Judge Roy Ferguson

"𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙟𝙪𝙙𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜—𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝘄?"

That's the question I get most often about special judging in family law. Here's the short answer:

Special (aka "private") judging has been part of Texas law for nearly 40 years. It’s not new—in fact, it’s the very first chapter of the ADR statute in the Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code. (Chapter 151.) It applies to both civil and family cases.

𝗦𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁?

That’s the second most common question—usually right after they share a nightmare story, like:
• “We got 20 minutes per side for contested temporary orders.”
• “We waited 9 months for a trial setting and then got bumped when we arrived.”
• “We requested three days for trial and got two hours per side.”
• "When we asked for a trial date, we were sent back to mediation—for the third time!"
• "We've been waiting 6 months for a ruling."

𝘚𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘳?

𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗷𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀:
✅ You pick your judge.
✅ You pick your trial date and location.
✅ Prepare once—present once.
✅ Get all the time you need.
✅ Stay on schedule—and on budget.
✅ Your client's personal life stays private.

It’s a traditional trial following traditional rules of evidence, discovery, and procedure, conducted by a judge you trust—just without crowded dockets, delays and resets, strict time limits, or public exposure.

📌 For an deeper explanation of how private judging works and why it's a better alternative for your contested or high-stakes Texas family law cases, visit:

Private alternative dispute Resolution Former Texas District Court Judge (2013-2024) Special/Private Judge, Arbitrator, and Neutral in Family Law and Civil Cases

I feel so honored to have received the Judge Merrill Hartman Pro Bono Award from President Steve Benesh at the State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting Awards Luncheon last week. This award given by the Legal Services to the Poor Committee honors a sitting or retired judge who has provided exemplary service to improve the quality of justice for low income Texans. It's inspiring to be recognized alongside so many dedicated public servants working to expand access to justice across Texas.

Thank you to the American Bar Association for this recognition. Judicial service is an opportunity to have things better then we found them. It was an honor to have that opportunity for the community I love.

Every year, as part of its Legal Rebels series, the ABA Journal honors people for their contributions to the legal profession and the practice of law.

Congratulations to Roy Ferguson, former judge of the 394th Judicial District Court.

Immediately after taking the bench in 2012, Ferguson quickly took action to streamline case management processes and improve protocol for recording civil and criminal court proceedings.

You may also recognize Ferguson from the viral video, nicknamed “I am not a cat”, where he explained to an attorney stuck behind a cat filter during a Zoom hearing how to revert to human form.

Ferguson announced his retirement from the bench in 2023, but will remain on multiple committees and commissions, allowing him to help other judges make similar improvements. Read more: https://ambar.org/8v76mv1p

judgeroyferguson.com is now live! The website includes a description and comparison of special/private judging, arbitration, mini-trials, summary jury trials, moderated settlement conferences, and trial consulting. These services will help you resolve your cases faster and more efficiently, in a fully private setting. It includes an online calendar where you can check my availability and reserve dates, both in person and remote via Zoom!

It's been a wonderful and fulfilling 12 years serving as 394th Judicial District Court judge. Thank you to everyone who supported me in my three elections and worked with me to revolutionize the quality of justice for all far west Texans. The next judge is unbelievably lucky to have Lori Holguin continuing as court coordinator and to work with such dedicated district clerks across the five counties. Happy New Year, everyone!

Thank you to the Texas Center for the Judiciary for naming me the 2024 Exemplary Speaker in judicial education. There is no better feeling than being recognized by your colleagues for doing something that you love. And big thanks to Judge Angela Tucker for the wonderful introduction and presentation.

I am deeply honored and incredibly grateful to the Texas Bar College for this kind recognition, and to TexasBarCLE for giving me the opportunity to do something I love. I also want to thank the many wonderful co-presenters and panelists who made teaching so fun and easy.

🏆 Congratulations to Judge Roy Ferguson on being the recipient for the Patrick A. Nester Outstanding Achievement in CLE Award! 👏🏼

This award honors a Texas attorney for outstanding achievement in CLE as a course director, speaker, author, or creator of a new course, and highlights their significant impact on the legal community’s ongoing education and professional development.

Merry Christmas and happiest of holiday seasons to you all! Thank you for the gift of fellowship and friendship.

I thought some of you might enjoy my most recent "Lets Talk Lawyering" column in the Spring Edition of ABA Young Lawyer Magazine, featuring everyone's favorite modern philosopher -- Keanu Reeves!

Happy Star Wars Day! May the 4th be with you.