The article reports that changes in the Western District of Texas aimed at reducing judge-shopping, combined with the shifting role of Judge Alan Albright, have driven many patent plaintiffs to file instead in the Eastern District of Texas. Plaintiffs seeking predictability have concentrated filings in single-judge divisions such as Marshall and Texarkana, increasing pressure on already busy patent dockets.
That concentration is producing congestion and delays, with more proceedings postponed and trial scheduling becoming less reliable. Steven Schortgen is quoted noting that the court has limited tools to manage the volume and that last-minute settlements leave little ability to plan, even as litigants continue to prioritize procedural predictability when choosing where to file.
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