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Texas Justice Court Training Center
Texas State Texas Justice Court Training Center Justices of the Peace Education Events

Education Events

Upcoming Education Events

There are big changes coming to TJCTC's programs this academic year! Due to COVID-19, Judges can get all of their hours online, including civil hours for the FY21 academic year. 

Click the icons below to find out about each type of program or scroll down to see a list of programs by date. 

Are you a new judge? Click here!

An Update from Executive Director Thea Whalen

Programs by Date

Click each program to see more information.

Please note: TJCTC has canceled in-person programs through mid-May. We will make a decision in March regarding summer programs. Registration for Spring virtual programs opens on January 26th. Registration for summer programs will open in March. 

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  • JP 10-Hour Core Curriculum - VIRTUAL
    Registration opens January 26th!

    Join us virtually for the 10-hour JP Core Curriculum program. The 10-hours are offered in the afternoons over several days. 

    Agenda

    Tuesday, March 30th – 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

    • It's a Brave New World
    • Occupational Driver's Licenses

    Wednesday, March 31st – 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

    • Interpreters
    • Common Defenses in Civil Cases

    Thursday, April 1st – 1:00 – 5:00 p.m.

    • Criminal and Civil Judgments 
    • Enforcing Criminal Judgments 

    Details

    • Total cost for seminar = $50 (Includes a $25 registration fee + $25 overhead assessment)
    • Registration opens on January 26th. 
    • This program includes 10 total hours of judicial education, including 7 civil hours. 
    • Please note: Both the virtual and in-person core curriculum seminars offer the same classes. Therefore, judges can only sign up for 1 core curriculum seminar.

  • Office Management for High Volume Courts - Virtual Program

    High volume dockets create a unique set of challenges for which Judges and clerks must be prepared. Join us for an interactive virtual program where we will hear from experts on topics such as leadership, docket management, and strategic planning. This program is open to justices of the peace and chief clerks or court administrators. 

    Agenda

    Monday, April 12th - 1:00 - 5:00 p.m. 

    Tuesday, April 13th - 8:00 - 12:00 p.m. 

    Details

    • Total cost for seminar = $50 (Includes a $25 registration fee + $25 overhead assessment)
    • Registration opens on January 26th. 
    • This program includes 8 hours of judicial education, including 8 civil hours. 
    • This program is recommended for judges and chief clerks/court administrators from large urban and suburban courts.

  • JP 10-Hour Core Curriculum - VIRTUAL
    Registration opens January 26th!

    Join us virtually for the 10-hour JP Core Curriculum program. The 10-hours are offered in the afternoons over several days. 

    Agenda

    Tuesday, April 27th – 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

    • It's a Brave New World
    • Occupational Driver's Licenses

    Wednesday, April 28th – 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

    • Interpreters
    • Common Defenses in Civil Cases

    Thursday, April 29th– 1:00 – 5:00 p.m.

    • Criminal and Civil Judgments 
    • Enforcing Criminal Judgments 

    Details

    • Total cost for seminar = $50 (Includes a $25 registration fee + $25 overhead assessment)
    • Registration opens on January 26th. 
    • This program includes 10 total hours of judicial education, including 7 civil hours. 
    • Please note: Both the virtual and in-person core curriculum seminars offer the same classes. Therefore, judges can only sign up for 1 core curriculum seminar.

  • Registration opens in late March. 

    This unique workshop put on by the Texas State University Forensic Anthropology program introduces Judges to the role of the forensic anthropologist in death investigations. The workshop will take place at Freeman Ranch and will include a field activity at the Texas State body farm where participants will view human remains in various stages of decomposition.  

    May 16 - 18th at Texas State University 

    Details:

    • Total cost for seminar = $75 (Includes a $25 registration fee + $50 overhead assessment)
    • Total cost for hotel lodging = $110 ($55/night for two nights at Embassy Suites San Marcos Boerne) 
    • Registration opens in late March. 
    • This program is open to judges only. 
    • This program is worth 8 hours of judicial education, including 8 civil hours. 

