To: Dana DeBeauvoir, Hon. Travis County Clerk
Attorney Access to Travis County Clerk Files Online
While the Travis County District Clerk's webpage allows attorneys access to view clerk's files, the Travis County Clerk's webpage does not. With e-filing and a county that is paying for the software, there is no valid reason why attorneys do not have access to clerk's files through the county clerk's website.
Why is this important?
Attorneys must have access to clerk's files.
Attorneys are expected to know what is in the clerk's files. Attorneys are permitted to rely on subpoenas filed by the opposing party. And, yet, we cannot always see what has been filed. The paper clerk's files do not always reflect what has been e-filed. The county court at law judges do not always have online access to the motions and proposed orders that have been e-filed, and e-filed motions do not always make it into the paper files.
There is a gap between technological ability and access. As the District Clerk has software that permits attorney access to clerks records online, there is no reason why the county clerk webpage should not permit the same access. We ask for attorney access to the county clerk's files through the county clerk's website.
Attorneys are expected to know what is in the clerk's files. Attorneys are permitted to rely on subpoenas filed by the opposing party. And, yet, we cannot always see what has been filed. The paper clerk's files do not always reflect what has been e-filed. The county court at law judges do not always have online access to the motions and proposed orders that have been e-filed, and e-filed motions do not always make it into the paper files.
There is a gap between technological ability and access. As the District Clerk has software that permits attorney access to clerks records online, there is no reason why the county clerk webpage should not permit the same access. We ask for attorney access to the county clerk's files through the county clerk's website.