The Texas Municipal Courts Education Center is the primary provider of specialized judicial education and training opportunities for Texas municipal judges. The staff of TMCEC is steadfastly committed to providing education and training so that municipal judges may administer justice with fairness, efficiency, and a thorough understanding of the law.
According to the Rules of Judicial Education, all municipal judges (both attorney and non-attorney) must complete judicial education every year. Newly appointed or elected attorney judges must attend a regional seminar within one year from appointment or election and once every academic year thereafter. To qualify as an attorney judge, you must be licensed by the State Bar of Texas.
Newly appointed or elected non-attorney judges must, within one year from the date of appointment or election, complete 32 hours of continuing judicial education before attending a regional seminar the next year and once every school year thereafter. Completion of a new judge form is required after appointment.
TMCEC is pleased to offer judges the following annual programs.
Regional Judges Seminars
The TMCEC Regional Judges Seminar is a 16-hour program that covers legal, ethical, and practical issues that municipal judges encounter on the bench. This year, topics include family violence, discovery, protest and social unrest, credit for time served, citizens’ complaints, jury trials, artificial intelligence, court costs, ethics, and a case law update. A Special Session on Day 1 will focus on juveniles: the adolescent brain, youth diversion, and juveniles now adults. All courses are taught by select TMCEC faculty from across the state.
The program is open to all currently active Texas municipal judges, and attendance will satisfy the annual 16-hour continuing judicial education requirement.
Attorneys who attend this event are eligible for CLE credit. There is a $100 CLE Reporting Fee for attorneys who want TMCEC to report their CLE credit.
Click here to see the latest Academic Schedule.
New Judges Seminar for Non-Attorneys
The TMCEC New Judges Seminar is a 32-hour program designed for new, non-attorney judges. The 5-day seminar covers topics including Authorities and Duties, Trial Processes, and Indigency and Enforcement. Each class is tailored to new, non-attorney judges and no background in municipal court or the law is required. All courses are taught by TMCEC attorneys and select judges or agency faculty from across the state.
Admission to the New Judges Seminar is, by rule, limited to new, non-attorney municipal judges only. The Rules of Judicial Education require that all municipal judges who are not licensed by the State Bar of Texas attend 32 hours of TMCEC judicial training within one year of the date of their appointment or election.
Non-attorney municipal judges who have been inactive for two or more consecutive academic years are required to repeat the new judges program. Participants must be appointed to office prior to registration. Mayors are only eligible to attend if a general-law municipality has activated its court but has not created the position or appointed a municipal judge (including presiding, associate, alternate, or substitute judge). Mayors serving as the ex officio judge must request an affidavit form from TMCEC and submit it prior to registration.
Click here to see the latest Academic Schedule.
Impaired Driving Symposium
TMCEC offers an 8-hour Impaired Driving Symposium in cooperation with the Texas Association of Counties, Texas Center for the Judiciary, and the Texas Justice Court Training Center. The symposium is only for judges and will count for eight hours of judicial education credit as well as CLE credit. This program brings together judges of all levels to better understand responsibilities and issues surrounding impaired driving cases.
Click here to see the latest Academic Schedule.