  • JP Lubbock 10-Hour Core Curriculum - In-Person Program

    Registration opens in late March. 

    Join us in Lubbock at the Overton Hotel for the 10-hour JP Core Curriculum program which will offer general sessions and breakouts on the most pressing topics affecting justice courts.  Participants at this program have the option to add on the JP Lubbock Evictions workshop to get all 20 hours in one go! 

    Details

    • Total cost for seminar = $75 (Includes a $25 registration fee + $50 overhead assessment)
    • Total cost for hotel lodging = $110 ($55/night for two nights at the Overton Hotel) 
    • Registration opens in late March. 
    • This program includes 10 total hours of judicial education, including 7 civil hours. 
    • Please note: Both the virtual and in-person core curriculum seminars offer the same classes. Therefore, judges can only sign up for 1 core curriculum seminar.

  • Lubbock Evictions Specialty Workshop - In-Person Program

    Registration opens in late March. 

    This interactive workshop will provide a deep dive into eviction cases. Along with procedural information, students will engage in discussions of real-life eviction issues and best practices for addressing them. Panel discussions featuring different viewpoints from around the state should produce a lively and engaging discussion of hot topics, including “gray areas” of the law. 

    Participants at this program have the option to add on the JP Lubbock 10-Hour Core Curriculum seminar to get all 20 hours in one go! 

    Details

    • Total cost for seminar = $75 (Includes a $25 registration fee + $50 overhead assessment)
    • Total cost for hotel lodging = $55 ($55/night for one night at the Overton Hotel) 
    • Registration opens in late March. 
    • This program includes 10 hours of judicial education, including 10 civil hours. 
    • You can sign up for both the Lubbock 10-Hour Core Curriculum and the Evictions Workshop, but keep in mind that you must register separately for both. 

  • JPCA's annual conference at the Denton Embassy Suites will include 16-hours of combined justice of the peace and court personnel courses. Registration, cost, and details are available through JPCA at https://www.jpca.com/overview.

    The 16-hours of judicial education will include 10 hours of civil. 

  • JP Austin 10-Hour Core Curriculum - In-Person Program

    Registration opens in late March.

    Join us in Austin at the Omni Southpark Hotel for the 10-hour JP Core Curriculum program which will offer general sessions and breakouts on the most pressing topics affecting justice courts.  

    Details

    • Total cost for seminar = $75 (Includes a $25 registration fee + $50 overhead assessment)
    • Total cost for hotel lodging = $110 ($55/night for two nights at the Omni Southpark Hotel) 
    • Registration opens in late March. 
    • This program includes 10 total hours of judicial education, including 7 civil hours. 
    • Please note: Both the virtual and in-person core curriculum seminars offer the same classes. Therefore, judges can only sign up for 1 core curriculum seminar.

  • Leadership for Rural Courts - In-Person Program

    Registration opens in late March. 

    Join us in Boerne at the Bevy for this program! Rural justice of the peace courts in Texas face unique challenges including big distances sometimes coupled with small resources. At this interactive program, judges and clerks will hear from other rural judges and officials on how to meet rural challenges. Working in groups, Judges and clerks will think strategically about their courts and create action plans to enhance rural justice.    

    Details

    • Total cost for seminar = $75 (Includes a $25 registration fee + $50 overhead assessment)
    • Total cost for hotel lodging = $110 ($55/night for two nights at the Bevy Boerne) 
    • Registration opens in late March. 
    • This program includes 10 total hours of judicial education, including 10 civil hours. 
    • Recommended for judges and court staff from rural courts

  • JP DFW 10-Hour Core Curriculum - In-Person Program

    Registration opens in late March. 

    Join us in Denton at the Denton Embassy Suites for the 10-hour JP Core Curriculum program which will offer general sessions and breakouts on the most pressing topics affecting justice courts.  

