Texas Appellate Law Podcast
Hosted by Texas Appellate Law
Two practicing Texas appellate lawyers interview judges, court staff, and top attorneys on the craft and strategy of practicing law.
This is a professional development podcast for legal practitioners, offering an inside-baseball look at the mechanics of appellate law in Texas. The hosts leverage their own expertise and network to bring on high-caliber guests, including sitting judges and top litigators, for peer-to-peer conversations. The show demystifies complex topics like error preservation, briefing, and judicial procedure, moving beyond legal theory to focus on the practical craft of advocacy.
“Unlike broader legal commentary shows, this podcast is hyper-focused on the niche of Texas appellate practice, hosted by two currently practicing specialists. Its primary distinction is the access it provides to sitting judges and court insiders, offering a unique view from the bench.”
Who hosts this show
Hosted by appellate lawyers D. Todd Smith and Jody Sanders, the Texas Appellate Law Podcast offers a backstage pass to the state and federal appellate systems. The hosts, both active practitioners, have conversations with judges, court staff, and top trial and appellate lawyers to discuss how courts work and what effective advocacy looks like. Todd Smith is a partner at Butler Snow LLP in Austin, and Jody Sanders is a partner at Kelly Hart & Hallman in Fort Worth.
Credentials & credits
- D. Todd Smith: Partner, Butler Snow LLP
- D. Todd Smith: Board-Certified in Civil Appellate Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization
- D. Todd Smith: Past President, Austin Bar Association
- Jody Sanders: Partner, Kelly Hart & Hallman, LLP
- Jody Sanders: Selected to Texas Super Lawyers (2022-2026)
- Jody Sanders: University of Houston Law Center, J.D. (2005)
Other ventures
- Texas Appellate Counsel PLLC (D. Todd Smith)
- Texas Appellate Law Blog (D. Todd Smith)
- LawPods (Production Company)
What kind of podcast
When new episodes drop
- 01
- 02E126 | Emerging Ethical Issues For Lawyers Using AI | Derek BaumanJun 27, 2026 · 1h 10m
- 03E127 | Addiction and the Recovery Journey for Lawyers | Brian CubanJun 27, 2026 · 59 min
- 04E128 | Handling Post-Conviction Death Penalty Cases Pro Bono | McKenzie EdwardsJun 27, 2026 · 47 min
- 05
- 06
- 07
- 08E130 | Tackling Bullying in the Legal Profession | Scott StolleyMay 29, 2026 · 1h 03m
Notable episodes
- 01E125 | A Longtime Trial Judge’s View from the Appellate Bench | Justice Gisela Triana
Features a sitting appellate justice discussing her career progression and the different mindsets between trial and appellate judges, offering a rare view from the bench.
- 02E127 | Addiction and the Recovery Journey for Lawyers | Brian Cuban
A candid and personal episode addressing the serious issue of mental health and addiction within the legal profession, featuring a prominent author and advocate.
- 03E126 | Emerging Ethical Issues For Lawyers Using AI | Derek Bauman
Tackles the timely and complex topic of artificial intelligence in law, defining key concepts and exploring the practical and ethical implications for lawyers.
- 04E169 | Modernizing the Law: Inside the American Law Institute | Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson
An interview with the former Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court about his role leading the influential American Law Institute, discussing judicial leadership and legacy.
What you'll be asked on this show
The hosts begin interviews with a broad opening question about the guest's background, allowing them to narrate their own career path. Follow-up questions are specific and drawn directly from the guest's answers, creating a chronological and narrative flow. The hosts maintain a friendly, collegial tone, often letting guests speak for long, uninterrupted stretches to fully develop their stories. They pivot from the guest's origin story to the episode's main topic, such as AI or judicial philosophy, in the middle of the conversation.
The show is a relaxed, co-hosted conversational interview. The hosts, Todd Smith and Jody Sanders, trade off asking questions and often build rapport by sharing their own related experiences. Interviews typically begin by tracing a guest's career chronologically before diving into a specific area of expertise.
