--- title: "James Robertson Nowlin | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/james-robertson-nowlin" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-09" --- # James Robertson Nowlin U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas · Judge ## Profile - Court: U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas - State: Texas - Role: Judge - Service status: senior - Last verified: 2026-07-25 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - Chief Judge of the Western District of Texas from 1999 to 2003, and assumed senior status on May 31, 2003 - Judge, District Court, W.D. Texas, 1981-2003 - Judge Advocate General’s Corps, U.S. Army Reserve (1960–1968) - Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas ### Education - University of Texas School of Law — J.D. (1963) - Trinity University — M.A. (1962) - Trinity University — B.A. (1959) ### Additional information - Senior Judge (2003–present) - Federal bench since October 26, 1981, when President Ronald Reagan nominated him to replace Judge Jack Roberts. - Texas State Representative (1967–1971, 1973–1981) — first two Republicans to represent Bexar County in the Texas Legislature - Private practice, San Antonio, Texas, 1963-1965, 1966-1981 - Private practice in San Antonio, TX (1963–1965, 1966–1981) - Nowlin is a Democrat until 1971, then a Republican. - U.S. Army Reserve, JAG Corps, 1960-1968 - Legal counsel, U.S. Senate Committee on Labor and Public Welfare, 1965-1966 - U.S. Army captain, 1959-1960 - Born November 21, 1937, in San Antonio, Texas. - Date of birth: 1937-01-01 - received his commission that same day. - He is interred at the Texas State Cemetery in Austin. - Birth place: San Antonio, TX ## 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 ### electronic trial exhibits Scope: courtwide The Western District of Texas publishes JERS guidance for electronically capturing trial evidence and provides evidence-presentation equipment to members of the bar practicing in the district. Evidence excerpt: The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas uses the Jury Evidence Recording System (JERS) to capture evidence electronically during a trial. The Court provides evidence presentation equipment to any member of the bar practicing within the Western District of Texas. [JERS, Jury Evidence Recording System](https://www.txwd.uscourts.gov/for-attorneys/jers-jury-evidence-recording-system) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### electronic exhibit submission Scope: courtwide For JERS electronic exhibit submission, the Western District of Texas publishes a single-storage-device requirement and directs parties to submit files by the deadline set by the assigned courtroom deputy. Evidence excerpt: All files must be provided on a single storage device such as a CD, DVD, or USB drive. ... All files must be submitted based on the deadline set by the CRD associated with your case. [JERS, Jury Evidence Recording System](https://www.txwd.uscourts.gov/for-attorneys/jers-jury-evidence-recording-system) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### civil remote testimony Scope: courtwide In federal district-court civil proceedings, testimony is ordinarily taken in open court; remote contemporaneous testimony requires good cause in compelling circumstances and appropriate safeguards. Evidence excerpt: For good cause in compelling circumstances and with appropriate safeguards, the court may permit testimony in open court by contemporaneous transmission from a different location. [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### criminal recording and broadcasting Scope: courtwide Federal district courts may not permit courtroom photography or broadcasting during criminal judicial proceedings unless a statute or another federal rule provides an exception. Evidence excerpt: Except as otherwise provided by a statute or these rules, the court must not permit the taking of photographs in the courtroom during judicial proceedings or the broadcasting of judicial proceedings from the courtroom. [Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1385846) - [Official roster](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1385846) - [Federal Judicial Center biography](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1385846) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/2434/james-robertson-nowlin/) - [JERS, Jury Evidence Recording System](https://www.txwd.uscourts.gov/for-attorneys/jers-jury-evidence-recording-system) - [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure) - [Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/2434/james-robertson-nowlin/) - [Judge James Robertson Nowlin](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1385846) - [Wikidata: James Robertson Nowlin](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16104734) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/james-robertson-nowlin", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/james-robertson-nowlin", "name": "James Robertson Nowlin | KnowJudges", "description": "James Robertson Nowlin, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. 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Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-civil-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27. - [Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-8721a344fececced2257fe1d) — Criminal proceedings in United States District Courts; this conservative mapping does not distribute appellate-specific provisions to appellate judges. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27.