The Office of Court Administration is an agency of the Texas judicial branch that operates under the supervision of the Supreme Court of Texas. The agency’s stated mission is “to provide resources and information for the efficient administration of the Judicial Branch of Texas.”
Programs and Functions
The Office of Court Administration assists the judiciary at various levels. At the appellate level, it provides IT support and financial services. At the trial court level, the Office of Court Administration provides technical assistance, training, court interpreters, and funding for indigent defense.
The agency also develops and supports e-filing systems to streamline court document submissions statewide. Other duties of the Office of Court Administration include:
- providing staffing and administration to child protection courts, child support courts, and other specialty courts;
- maintaining a statewide database of court filings (Re:SearchTX);
- maintaining a registry of protective orders issued by Texas courts; and
- producing a variety of annual statistical reports.
Agency Structure
The Office of Court Administration is headed by a director appointed by the Texas Supreme Court. By statute, the director also serves as the executive director of the Texas Judicial Council. The agency reports directly to the Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court in matters requiring judicial policy coordination.
The Office of Court Administration comprises six departments: Indigent Defense, Certification, Forensic Science, Finance & Operations, Research & Court Services, Legal, and Information Services.
The agency has a staff of 285, according to its FY 2022-2023 budget.
Support to Judicial Boards
The Office of Court Administration provides staffing and technology support for several boards and commissions within the judiciary. These include:
- Texas Judicial Council
- Judicial Committee on Information Technology
- Council of Chief Justices
- Conference of Regional Presiding Judges
- State Board of Regional Judges for Title IV‐D Account
- Judicial Districts Board
- Judicial Compensation Commission
- Texas Indigent Defense Commission
- Judicial Branch Certification Commission
- Forensic Science Commission
- Texas Commission on Judicial Selection.
Through these bodies, the Office plays a central role in long-term planning for judicial resources, court technology, and compensation policy.
Publications
The Office of Court Administration produces an annual statistical report providing statistics from appellate and trial courts and analyses of case activity and trends.
It also produces a biennial report on judicial salaries and turnover, a monthly newsletter, an annual Judicial Directory, a database of trial court activity, an annual summary of court security incidents, and various other reports. Generally, these reports are available to the public and policymakers through the agency’s website.
Collaboration with Other State Agencies
In carrying out its responsibilities, the Office works closely with agencies such as the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Department of Family and Protective Services, and the Texas Comptroller’s Office. These partnerships are essential for maintaining databases such as the Protective Order Registry and ensuring that judicial processes are integrated with broader state government functions.
History and Mandate
The Office of Court Administration was created by the Texas Legislature in 1977 amid growing concern that the state’s courts lacked the administrative support needed to function efficiently. At the time, Texas had one of the most decentralized court systems in the country, and the new agency was designed to serve as a centralized administrative arm under the oversight of the Texas Supreme Court. Its early responsibilities included basic data collection and budgeting assistance for the judiciary.
Over the following decades, particularly in the 1990s and early 2000s, the agency’s role expanded alongside rising caseloads. Legislative reforms and judicial resolutions gradually broadened its mandate to include technology infrastructure, interpreter certification, and statewide court security coordination.
The Fair Defense Act of 2001 expanded OCA’s role in overseeing indigent defense systems, while the creation of Re:SearchTX in 2016 added responsibility for managing a centralized e-filing and case access platform. The 2019 passage of House Bill 1215 required OCA to administer the Protective Order Registry, a public safety tool aimed at closing information gaps between courts and law enforcement.
Other key developments include the agency’s support for the Forensic Science Commission (established by House Bill 1068 in 2005) and the Judicial Branch Certification Commission, both of which operate under its administrative umbrella. These statutory additions reflect the agency’s evolution from a limited advisory bureau into a cornerstone of judicial operations in Texas.