Questions Texas Appellate Law keeps coming back to
8 cataloguedIf you're going on this show as a guest, expect some version of each of these. Each note explains when Texas Appellate Law reaches for it.
origin
2- Q.01
“Can you tell our listeners a little bit about your background and how you got into law?”
This is the standard opening question used to establish the guest's origin story and career trajectory for the audience.
- Q.02
“Where did your interest in [a specific topic like AI or technology] come from?”
The hosts ask this to pivot the conversation from the guest's general career path to the episode's main theme.
craft
2- Q.01
“How has your background in a non-legal field like theater been useful as a lawyer?”
This question seeks to uncover unconventional skills and perspectives that contribute to a guest's legal craft.
- Q.02
“What kind of work does your current firm or organization do?”
This question helps the audience understand the guest's current practice area and professional context.
process
2- Q.01
“How would you describe your experience in a previous role, like being a trial judge?”
This allows the guest to reflect on the specific duties and mindset required in a former position.
- Q.02
“Can you explain some background definitions for our listeners, like what an LLM is?”
When discussing technical topics, the hosts ask for foundational definitions to ensure the audience can follow along.
mindset
1- Q.01
“What was the motivation behind a major career change, like running for an appellate court seat?”
This question explores the guest's decision-making process at critical junctures in their career.
personal
1- Q.01
“You mentioned a personal experience like childhood trauma; can you talk about when that began?”
When guests introduce a personal topic, the hosts gently probe for more detail to explore its impact on their professional life.
Signature segments
- · Covering attorney mental health and wellness
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
Guests are typically high-level legal professionals, including sitting state and federal judges, prominent trial and appellate attorneys, and authors or advocates focused on issues within the legal profession like technology and mental health.
- Justice Gisela Trianaon E125 | A Longtime Trial Judge’s View from the Appellate Bench | Justice Gisela Triana
- Derek Baumanon E126 | Emerging Ethical Issues For Lawyers Using AI | Derek Bauman
- Brian Cubanon E127 | Addiction and the Recovery Journey for Lawyers | Brian Cuban
- McKenzie Edwardson E128 | Handling Post-Conviction Death Penalty Cases Pro Bono | McKenzie Edwards
- Tim Armstrongon E129 | How Lawyers Should Approach Implementing AI into Their Practices | Tim Armstrong
- Ross Gubermanon E170 | RealityCheck: BriefCatch's Front Against Hallucinations and Problems Beneath | Ross Guberman
- Chief Justice Wallace Jeffersonon E169 | Modernizing the Law: Inside the American Law Institute | Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
Sponsors target a niche professional audience of practicing attorneys. The podcast is sponsored by legal services companies like Court Surety Bond Agency and Proceed, and promotes legal tech tools such as Fathom Notetaker.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
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People also ask
- Who are the hosts of the Texas Appellate Law Podcast?
- The podcast is hosted by D. Todd Smith, a partner at Butler Snow in Austin, and Jody Sanders, a partner at Kelly Hart & Hallman in Fort Worth. Both are practicing appellate lawyers.
- Is the podcast still active?
- Yes, the podcast releases new episodes regularly, typically on a weekly basis.
- What is the format of the show?
- The show is a conversational interview format. The two hosts interview a single guest, who is usually a judge, practicing attorney, or other expert in the legal field.
- Who is this podcast for?
- It is primarily for legal professionals, including trial and appellate lawyers, judges, and law students, who want to deepen their understanding of appellate practice and legal strategy.
- Where can I listen to the podcast?
- The podcast is available on major platforms like Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and full video episodes are available on YouTube.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]Texas Appellate Law Podcast on Apple Podcastspodcasts.apple.com
- [02]D. Todd Smith Joins Butler Snow's Appellate Groupprnewswire.com
- [03]Jody S. Sanders - Kelly Hart & Hallman, LLPkellyhart.com
- [04]About | Texas Appellate Counsel | D. Todd Smithtexappcounsel.com
- [05]Top Rated Austin, TX Appellate Attorney | D. Todd Smithprofiles.superlawyers.com
- [06]Top Rated Fort Worth, TX Appellate Attorney | Jody Sandersprofiles.superlawyers.com
- [07]LawPods: Podcast Production for Lawyerslawpods.com
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