The 5th Court of Appeals in Dallas has debuted an online system allowing attorneys to access case documents not available to the public, making it the first appellate court in the state to do so, the court announced Monday.
The Texas Appellate Management and E-filing System attorney portal—or TAMES—is initially being introduced in the appeals court as a pilot program and will eventually be available in all state appellate courts, including the Texas Supreme Court, according to the court’s announcement.
The system, which has been in the works for several months, aims to reduce costs for attorneys who previously had to obtain records—including the clerk’s and court reporter’s records—from the court clerk, 5th Court of Appeals Chief Justice Carolyn Wright said in a statement.
“Our goal is to make practicing before this court as user-friendly as possible,” Wright said.
In the statement, Wright thanked David Slayton, administrative director for the Office of Court Administration; Lisa Matz, clerk of the 5th Court of Appeals; and their dedicated staff for implementing the project.
Lawyers interested in gaining access to the new system can contact the court clerk’s office for more information at 214-712-3450 or theclerk@5th.txcourts.gov.