New JP Resources

• Explore TJCTC's Resources

  • Sign up with TJCTC

    Make sure you have filled out TJCTC's New Judge form. After we enter you into our system, you will be able to create your username and password to access your student profile.

     

  • Learn about your educational requirements

    All newly elected and appointed justices of the peace are required to receive 80 hours of new judge training. To read about the rules of judicial education, visit our education requirements webpage. 

  • Attend New Judge Seminars

    Visit our New Judge page to see the upcoming New Judge Stage dates. 

  • Take our New Judge Toolkit and Legal Research and Resources modules

    These modules will get you started with the basics of your new role, from courtroom procedures and forms to finding and using legal resources. You’ll gain practical tips, a solid foundation in essential duties, and confidence to handle your first cases.

    Together, they’re designed to set you up for success as you begin your judicial journey.

    Modules and upcoming conferences can be found on our New Judge Education Events page. 

• Learn about the Justice Court Jurisdiction

  • Check out JP Duties

    Click here to download a chart that lists all of a justice of the peace duties.

    Please note: Not every JP in each county has every duty. For example, JP's in larger counties with medical examiners do not do inquests. 

  • Familiarize yourself with legal terms

    Many of our materials are going to use legal language that you may not be familiar with if you did not come from the legal field. 

    Click here to download a document of common legal terms and definitions. 

    Would you like a more formal definition or need to define a word not listed on our attachment? Visit the free, online version of Black's Law Dictionary.  

  • Find out where to access legal resources online

    The most important legal resource you will use are TJCTC's deskbooks. They go through the procedure for each area of JP jurisdiction and provide easy to understand explanations and steps. 

    However, you will also need to know how to access the law and Rules of Civil Procedure. Click here to download a document that shows you where to access the law and rules online. 

• Understand Judicial Ethics

  • Understand Texas' Judicial Canons

    Judges are required to follow special ethical rules. Review the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct to familiarize yourself with the rules. 

  • Know the difference in legal information and legal advice

    One of the trickiest ethical considerations for Justices of the Peace is to understand the difference in providing legal information which is ethical and important versus providing legal advice which is not allowed. 

    Click here to read the Office of Court Administration's explanation of legal advice versus legal information. 

• Get Your Office in Order

  • Review the new judge checklist

    There are some administrative things that all new justices of the peace must do when they enter office. Please review the new judge checklist to see if you have completed all the tasks listed. 

  • Update your paperwork

    Make sure your forms are legally correct and up to date. TJCTC provides hundreds of forms that you can download and customize for your court. Check out our legal forms page for examples. 

• Take a Deep Dive into Procedure

  • Read a deskbook

    TJCTC's premier resource are our deskbooks which go into detail on each JP topic. They are also interactive; you can click the table of contents and links to access different resources. 

    Click here to check them out.

  • Learn about a process visually

    TJCTC has also created charts, flowcharts, and checklists that visually lay out how a process happens and what steps you need to take depending on the information provided. Click here to access TJCTC's charts and checklists page. 

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