Patent Litigation in East Texas Thrives on Community Connections

Marshall, Texas—with a population of around 23,000—houses a federal courthouse with just a single judge, and yet is one of the nation’s most popular destinations for patent litigation.

Residents called for jury duty are likely to hear Judge Rodney Gilstrap talk about his background.

“They say that confession is good for the soul, so I’ll start with a confession,” Gilstrap said in at least two trials. “I was not born in Texas, but I got here just as quick as I could.”

The judge oversaw roughly 860 patent disputes in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas ...