TOPIC
The Texas Court of Appeals, 13th District along with the other appellate Courts of the State of Texas experienced a “crisis within a crisis” in 2020. The Court had just implemented remote work for its entire staff due to Covid-19, when a ransom ware attack hit the entire appellate court system. It rendered the entire network unusable. The Court leadership (Chief Judge Dori C. Contreras and Kathy S. Mills, Clerk/Presenter) entered a time of daily I.T. briefings, rapid decision-making and implementation of temporary solutions to an ongoing and rapidly changing crisis. This time period serves as a backdrop to a presentation focusing on two management concepts every court (and court manager) should know and implement
PRESENTER
Kathy S. Mills currently serves as the Clerk of the Court for the Thirteenth Court of Appeals in Texas, Prior to her appointment as the Clerk, Kathy served the Nueces County District Attorney‘s office in various capacities over many years including service as the 2nd Assistant DA (office administrator), crimes against children special prosecutor, and as a felony, misdemeanor, and justice of the peace prosecutor. She also has civil trial and litigation experience in federal civil rights, complex contractual disputes, premise liability, and general insurance defense. Additionally, as a former solo practitioner, she managed a caseload of state/federal criminal defense, family law, and parental termination cases. Kathy graduated with a B.B.A. in management from Texas Tech University and a J.D. (with honors) from St. Mary’s University School of Law, and she began her legal career as a federal clerk for The Honorable Alia Moses, United States District Judge (W.D.T.X.).
Note to Viewers: This video is made available to promote education and discussion on issues related to state intermediate courts of appeal. The views expressed in the video, however, are strictly those of the Presenter and do not reflect any opinion of the Council or its members on any issue.