**Senior United States District Judge Andrew S. Hanen** was appointed to the Southern District of Texas by President George W. Bush in 2002. Born and raised in Waco, Texas, Judge Hanen earned his undergraduate degree from Denison University in Ohio in 1975 and attended Baylor University School of Law, where he graduated first in his class in 1978. He served as a briefing attorney for a Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice before relocating to Houston, where he maintained a civil trial practice spanning over two decades and obtained board certification in civil trial law. He served as president of the Houston Bar Association and director of the State Bar of Texas, received the Professionalism Award from the State Bar College, and was named Outstanding Young Lawyer in Texas. He presided over the Brownsville Division from his appointment until 2018, then transferred to Houston. He received the Samuel Pessarra Outstanding Jurist Award in 2016 and was confirmed by the Senate by a 97-0 vote. **Education** - Baylor University School of Law, J.D., 1978 (first in class) - Denison University, B.A., 1975 **Career** - Senior United States District Judge, Southern District of Texas, Houston Division (2002–present; formerly Brownsville Division 2002–2018) - Civil trial practitioner, Houston (over 20 years) - Briefing attorney to Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice - President, Houston Bar Association - Director, State Bar of Texas - Board-certified, civil trial law
**Division:** Houston **Courthouse:** Bob Casey United States Courthouse, 515 Rusk Street, Room 9110, Houston, Texas 77002 **Phone:** (713) 250-5908 **Chambers Staff** - Case Manager: Rhonda Hawkins, (713) 250-5518 - Law Clerk: Blythe Cardenas - Law Clerk: Morgan Bates - Law Clerk: Megan Jacobs
Courtesy copies are required for emergency motions. Details: 1 copy, delivery after filing. In addition to physical or electronic filing, counsel must send a file-stamped courtesy hard copy of emergency motions directly to the Case Manager.
Judge Andrew S. Hanen's rules set a pre-motion procedure for tro and other. Applications for restraining orders or immediate relief must be presented to the Court via the Case Manager only after counsel affirms that the opposing party has been contacted and both parties can be available for a conference.
Judge Andrew S. Hanen's rule states these limits: 20 pages. Motions are limited to 20 pages.
Judge Andrew S. Hanen's rule states these limits: 25 pages. All briefs, legal memoranda, motions, and pleadings are limited to 25 pages unless the Court permits exceeding that limit.
Judge Andrew S. Hanen's formatting rule includes file format paper, leave of court required for conventional (paper) filing of documents exceeding 30 pages, and electronic filing preferred when possible. Leave of Court required for conventional filing of documents over 30 pages, with electronic filing preferred.
The rule identifies required filing content or certificates. All pretrial motions including motions to suppress must comply with Local Criminal Rule 12; non-compliant motions to suppress are waived and unsupported pretrial motions are not entertained.
The rule identifies required filing content or certificates. Motions to suppress that do not comply with form requirements are waived under Rule 12.1.
Parties may contact Judge Andrew S. Hanen's chambers by letter ecf only as allowed by the rule. Except as permitted under Section 8A, parties must not address substantive issues in letter form to the Court because such letters may not be docketed or included in the appellate record.
Judge Andrew S. Hanen's rules set procedures for sealed or redacted filings. Any pleadings, motions, or other papers filed with the Court that disclose Confidential Information must be filed under seal and kept under seal until further order of the Court.
Judge Andrew S. Hanen's rules specify what an adjournment or extension request must include. All requests for extensions of discovery deadlines or postponement of trial must be signed by both the attorney and the party making the request.
No. The rule prohibits holding covered papers for bundling. Counsel may not combine two different and unrelated pleadings (motions, responses, replies, or exhibits) into a single electronically filed document.
Yes. Electronic filing is required for the covered filings. The Southern District of Texas requires electronic filing of all pleadings under Local Rule 5.1.
All pretrial motions including motions to suppress must comply with Local Criminal Rule 12; non-compliant motions to suppress are waived and unsupported pretrial motions are not entertained.
Pretrial motions must be written, state specific basis, include statement of authority, and be supported by affidavit or declaration with particularity of material facts if presenting factual issues.
Motions to suppress that do not comply with form requirements are waived under Rule 12.1.
Factual allegations in motions to suppress and accompanying affidavits must be definite, specific, detailed, and nonconjectural, not based on suspicion or conjecture.
All motions must include certificates of conference, certificates of service, and a proposed order.
Proposed voir dire questions must be filed with the clerk together with the Joint Pretrial Order.
Deposition designations for portions to be read at trial must cite page and line numbers in the Joint Pretrial Order.
Judge Hanen's chambers can be reached by phone at (713) 250-5908 at the United States Courthouse, 515 Rusk Street, Room 8631, Houston, Texas.
Case Manager Rhonda S. Hawkins (chambers staff) can be reached at her direct line (713) 250-5518 or by email at Rhonda_Hawkins@txs.uscourts.gov.
The District Clerk's Office can be reached at (713) 250-5500.
Case-related inquiries must go only to the Case Manager at (713) 250-5518 or Rhonda_Hawkins@txs.uscourts.gov (email preferred), and not to the Court, the judicial assistant, or law clerks.
Information about filings, orders, and docket entries should be obtained via CM/ECF, PACER, or the Clerk's Office at (713) 250-5500.
Except as permitted under Section 8A, parties must not address substantive issues in letter form to the Court because such letters may not be docketed or included in the appellate record.
Case-related correspondence must be addressed to and e-filed with the United States District Clerk, 515 Rusk Street, Room 5300, Houston, Texas 77002.
All counsel of record should be copied on case-related correspondence.
File-stamped courtesy copies of urgent documents may be sent to Chambers via the Case Manager after the originals are filed, must designate the docket number, must include all exhibits, and should not be redacted even if the filed motion is.
Opposing counsel should be copied at the same time courtesy copies of urgent documents are sent to Chambers, unless they are automatically copied electronically.
Counsel must keep their email addresses current in CM/ECF because the Clerk transmits orders and motions through that interface.
Applications for restraining orders or other immediate relief must be made through the Clerk's Office at 515 Rusk Street, Room 5300, Houston, Texas 77002, (713) 250-5500.
Applications for restraining orders or immediate relief must be presented to the Court via the Case Manager only after counsel affirms that the opposing party has been contacted and both parties can be available for a conference.
Ex parte applications for restraining orders are discouraged and will not be entertained unless the requirements of Fed. R. Civ. P. 65(b) are satisfied.
Counsel shall email or call the Case Manager at (713) 250-5518 for matters requiring immediate attention.
Motions for extension of deadlines in the Scheduling and Docket Control Order are not emergencies and may not be treated as such.
In addition to physical or electronic filing, counsel must send a file-stamped courtesy hard copy of emergency motions directly to the Case Manager.
The Southern District of Texas requires electronic filing of all pleadings under Local Rule 5.1.
Parties generally should not submit courtesy hard copies to the Case Manager, except when a filing is sealed or the Court requests one.
Parties must submit courtesy hard copies to the Case Manager if any part of a filing is sealed.
The Court may request a courtesy hard copy from any party at any time, and parties should promptly deliver the copy to Chambers.
Electronic filings must comply with the Administrative Procedures for Electronic Filing in Civil and Criminal Cases.
Questions regarding electronic filing should be directed to the Clerk's Office.