Tena Callahan at a glance
- Current role
- Presiding Judge
- Current assignment
- Texas 303rd Judicial District Court
- Jurisdiction
- Texas · State
- Judicial service
- Active
Tena Callahan
Presiding Judge · Texas 303rd Judicial District Court
Biography
Professional career
- Presiding Judge, Texas 303rd Judicial District Court, Dallas, TX, ?-present
Education
Additional information
- After retiring in 2018, Judge Callahan continues to provide mediation, arbitration, consultation, and special judge services.
- Retired Dallas County family court judge with over 30 years in legal service, now offering mediation, arbitration, and special judicial services in North Texas.
- Served 16 years on the bench in the 302nd Family District Court in Dallas County, Texas.
- Before joining the judiciary, she practiced law for over 16 years
- handling almost exclusively family cases, including complex property and financial divisions and complex child custody matters.
- She was Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and St. Mary’s Law School.
- A Dallas native, Callahan was a single mother of two boys when she took the LSAT and later law school.
- She has described her judicial work as “emotionally gratifying” and has emphasized the importance of helping families stay together and become productive community members.
Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
Remote appearances
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.
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 ↗
Recording and broadcasting
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.
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 ↗
Published courtroom rules
Shared court rules
Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 21d, Appearances at Court Proceedings
303rd District Court
Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory.
Official source ↗ · Collected 2026-07-26Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 21d, Appearances at Court Proceedings
303rd District Court
Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory.
Official source ↗ · Collected 2026-07-26Sources
Identity source checked June 30, 2026.
Biography sources checked October 10, 2026.
Texas 303rd Judicial District Court current judicial profile
Identity source · HTML · Source checked August 2, 2026
View Texas 303rd Judicial District Court current judicial profile ↗Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 21d, Appearances at Court Proceedings
Statewide source · PDF · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 21d, Appearances at Court Proceedings ↗Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 18c, Recording and Broadcasting of Court Proceedings
Statewide source · PDF · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 18c, Recording and Broadcasting of Court Proceedings ↗