The Texas Justice Court Training Center (TJCTC) is here to support you by providing the 80 hours of required education for new judges. This page is your starting point to access resources and training information.
The Rules of Judicial Education require that every justice of the peace complete an 80-hour course of instruction from the Texas Justice Court Training Center within one year of taking office.
This requirement is also set by state statute (Texas Government Code §56.006) to ensure that all new justices of the peace receive comprehensive training in the duties and responsibilities of the office.
Judge-Elects
If you have won the general election but will not be sworn in until January, you are still required to attend Stage I in December. This training prepares you for cases that may arise on your first day in office. Most courts can cover your lodging fee, but if there are payment issues, don’t let that stop you—TJCTC can bill your county after you are sworn in. For assistance, contact Francisco at fjp12@txstate.edu or 512-347-9927.
Mid-Term Appointees
If you have been appointed mid-term, you are required to attend the next program only if your appointment has been officially approved by Commissioners Court. The same lodging fee process applies as for judge-elects.
Considering Running
Due to grant restrictions, our 80-hour new judge conferences are only open to elected or officially appointed justices of the peace. Individuals who are only considering running for office are not eligible to attend.
Scroll below and you will see the upcoming New Judge Education Events.
Explore our online learning library for in-depth training on specific topics.
New judges may attend workshops as supplemental educational opportunities. However, completion of all three Stages is required to satisfy your education requirements. Workshops are optional and do not replace any Stage requirements.
Let's Get Started!
After completing this form, TJCTC will create an account for you in our database. We will then send you a username and password. Please allow 3-5 business days for this process. Times may be longer during high office turnover periods, such as elections.
TJCTC cannot grant access to any resources until a Judge is officially sworn in.
TJCTC Just launched an update to its website. If you have completed the form already you do not need to resubmit on the updated website.
All justices of the peace must complete an 8-hour magistration duties course.
Deadline: Within 90 days of taking office.
You must be the judge-elect or an appointed judge to take magistration training for credit. The magistration training is free and may be taken anytime for personal benefit.
Note, there are several other magistration training requirements managed by other state agencies. You will learn about those requirements during the TJCTC training.
Complete the New Judge Toolkit and Legal Research modules. Once you have completed both modules, submit the module certification form for each module on the self-paced module webpage.
There are several things that all new justices of the peace must do when they enter office. Please review the new judge checklist to see if you are on top of all of the tasks listed.
Below is information on registering for TJCTC Conferences. If you have won your primary but won't take office until January 1st, your first conference will be in December.
The three New Judge conferences will be held at the Embassy Suites in San Marcos, TX.
Stage I: Monday, December 14 - Friday, December 18, 2026
Stage II: Monday, January 11 - Friday, January 15, 2026
Registration Cost: $0 (Registration for all three stages is paid at Stage III)
Hotel Cost: $400 for a single room ($100 per night for 4 nights)
Judges may choose to share a room with another attendee at no cost
New judges may attend workshops as supplemental educational opportunities. However, completion of all three Stages is required to satisfy your education requirements. Workshops are optional and do not replace any Stage requirements.
Workshop registration will open in early 2027.
