William V. Dorsaneo, III

Full-time faculty

Chief Justice John and Lena Hickman Distinguished Faculty Fellow and Professor of Law

Biography

A member of Phi Beta Kappa, Grand Chancellor of the Order of Chancellors, and a member of the Order of the Coif, Professor Dorsaneo was a litigation specialist in Dallas after graduation from law school. He is the principal author of the twenty-six volume TEXAS LITIGATION GUIDE published by Matthew Bender & Company and the co-author of the five-volume TEXAS CIVIL TRIAL GUIDE, as well as three casebooks entitled CASES AND MATERIALS ON CIVIL PROCEDURE, TEXAS PRE-TRIAL LITIGATION, and TEXAS TRIAL AND APPELLATE LITIGATION, and several other volumes on Texas litigation. He is Board Certified in civil appellate law and is an active member of the Advisory Committee to the Texas Supreme Court, a member of the American Law Institute, and Chairman of the Texas Supreme Court's Task Force for Revision of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure.

Areas of Expertise

Appellate Practice and Advocacy
Civil Procedure
Texas Procedure
Torts

Education

B.A., University of Pennsylvania
J.D., University of Texas School of Law

Courses

Texas Pre-Trials Procedure
Texas Trial & Appellate Procedure
Civil Procedure

Books

CASES AND MATERIALS ON CIVIL PROCEDURE (LexisNexis, Sixth Edition 2012) (2016 Supplement) (with David Crump, Rex R. Perschbacher and Debra Lyn Bassett)

DORSANEO'S TEXAS LITIGATION GUIDE, 26 Volumes (LexisNexis 2016) (Matthew Bender 1977-2013) (2015 and 2016 Supplements) (treatise and practice guide)

DORSANEO'S TEXAS PRETRIAL PROCEDURE (4 Volumes) (LexisNexis 2000-2012) (with annual updates)

DORSANEO'S TEXAS DISCOVERY (LexisNexis 2000-2012) (2015 Supplement) (with annual updates)

TEXAS REAL ESTATE GUIDE (LexisNexis 2000-2012) (with annual updates)

TEXAS CODES AND RULES, 2000-2004 editions (Matthew Bender 2000-2003) (with Luther H. Soules)

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS: CIVIL PROCEDURE (LexisNexis, 1st Edition 2003; 2nd Edition 2007; 3rd Edition 2012; 4th Edition 2015) (with Elizabeth G. Thornburg)

TEXAS CIVIL PROCEDURE: TRIAL AND APPELLATE PRACTICE (Carolina Academic Press 2015-2016)(LexisNexis, 1981-2013) (with annual updates) (with David Crump, Elaine A. Carlson and Elizabeth G. Thornburg)

TEXAS CIVIL PROCEDURE: PRETRIAL LITIGATION (Carolina Academic Press 2015-2016) (LexisNexis 1980-2013) (with annual updates) (with David Crump, Elaine A. Carlson and Elizabeth G. Thornburg)

TEXAS CIVIL TRIAL GUIDE, 6 Volumes (LexisNexis, 1989-2004) (treatise and practice guide on procedure and evidence) (with Earl Johnson)

Articles

The Decline of Anglo-American Civil Jury Trial Practice, 71 SMU Law Review 353 (2018)

Pennoyer Strikes Back: Personal Jurisdiction in a Global Age, 3 Texas A&M Law Review 1 (2015)

The History of the Texas Civil Procedure, 65 Baylor Law Review 713 (2013)

The Flawed Nexus Between Contract Law and the Rules of Procedure: Why Rules 8 and 9 Must be Changed, 31 University of Texas School of Law The Review of Litigation 1 (2011) (with C. Paul Rogers, III)

Recent Texas Legislation on Civil Litigation Practice: Dorsaneo on 2011 House Bill 274, LexisNexis Emerging Issues Analysis, 2011 Emerging Issues 5883 (September 2011)

The Enigma of Standing Doctrine in Texas Courts, 28 University of Texas School of Law The Review of Litigation 35 (2008)

Evolving Standards of Evidentiary Review: Revising the Scope of Review, 47 South Texas Law Review 225 (2005)

Reexamining the Right to Trial By Jury, 54 SMU Law Review 1695 (2001)

Judges, Juries and Reviewing Courts, 53 SMU Law Review 1497 (2000)

Revision and Recodification of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure Concerning the Jury Charge, 41 South Texas Law Review 675 (2000)

Other Publications

For a number of years, I prepared commentaries and acted as the general editor and consultant for a monthly publication called Texas Torts Update. For that publication, which was published and distributed by Matthew Bender & Co., Inc., between 1987-2005, I also co-authored many short articles concerning new developments in Texas torts and personal injury law. See full CV above for a list of these articles.

Board Member, Appellate Judges Education Institute (Current)

Presentations

Standards of Sufficiency Review
Dallas Bar Association Appellate Section
Dallas, TX (October 21, 2004)

Analysis of a Successful Petition for Review
State Bar of Texas CLE
18th Annual Civil Appellate Practice Course
Austin, TX (September 2004)

Insurance Litigation and You: The Impact of Insurance Litigation - Discovery Compendium
State Bar of Texas CLE
Austin, TX (June 2004)

Changing The Balance of Power: Juries, The Courts, And The Legislature
State Bar of Texas CLE, “Practice Before the Supreme Court”
Austin, TX (April 2004)

Other

Chairs & Boards
Chairman/reporter for Texas Supreme Court’s Task Force on Recodification of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure (Current)

Chairman, Subcommittee on Appellate Rules, Advisory Committee to the Texas Supreme Court (Current)