The Texas Pattern Jury Charges series is widely accepted by attorneys and judges as the most authoritative guide for drafting questions, instructions, and definitions in a broad variety of cases.

Each Texas Pattern Jury Charges volume includes an electronic version with the entire book as a hyperlinked and word-searchable PDF file, also available for purchase separately. All charge language is included as Word files linked to the comments for quick retrieval and assembly of jury charges. Texas case citations are linked to PDF files of the cases and to an online version of the Casemaker Web Library.

Pattern Jury Charges Committees:

• Business, Consumer, Insurance & Employment

• Criminal

• Family and Probate

• General Negligence, Intentional Personal Torts & Workers’ Compensation

• Malpractice, Premises & Products

• Oil and Gas

• Oversight

Department Contact
Texas Bar Books
(512) 427-1411
books@texasbar.com
texasbarbooks.net

Purpose

To prepare and periodically revise pattern jury charges for common law and statutory claims encountered in consumer, insurance, business, commercial, and employment litigation. The committee shall consist of a balance of judges, plaintiffs, and defense lawyers with demonstrated expertise in the various areas of practice under review by this committee.

2020-2021 Projects and Objectives

• The PJC Business Committee will be publishing its 2020 edition at the end of this calendar year. The committee will be finalizing the remaining updates to be included in this edition and will work with the Oversight committee as needed for final approval of drafts. Once this edition is complete, the committee will begin planning and developing materials for its next edition. As this will be a non-publication year, the committee will use this time to study new topics that should be added and complete a more thorough review of each section for needed updates.

Staff Contact

Elma Garcia
Publications Attorney
(512) 427-1858

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Purpose

To monitor statutory and case law developments in criminal law and prepare supplementation as needed for Pattern Jury Charges - Criminal. The committee shall consist of a balance of judges and practitioners with demonstrated expertise in the various areas of practice under review by this committee.

2020-2021 Projects and Objectives

• Following the fall 2020 release of Texas Criminal Pattern Jury Charges—Crimes Against Persons & Property, this year the committee will focus our efforts on facilitating the online transition of the Texas Criminal Pattern Jury Charges volumes, as well as finalizing new materials and updating existing charges as needed to reflect current statutory and case law. This process will include presenting materials to the Oversight Committee for review and approval.

Staff Contact

Jim Norman
Attorney I
(512) 427-1460

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Purpose

To monitor statutory and case law developments in family and probate law and prepare supplementation as needed for Pattern Jury Charges - Family and Probate. The committee shall consist of a balance of judges and practitioners with demonstrated expertise in the various areas of practice under review by this committee.

2020-2021 Projects and Objectives

• The Committee’s focus is on preliminary work for publication of the next edition, in early 2022. The current emphasis is on the imminent publication of a special supplement to address a recent change to Tex. R. Civ. P. 277, case law affecting modifications of child custody orders, and an update to attorney’s fee award charges in will contests. Longer-term projects include revising jury instructions for reimbursement determinations in divorces; adding jury charges for contempt findings in divorce order enforcement actions; and consideration of possible additional coverage for invasion-of-privacy and breach-of-duty actions in divorces. The Committee continues to look for more opportunities for improvements to the volume.

Staff Contact

James Norman
Attorney I
(512) 427-1460

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Purpose

To monitor statutory and case law developments in the subject matter of this PJC volume and prepare supplementation as needed. The committee shall consist of a balance of judges, plaintiffs’, and defense lawyers with demonstrated expertise in the various areas of practice under review by this committee.

2020-2021 Projects and Objectives

• Complete remaining issues for publication in 2020 Green Book Volume.

• Begin work on issues identified for purposes of 2022 Green Book Volume publication.

Staff Contact

Sarah Henson
Publications Attorney
(512) 427-1492

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Purpose

To monitor statutory and case law developments in the subject matter of this PJC volume and prepare supplementation as needed. The committee shall consist of a balance of judges, plaintiffs, and defense lawyers with demonstrated expertise in the various areas of practice under review by the committee.

2020-2021 Projects and Objectives

• The Committee is approving final changes for publication of the 2020 edition later this year and planning for longer-term projects. Revised instructions will be published for preexisting conditions, to include a new eggshell plaintiff instruction. The Committee will continue working on topics such as a possible update to jury questions in the damages PJCs, a joint project with the PJC – General Negligence, Intentional Personal Torts & Workers’ Compensation Committee; expanded commentary for inferential rebuttals; possible revisions to jury charges in premises liability cases involving workers’ compensation subscribers; and more.

Staff Contact

James Norman
Attorney I
(512) 427-1460

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Purpose

To monitor statutory and case law developments in the subject matter for this PJC volume and prepare supplementation as needed. The committee shall consist of a balance of judges, and practitioners with demonstrated expertise in the various areas of practice under review by the committee.

2020-2021 Projects and Objectives

• The committee is spending the initial part of this Bar year finalizing materials for inclusion in the 2020 PJC Volume, which will be published at the end of this year.

• The committee is working closely with the PJC Business volume to review and update contracts materials included in both volumes.

• Additionally, the committee will also work with the PJC Oversight committee for review and approval of new materials to be published. Following the publication of the 2020 volume, the committee will begin to research and develop materials for the 2022 edition.

• The committee intends to work with the PJC General Negligence committee to conduct a thorough review and to update the materials on nuisance, which will be included in the 2022 PJC Oil and Gas edition.

• Similarly, the committee will work closely with the Business volume to consider additional updates to the current contracts materials appearing in both books.

• Additionally, the Committee will review and update charges as needed to reflect new statutory and case law. The Committee will work closely with PJC Oversight and the other PJC committees as needed to ensure accuracy and consistency.

Staff Contact

Elma Garcia
Publications Attorney
(512) 427-1858

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Purpose

To set appropriate policies and standards, to act as an oversight and coordinating committee for the PJC committees, and to concern itself with the study and formulation of the form of charges submitted for publication through the Books and Systems Department. The membership of the PJC - Oversight Committee shall consist of two ex-officio members of the Texas Supreme Court as designated by the Supreme Court, a balance of district and appellate court judges, and a balance of lawyers with demonstrated expertise in the various areas of practice, including plaintiffs and defense lawyers, and general member appointments.

2020-2021 Projects and Objectives

• The Oversight committee will spend the initial part of this Bar year reviewing and approving any outstanding materials that will be published in 2020. More specifically, the Oversight Committee will work with the PJC Family Law volume to produce a supplement that reflects updates resulting from the recent amendments to TRCP 277. Outstanding revisions from the PJC Business volume relating to Control Person Liability and “justifiable reliance” will also be finalized. The PJC Oil and Gas Volume is in discussions with the General Negligence volume on potential revisions for Nuisance. The PJC General Negligence and Malpractice volumes are similarly discussing potential revisions to ‘aggravation of existing injury” and the “eggshell” plaintiff. The Oversight Committee has scheduled meetings through December to complete work on these materials and to review and finalize any other materials as needed. Once work for the 2020 editions has been completed, the Oversight committee will begin working with the volumes to consider projects for the 2022 editions. The Oversight committee will work with the volumes to develop new materials and to facilitate work on materials impacting more than one volume to ensure accuracy and consistency.

Staff Contact

Elma Garcia
Publications Attorney
(512) 427-1858

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