court is public. Such Designated Material will be sealed by the Court only upon motion and in accordance with applicable law. This Protective Order does not provide for the automatic sealing of such Designated Material. If it becomes necessary to file Designated Material with the Court, a party must move to file the Designated Material under seal.
Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 4, 2026 · Civil cases
Page 10
Documents subject to confidential treatment or disclosing Confidential Information must be filed under seal, retained until court order, with only confidential parts sealed if possible.
8. Documents or information filed with the court that is subject to confidential treatment under this Order, and any pleadings, motions, or other papers filed with the court disclosing any Confidential Information, must be filed under seal to the extent permitted by the law, rules, or court orders, and must be kept under seal until the court orders otherwise. To the extent the court requires any further act by the parties as a precondition to filing the documents or information under seal, the party filing the document or information is responsible for satisfying the requirements. If possible, only the confidential parts of documents of information filed with the court will be filed under seal.
Machine summary. Not checked yet. · Civil cases
Page 13 | 8
Pleadings, motions, and other papers disclosing Confidential Information must be filed under seal until further court order, with only confidential portions sealed where possible.
this Stipulation and Order that is filed with the Court, and any pleadings, motions or other papers filed with the Court disclosing any Confidential Information, shall be filed under seal to the extent permitted by law (including without limitation any applicable rules of court) and kept under seal until further order of the Court. To the extent the Court requires any further act by the parties as a precondition to the filing of documents under seal (beyond the submission of this Stipulation and Order Regarding Confidential Information), it shall be the obligation of the producing party of the documents to be filed with the Court to satisfy any such precondition. Where possible, only confidential portions of filings with the Court shall be filed under seal.
Machine summary. Not checked yet. · Civil cases
Page 9 | Stipulation and Order Regarding Confidential Information
Pre-Motion Conference Requirements
Counsel must confer by phone/video before requesting court conference on discovery dispute; must file 3-page letter with required content.
Only after counsel have conferred by telephone or video conference and are unable to reach agreement may any party request a conference with the court. The requesting party must file a letter of no more than three pages summarizing the dispute, the date, time and method of the parties’ conference and the identity of the attendees, the outcome of the discussions, and the relief sought from the court.
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Page 4 | IV. DISCOVERY DISPUTES
Discovery disputes must be addressed at a conference before filing a motion, with briefing schedule set during the conference if motion is necessary.
To the fullest extent possible, the court will dispose of discovery disputes at the conference and without resort to motion practice. If a written motion continues to be necessary, the remaining issues to be addressed in the motion and a briefing schedule will be established during the conference.
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Page 5 | IV. Discovery disputes
Parties must discuss options to reduce e-discovery burdens before seeking court intervention for electronic data disputes.
The parties must also discuss prior to court intervention, the potential options for decreasing the alleged burdens of searching for and producing electronic data.
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Page 5 | IV. Discovery disputes
Counsel resisting e-discovery must be prepared to discuss search/production burdens or have a knowledgeable person available.
Counsel for a party resisting discovery of electronic data shall be prepared to discuss, or have in attendance (in person or by telephone) a person prepared to discuss, the specific burdens or difficulties involved in the searching for and/or production of the requested electronic data.
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Page 5 | IV. Discovery disputes
Discovery motions must follow Section III Discovery Disputes procedures and fail to resolve the dispute before being filed.
Discovery motions should be filed only after the procedures in Section III “Discovery Disputes” have been followed but have failed to resolve the dispute.
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Page 6 | VI. MOTION PRACTICE
Adjournment & Extension Requirements
Motions for continuance must be filed at least two weeks before the trial date set in the Scheduling and Docket Control Order.
The court will consider motions for continuance filed at least two weeks prior to the trial date provided in the Scheduling and Docket Control Order.
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Page 9 | VIII. CONTINUANCES
Chambers Communication Rules
Substantive issues may not be addressed in phone calls or emails to the Case Manager; letters containing substantive issues must be filed on ECF.
Do not address substantive issues in phone calls or emails to the Case Manager. To the extent substantive issues are addressed in a letter, the letter must be filed on the ECF.
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Page 3 | II. CONTACT WITH COURT PERSONNEL
Case-related inquiries must be made only to the Case Manager; law clerks may not be contacted for case-related questions.
Case-related inquiries should be made only to the Case Manager. Do not contact law clerks with case-related questions.
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Page 3 | II. CONTACT WITH COURT PERSONNEL
Questions regarding criminal matters must be directed to Case Manager (713-250-5860) or Criminal Intake Desk Clerk (713-250-5123).
Direct all questions regarding criminal matters to the Case Manager, (713) 250-5860, or the Clerk for the Criminal Intake Desk, (713) 250-5123.
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Page 3 | II. CONTACT WITH COURT PERSONNEL
Requests for telephone or video appearances must be made in writing to the Case Manager at least 3 days before the scheduled appearance.
Requests to appear by telephone or video conference shall be made in writing to Judge Bryan’s Case Manager at least three days prior to the scheduled appearance.
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Page 5 | V. ATTORNEY APPEARANCES
Case Manager Melissa Morgan can be contacted via telephone, email, or letter at the provided address, phone, and email.
Inquiries may be made to the Case Manager via telephone, email, or letter addressed to: Melissa Morgan, Case Manager, United States District Clerk, 515 Rusk Street, Room 7007, Houston, Texas 77002, (713) 250-5860, melissa_morgan@txs.uscourts.gov
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Page 4 | II. CONTACT WITH COURT PERSONNEL
Parties may inquire about status of civil motions ripe for decision over 60 days by contacting the Case Manager.
Parties may contact the Case Manager to inquire about the status of any civil motion that has been ripe for decision for more than sixty days.
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Page 4 | II. CONTACT WITH COURT PERSONNEL
Junior Lawyer Participation Incentives
Junior lawyers (licensed fewer than 7 years) are encouraged to receive speaking roles, especially if they drafted the motion/response or prepared the witness.
The court encourages experienced lawyers and their clients to provide speaking roles for lawyers licensed fewer than 7 years, particularly when those lawyers have, to a substantial degree, drafted the motion or response being argued, or prepared the witness being presented.
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Page 5 | V. ATTORNEY APPEARANCES