The Local Administrative Judge (LAJ)

Overview

Every county in Texas has a local administrative district judge and, if there is a county court at law, a local administrative CCL judge, serving a two-year term in that position. Most duties of LAJs are enumerated in §74.092 Government Code, below.

1. implement and execute the local rules of administration, including the assignment, docketing, transfer, and hearing of cases;
2. appoint any special or standing committees necessary or desirable for court management and administration;
3. promulgate local rules of administration if the other judges do not act by a majority vote;
4. recommend to the regional presiding judge any needs for assignment from outside the county to dispose of court caseloads;
5. supervise the expeditious movement of court caseloads, subject to local, regional, and state rules of administration;
6. provide the supreme court and the office of court administration requested statistical and management information;
7. set the hours and places for holding court in the county;
8. supervise the employment and performance of nonjudicial personnel;
9. supervise the budget and fiscal matters of the local courts, subject to local rules of administration;
10. coordinate and cooperate with any other local administrative judge in the district in the assignment of cases in the courts' concurrent jurisdiction for the efficient operation of the court system and the effective administration of justice; and
11. perform other duties as may be directed by the chief justice or a regional presiding judge.

Local Rules

The LAJ should ensure that local rules are in place, approved by the Supreme Court, and easily available to counsel and pro se litigants on paper and on the Internet. The LAJ should also ensure that the rules accurately reflect current local practice or supervise amendments to correct any discrepancies. Local rules are discussed in Rule 10, Texas Rules of Judicial Administration, Rule 3a, Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, and Government Code §74.093(b) and (c) (as amended, 2009), which states:

Docket Management

LAJs should be, or become, comfortable with docket or caseflow management, the process by which courts carry out their primary function: moving cases from filing to closure. This includes all pre-trial events, trials, and, increasingly, events that follow closure to ensure the integrity of court orders and timely completion of post-disposition case activity. Effective caseflow management makes justice possible not only in individual cases but also across judicial systems and courts, both trial and appellate. The Office of Court Administration, Court Services Program, offers free assistance in this area.

Court Activity Reports

Reporting of routine court activity to the Office of Court Administration/Texas Judicial Council takes place through the offices of the district and county clerks. The LAJ should become familiar with the process in their county and ensure that activity is accurately reported through collaboration with those clerks and by visiting the reports available on the Trial Court Judicial Data Management System. This information is used by organizations and individuals statewide to analyze court activity and performance and is used to produce an annual statistical report.

Further information may be accessed from the Office of Court Administration Judicial Information Program, and LAJs interested in court performance measures may also visit the CourTools website of the National Center for State Courts.

Security Incident Reporting

Art. 102.017(f), Code of Criminal Procedure, requires the LAJ to submit to the Office of Court Administration a written report regarding any security incident involving court security that occurs in or around a building housing a court for which the judge serves as local administrative judge not later than the third business day after the date the incident occurred. Forms and instructions are posted on OCA’s Required Reporting page.

Indigent Defense

Under §71.051 Government Code, the LAJ has significant responsibility for the operation of indigent defense in the county. The LAJ should be familiar with the funding available from the Task Force on Indigent Defense, as well as the local Indigent Defense Plan(s) and how they account for:

Judicial Continuity of Operations Planning

As suggested by §74.093(c)(2) (see above), Local Rules may provide for “a coordinated response for the transaction of essential judicial functions in the event of a disaster.” The LAJ should, at a minimum:

Leadership

Fulfillment of the administrative duties of an LAJ requires knowledge of, and appreciation for, the roles of other officials and staff. In addition to the other judges, key personnel are clerks, court manager, court coordinator or administrator, county auditor, official court reporter, and bailiff. The LAJ should be a leader in the courthouse, carrying out the administrative responsibilities of the office and interacting with these and other officials and staff with the patience, dignity and courteousness that is expected of every judge, both in and outside of the courtroom.