By Andrew Clark, Originally published May 29, 2026
Every day, trial court judges across Texas walk into courtrooms prepared to preside over cases spanning an enormous breadth of legal terrain, from civil disputes and criminal proceedings to family law matters and juvenile cases. The expectation is not just competence in one area of law but fluency across all of them, often on the same day.
To meet that demand, judges rely on practical resources that give them fast, reliable access to the procedures, statutes, and guidance they need. Two of the most important resources for them are the “Texas Judicial Bench Book” and the “Texas Capital Cases Bench Book,” produced by the Texas Center for the Judiciary, the nonprofit serving as the official educator and registrar for Texas judges. Thanks to an innovative collaboration with TCJ, Texas Law students are playing a central role in keeping these books up to date.
Every two years, up to 15 law students participate in the Capital Cases Bench Book Project and the Judicial Bench Book Project through the law school’s Richard & Ginni Mithoff Pro Bono Program. The projects provide unique experiences, allowing the students to learn directly from judges while working on one of the judiciary’s more invaluable resources.
Primary Roles
“Students contribute far beyond traditional legal research,” says Michele Young, Online Education Administrator at TCJ.
“In many ways, they serve as the primary editors and reviewers for their assigned chapters, taking responsibility for conducting line-by-line updates to ensure the material is accurate, current, and practical for judges using it in the courtroom. That work includes reviewing new legislation, verifying that cited case law remains good law, checking for rule changes, updating procedural guidance, and revising sample scripts and terminology to reflect modern courtroom practice and changing language.”
Students contribute far beyond traditional legal research.
Michele Young, Online Education Administrator at TCJ
Students involved with the Capital Cases Bench Book Project work with a committee of judges to revise the book and incorporate legal developments from its last edition. The Capital Cases Bench Book is a reference for trial court judges who oversee capital matters in Texas state courts. They turn to it for everything from guidelines to addenda, relying on it as a quick source for key information. Those working on this project are assigned to work alongside a judge on one specific part of the book. Upon publication, the students are credited in the revised book.
Similarly, those involved in the Judicial Bench Book Project work alongside a judge to incorporate legal changes made since the book’s last publication. The Texas Bench Book is used by trial court judges throughout the state and includes guidelines and sample scripts for both trials and hearings.
According to Young, having these books at the ready is critical for judges—and having them updated was an absolute must.
“Texas judges navigate a constantly evolving legal landscape,” she says. “Legislative updates, new appellate decisions, shifting procedural rules, and advances in technology and courtroom practices require judges to adapt quickly while continuing to manage demanding dockets. The bench books provide judges with a practical, reliable resource they can reference in real time when addressing unfamiliar issues or refreshing their understanding of complex areas of law.”
The Experience
For Heaven Baylor ’28, volunteering to be one of the 11 Texas Law students participating in the project this year was an ideal fit. She enjoys writing and research, and the project required her to engage with and improve both skill sets. Additionally, Baylor wanted to network with judges who have a wealth of experience doing much of the same work that she’s interested in. She also added that another aspect that drew her to the project: pulling back the curtain on the judicial process.
“The judiciary can be a mystery to new law students,” says Baylor, who worked alongside retired judge Brent Carr, formerly of the Tarrant County Criminal Court. “Prior to law school, I was a social worker, and I occasionally had to make legally required reports to protect clients. But I didn’t know what that looked like on the other side. After I made a report, who decided when a client patient was involuntarily committed? What were the legal requirements of police officers responding to such reports? How did courts decide when treatment was ‘finished’? This project let me see what the legal side of my former work looks like and helped demystify part of the judicial process.”
Briana Gordley ’28 spent the fall and spring semesters reviewing and updating the old version of the family law section of the judicial bench book. For her, the work entailed reading the bench book and becoming familiar with its structure and content, reviewing each section that referenced a statute, and checking the applicable section of code to ensure no changes had been made. She was also tasked with updating the book’s language as necessary in response to legislative changes, updating language regarding previously pending legal cases, and communicating changes to Judge Judy Warne, a former judge in Texas’ 257th District Court.
“The most enjoyable part for me was two-fold: transforming legislative statutes into plain language information and instruction for judges, and then building a relationship with Judge Warne,” she says, noting that she typically enjoys the more behind-the-scenes, administrative—and often tedious—work of reviewing legislative updates and transcribing those updates in a way that is accessible to other people.
Gordley strongly believes that her time working alongside Judge Warne over the past two semesters will impact her future career as an attorney. Working on this project gave Gordley her first opportunity to work directly with an established attorney and judge, helping her learn best practices for collaborating on a joint project and communicating with legal professionals. She also says that she gained a decent amount of statutory interpretation experience in areas of the code related to family law, which she knows will be invaluable in her future work in that area.
“This work in and of itself is inherent to what the legal profession entails, and I am grateful to have gained more targeted experience in this area,” says Gordley.
This work in and of itself is inherent to what the legal profession entails, and I am grateful to have gained more targeted experience in this area.
Briana Gordley ’28
Baylor echoed these sentiments, highlighting that having the opportunity to work alongside a seasoned veteran of the judiciary was an unparalleled experience.
“I think making meaningful connections with experienced attorneys and judges will be helpful throughout your career, and this project gave me the chance to do that,” she says. “I think it’s also useful to know how judges make decisions about certain issues and what requirements ground the decision-making process. As someone passionate about how mental health and the law intersect, I appreciated the opportunity to learn more about this intersection in state courts.”
With the pro bono work of the Texas Law students on the project having ended with the semester, the “Texas Judicial Bench Book” and the “Texas Capital Cases Bench Book” are entering the next phases of pre-publication production. According to Young, TCJ will publish both the print and digital versions by the end of November, and printed copies will be distributed to newly elected judges attending a College for New Judges in early December.