    Details

    • Total cost for seminar = $75 (Includes a $25 registration fee + $50 overhead assessment)
    • Total cost for hotel lodging = $110 ($55/night for two nights at the Denton Embassy Suites) 
    • Registration opens in late March. 
    • This program includes 10 total hours of judicial education, including 7 civil hours. 
    • Please note: Both the virtual and in-person core curriculum seminars offer the same classes. Therefore, judges can only sign up for 1 core curriculum seminar.

  • Impaired Driver Symposium - In-Person Program

    Registration opens in May. 

    Join us in Corpus Christi at the Omni Corpus Christi for this program! A co-hosted workshop with TCJ, TMCEC, and TAC that covers issues related to DWI offenses impacting all levels of the judiciary.  

    Details

    • Total cost for seminar = FREE
    • Total cost for hotel lodging = One night's lodging is FREE
    • Agenda coming soon. 
    • Registration opens in May.
    • This program includes 8 hours of judicial education, including 0 civil hours. 

Information about judicial education, programs, and more!

  • Judicial Education Credit Information

    • Newly elected or appointed judges are required to attend 80 hours of education from TJCTC. Click here for more information.

       

    • 2nd year judges who are not attorneys must attend 20 hours of training from TJCTC. At least 10 hours of the 20 must be education on civil law topics. 

      Can I get hours online? 

      Due to COVID-19, Judges can get all 20 hours online for the 2021 academic year which runs from September 1st to August 31st. 

    • Judges in their 3rd year and later who are not attorneys must complete 20 hours of judicial education. At least 10 hours of the 20 must be education on civil law topics obtained through TJCTC. The remaining 10 hours may be completed through TJCTC or another approved entity. 

      Can I get hours online? 

      Due to COVID-19, Judges can get all 20 hours online for the 2021 academic year which runs from September 1st to August 31st. 

       

    • Attorney judges still must complete 20 hours of judicial education, and 10 of those hours must be on civil law topics. These hours may be obtained through TJCTC, another approved entity, or State Bar CLE courses on topics relevant to justice courts. If you aren't sure if your course is relevant to justice court, please verify through TJCTC before attending.

      Can I get my hours online? 

      Due to COVID-19, Judges can get all 20 hours online for the 2021 academic year which runs from September 1st to August 31st. 

      Judges can use a combination of TJCTC hours and hours from other approved entities. To review the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Rules of Judicial Education including approved entities, click here. 

    • The judicial education year begins on September 1st and ends on August 31st. All training hours must be completed by August 31st and submitted one week later. 

       

    • Log-in to your TJCTC Profile. 

      Choose "Download my transcript." 

      When you download your transcript, you will see every course you have attended with TJCTC, divided by year.

      If you are looking for a webinar, live webinars can be found at the top during the academic year that you signed up and took them. 

      Webinar Recordings can be found at the bottom of the transcript. 

  • Program Policies

    • Enrollment is subject to receipt of an online registration from each participant. The registration fee provides for program costs and meals. Pursuant to grant conditions, the registration fee is mandatory and returned to the grant to be spent as restricted funds. If you or your county cannot pay this fee, please contact Thea Whalen at td24@txstate.edu to receive a waiver. 

      The Texas State overhead assessment fee is a voluntary fee deposited into TJCTC's private fund account and is used for unrestricted activity expenses that the grant cannot cover, such as salaries, benefits, and excess food and lodging costs. 

      The breakdown between the fees is detailed on your invoice that is emailed to you once registered. The registration fee should be paid in full prior to the state of the event. 

    • The lodging fee is a fee that covers your portion of the hotel cost if you choose to have a single room. This fee is consistent for every event at $55 based on the lowest rate of any hotel that TJCTC uses. There is no lodging fee if you choose double occupancy or no room. 

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals building

Our programs are funded through generous grants from the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals and the Texas Department of Transportation.