Texas Litigation Guide is the name of the guide commonly known as Dorsaneo, published by Matthew Bender & Company, Inc. and written by SMU Law Professor William V. Dorsaneo III. Dorsaneo is a comprehensive twenty-six volume treatise on Texas civil litigation that is commonly used in private practice. The litigation process from Pretrial all the way to Appellate is covered in Dorsaneo, with step-by-step guidance including forms and references to primary and secondary sources. Substantive practice area volumes offer legal background, forms, and research guides covering legal areas such as commercial litigation and personal injury.
Dorsaneo is also available electronically through Lexis Advance.
A reserve copy is located on the 1st floor behind the circulation desk. KFT1730 .T4
Each volume is organized into Chapters; each Chapter begins with a Scope and Synopsis. The Scope of each Chapter is a short description of what is covered in that Chapter and may also refer to other Chapters that may be of use. The Synopsis of each Chapter is a table of contents that lists section numbers and the corresponding topic.
The Synopsis is divided into four parts:
I. Legal Background;
II. Procedural Guide;
III. Forms; and
IV. Research Guide.
Note: In the Index, there is a separate heading for Forms which may aid you when looking for a specific form. Also, many of the headings have a Forms subheading that will list forms available on that topic).
For example, § 101.103[2] (Chapter 101, section 103[2], listed in the Synopsis as being under Part III. §101.103[2]) is the form for a Motion for Summary Judgment by Defendant.
Each volume has the range of Chapters listed on the binding. For example, §101.103[2] is in volume 7 because that volume includes Chapters 100-119. The volume numbers are listed below with the corresponding topic covered in that volume.
| Volumes | Description |
|---|---|
| Volume 1 thru 7 | Pretrial Practice |
| Volumes 8 and 9 | Trial Practice |
| Volume 10 | Appellate Practice |
| Volumes 11 thru 13 | Business Entities |
| Volumes 14 thru 16 | Commercial Litigation |
| Volumes 17 and 18 | Real Estate Litigation |
| Volumes 19 thru 21 | Personal Injury |
| Volumes 22 and 23 | Family Code Litigation |
| Volume 24 | Probate Code Litigation |
| Volume 25 | Administrative Proceedings |
| Volume 26 | Index |