The Southern District of Texas
The Southern District of Texas covers the Houston area, the Gulf Coast, and the Rio Grande Valley. Its seven divisions sit in Galveston, Houston, Laredo, Brownsville, Victoria, Corpus Christi, and McAllen. Under the current statute, the Houston Division also holds court in College Station.
Divisions and courthouse cities
Federal law divides the Southern District into divisions by county. The table below follows the text of 28 U.S.C. §124.
| Division | Court held at | Counties |
|---|---|---|
| Galveston | Galveston | Brazoria, Chambers, Galveston, and Matagorda |
| Houston | Houston and College Station | Austin, Brazos, Colorado, Fayette, Fort Bend, Grimes, Harris, Madison, Montgomery, San Jacinto, Walker, Waller, and Wharton |
| Laredo | Laredo | Jim Hogg, La Salle, McMullen, Webb, and Zapata |
| Brownsville | Brownsville | Cameron and Willacy |
| Victoria | Victoria | Calhoun, DeWitt, Goliad, Jackson, Lavaca, Refugio, and Victoria |
| Corpus Christi | Corpus Christi | Aransas, Bee, Brooks, Duval, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg, Live Oak, Nueces, and San Patricio |
| McAllen | McAllen | Hidalgo and Starr |
County names shown in current spelling; see 28 U.S.C. §124 for the statutory text.
Court locations, local rules, and judges' procedures are posted on the court's official website. Check there for current addresses and filing requirements.
Cities in the district
Cities in the district include Houston (Harris, Fort Bend, and Montgomery counties, among others), Galveston (Galveston County), Bryan and College Station (Brazos County), Corpus Christi (Nueces County), Laredo (Webb County), Victoria (Victoria County), McAllen and Edinburg (Hidalgo County), and Brownsville (Cameron County).
Civil rights cases in this district
Federal courts have jurisdiction over civil actions "arising under the Constitution, laws, or treaties of the United States" (28 U.S.C. §1331). That includes claims under 42 U.S.C. §1983 for excessive force, false arrest, and First Amendment retaliation. A §1983 case is usually filed in the district, and often the division, where the events happened or where the defendants are located. The two-year Texas filing deadline applies statewide; see §1983 deadlines.
Appeals to the Fifth Circuit
Appeals from final decisions of the Southern District go to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (28 U.S.C. §1291), which hears appeals from Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi (28 U.S.C. §41). Some orders, including many denials of qualified immunity, can be appealed before trial. See our appeals and qualified immunity pages.
Brandon J. Grable is admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
Grable PLLC is based in San Antonio and serves clients across Texas. See all four districts on our Texas federal courts page.
This page is general information about Texas and federal law, not legal advice for your situation. Laws and court decisions change, and every case turns on its own facts.
Talk With Grable PLLC
If you believe a Texas officer or government agency violated your civil rights, contact Grable PLLC to discuss your situation. Filing deadlines apply, so it helps to reach out sooner rather than later.