--- title: "Christine A. Nowak | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/christine-a-nowak" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-08-02" --- # Christine A. Nowak Texas 493rd District Court · District Judge, Collin County 493rd District Court (general jurisdiction) ## Profile - Court: Texas 493rd District Court - State: Texas - Role: District Judge, Collin County 493rd District Court (general jurisdiction) - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-07-28 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - Before her current role, Judge Nowak served eight years as a United States Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of Texas, Sherman Division (2015–2023). - The Judge of the 493rd Judicial District Court in Collin County, Texas, appointed on October 3, 2023 ### Education ### Additional information - Magistrate, District Court, E.D. Texas, 2015-present - Recognized multiple times as a Texas Monthly “Rising Star” and named Young Lawyer of the Year by the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers (2016) and Baylor Law School (2023) - In that capacity, she handled thousands of civil and criminal matters, resolved pretrial issues, presided over jury trials, and conducted hundreds of settlement conferences and mediations - Judge Nowak is active in numerous bar associations, including the Eastern District of Texas Bar Association, Dallas Bar Association, Collin County Bar Association, and Texas Aggie Bar Association. - She serves as Adjunct Faculty at SMU Dedman School of Law and as a Jaworski Fellow at Baylor Law - At Texas A&M, she earned the Buck Weirus Spirit Award for outstanding contributions to student life. - At Baylor Law, she was Associate Editor of the Baylor Law Review, a member of the Order of the Barristers, and was awarded an academic scholarship ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### photography broadcasting and recording Scope: courtwide Photography, broadcasting, live streaming, and audio or video recording are prohibited in the Collin County courthouse unless a written court order specifically authorizes them. Evidence excerpt: No one may take photographs, broadcast, live stream, or make recordings (audio or video) in the courthouse, unless specifically authorized by written court order [Local Rules of Practice for the District Courts of Collin County](https://www.collincountytx.gov/docs/default-source/district-courts/documents/lrp.pdf?sfvrsn=bf028790_4) Source checked: 2026-07-28 ### hearing setting conference Scope: courtwide Before requesting a hearing setting, parties generally must confer in good faith. A unilateral request requires reasonable efforts that include at least two attempts to contact the other side. Evidence excerpt: parties shall make a good-faith effort to confer and obtain agreement on a hearing date before requesting that the Court set a hearing [Local Rules of Practice for the District Courts of Collin County](https://www.collincountytx.gov/docs/default-source/district-courts/documents/lrp.pdf?sfvrsn=bf028790_4) Source checked: 2026-07-28 ### civil remote appearances Scope: statewide In civil district and county court proceedings, the court may permit or require electronic participation after appropriate notice; compelled electronic participation for oral-testimony proceedings requires good cause or party agreement, and a jury trial requires party agreement. Evidence excerpt: Upon appropriate notice by a party or the court, a court may allow or require a participant to appear at a court proceeding by videoconference, teleconference, or other available electronic means, except as otherwise provided in (2). [Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 21d, Appearances at Court Proceedings](https://www.txcourts.gov/media/1462948/texas-rules-of-civil-procedure-july-1-2026.pdf) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### civil recording and broadcasting Scope: statewide Civil district and county trial courts may permit courtroom recording or broadcasting only under Supreme Court guidelines, with the required party and witness consent, or for ceremonial proceedings. Evidence excerpt: A trial court may permit broadcasting, televising, recording, or photographing of proceedings in the courtroom only in the following circumstances: [Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 18c, Recording and Broadcasting of Court Proceedings](https://www.txcourts.gov/media/1462948/texas-rules-of-civil-procedure-july-1-2026.pdf) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.collincountytx.gov/courts/district-courts/) - [Official roster](https://www.collincountytx.gov/courts/district-courts/) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/9563/christine-a-nowak/) - [Collin County District Courts roster official judicial roster](https://www.collincountytx.gov/courts/district-courts/) - [Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 21d, Appearances at Court Proceedings](https://www.txcourts.gov/media/1462948/texas-rules-of-civil-procedure-july-1-2026.pdf) - [Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 18c, Recording and Broadcasting of Court Proceedings](https://www.txcourts.gov/media/1462948/texas-rules-of-civil-procedure-july-1-2026.pdf) - [Local Rules of Practice for the District Courts of Collin County](https://www.collincountytx.gov/docs/default-source/district-courts/documents/lrp.pdf?sfvrsn=bf028790_4) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/9563/christine-a-nowak/) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/christine-a-nowak", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/christine-a-nowak", "name": "Christine A. 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This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory. [Official source](https://www.txcourts.gov/media/1462948/texas-rules-of-civil-procedure-july-1-2026.pdf). Collected 2026-07-26.