What are the basic requirements?
- All municipal judges are required to annually complete 16 hours of judicial education between September 1st and August 31st.
- New judges must complete 16 hours (attorney judges) or 32 hours (non-attorney judges) of in-person, continuous instruction within one year of taking office. A judge’s second year of training must consist of 16 in-person, continuous hours at a live TMCEC Judges Seminar.
- After judges have completed at least 2 years of required judicial education, municipal judges can exercise flex-time. This means that while municipal judges must complete 8 hours of continuous live education, the remaining 8 hours of flex-time education can be satisfied through live presentation, approved online education, or any combination of approved live events and online education;
- Additionally, after two years of judicial education, municipal judges may choose to “opt out” of TMCEC education by participating in relevant, approved presentations of at least 8 hours of live presentation with the remaining 8 hours through live presentation, online education, or any combination thereof. The choice to “opt out” of TMCEC training is available in alternating years.
- Magistrates are required to complete an 8-hour initial training course on magistrate duties as a qualification for setting bail in criminal cases punishable by confinement. Magistrates who began serving after April 1, 2022 have 90 days from the date they take office to complete the training.
- For information on required bail training, click here. For information on required youth diversion & child welfare training, click here.
How can I complete the required 8-hour Magistrate Duties course?
TMCEC, in conjunction with the Office of Court Administration (OCA), has developed a course specifically for municipal judges serving as magistrates. This virtual course is available on-demand on TMCEC’s Online Learning Center. Attendance counts for 8 hours of Judicial Education and Clerk Certification credit.
Can I attend any 8 hours that I choose at a regional program, if I would like to utilize flex time and fulfill the remaining hours online or through other means?
No. Judges are expected to attend the entire 8 hours of Day 2 of the regional program. Judges wishing to receive 12 hours would attend Day 2 plus Day 1 or Day 3. Judges seeking the full 16 hours available will attend Days 1, 2, and 3.
Do I have to attend all 16 hours together?
For the first two years, yes. After two years of judicial education through TMCEC, municipal judges must attend 8 consecutive hours, but then may choose to use flex-time for the additional 8 hours. See the graphic below for some examples of flex-time training.
Can I attend portions of Day 1 and Day 3 and attend all of Day 2?
All judges are required to attend the entire 8 hours of Day 2 of the regional program. Judges seeking more than 8 hours of credit will be expected to attend the entire 4 hours of Day 1 and/or Day 3. Attendance at all 4 hours of Day 3 is required to be eligible for hotel rooms on the evening of Day 2 subsidized by grant funds.
Am I required to attend more than one TMCEC educational offering annually?
No. Judges are only required to attend one live TMCEC training, and it must contain at least 8 hours of continuous live training (for those who have completed two years of training through TMCEC). Currently, those options consist of one of nine TMCEC Regional Programs or the Municipal Traffic Safety Initiatives (MTSI) Conference. Judges choosing the MTSI Conference to satisfy their judicial education requirements must attend the entire conference to be eligible for credit and for the grant-funded housing.
What TMCEC programs are approved for credit towards the additional 8 hours?
- TMCEC Webinars (must be watched in the current Academic Year)
- TMCEC Legislative Updates
- TMCEC Mental Health Conference
- TMCEC Court Security Conference
- TMCEC C3 events
- TMCEC Municipal Traffic Safety Initiatives Conference
- TMCEC Impaired Driving Symposium
- TMCEC Regional Clerks Program (only if the judge serves as a clerk in dual capacity)
- TMCEC Prosecutors Program (Attorney Judges only)
What non-TMCEC providers are approved for Judicial Education?
The below approved providers can be used towards your flex-time, for more information on flex-time click here. If you are considering using a below provider as your 8 consecutive hours, this would be considered an opt-out. To see if you qualify and for more information click here.
Approved providers include:
- American Judges Association
- ABA (American Bar Association) Traffic Seminar
- Center for American and International Law
- Harvard Law School
- Houston Municipal Court
- Juvenile Law Section of the State Bar of Texas
- National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- National Center for State Courts
- National College of District Attorneys
- National Council of Juvenile and Family Law Judges
- National District Attorneys Association
- The National Judicial College
- Office of Court Administration
- State Bar of Texas Professional Development Programs
- Texas Association of Counties
- Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association
- Texas Center for the Judiciary
- Texas Council on Family Violence
- Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
- Texas District and County Attorneys Association
- Texas Indigent Defense Commission
- Texas Justice Courts Training Center
- Texas Juvenile Probation Commission
- Texas Municipal Courts Association
- U.S. Army, Judge Advocate School
National, state, and local bar associations, as well as Texas law schools are also approved if courses relate to municipal courts.
What documentation is necessary to show fulfillment of the 8 hours if satisfied by an approved provider other than TMCEC?
- A certificate of attendance or completion;
- A receipt for payment of tuition;
- A program agenda and affidavit supporting attendance; or
- Other documentation as approved by the Executive Director.
Does TMCEC’s Virtual Regional Seminar count as “live hours”?
Yes, the 2023 changes to the Rules of Judicial Education include synchronous, live programs within the definition of “live TMCEC Judges Seminar.” This means that municipal judges may now attend a live, continuous TMCEC Judges Seminar virtually. On-demand virtual training does NOT count as “live hours.”
Does TMCEC’s Virtual Regional Seminar count as “in-person” training for a judge completing his or her first or second year of training?
No. Judges completing their first or second year of training must complete in-person, continuous hours. While a virtual regional seminar is a “live” seminar, it is not “in-person.”