2012 TMCEC One-Day Clinic Series
The Texas Municipal Courts Education Center is pleased to again offer four one-day clinics in Academic Year 2012. Each clinic is 5.0 hours in length, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and includes a one-hour lunch break with lunch provided by TMCEC. Registration is only $20, and includes course materials and lunch. No hotel accommodations, travel reimbursement, or meals other than lunch on the day of the clinic, will be provided. Locations are subject to change.
All clinics offer 4.0 hours of credit toward the clerk certification program, and up to 4.0 hours of MCLE credit will be submitted to the State Bar of Texas and the Texas Board of Legal Specialization for licensed attorneys.
Participants may register online (with credit card payment) at http://register.tmcec.com or can download the main one-day clinic registration form HERE. The form may be mailed in with payment to 1609 Shoal Creek Blvd. Suite 302, Austin, TX 78701 or faxed (with payment information) to 512.435.6118.
Read below for descriptions of each clinic or to download an individual registration form specific for that clinic. Register for one or for all, but register early, as space is limited!
Records Retention and Handling Records Requests • January 18, 2012 • at the TMCEC office
This clinic will cover the Texas State Library and Archives Commission's retention schedule for municipal and justice court records, as well as address recent changes to Schedule LC. The clinic will also address the handling of records requests and distinguish what laws apply to the disclosure of criminal court case records. An individual registration form for this clinic is available HERE.
The New Laws of Recusal and Disqualification in Texas Municipal Courts: What Every Judge, Clerk, and City Attorney Must Know • February 1, 2012 • at the TMCEC office
S.B. 480 repealed problematic Government Code Section 29.012 and replaced it with a comprehensive series of procedures located in Subchapter A-1 of Chapter 29 of the Government Code. These new highly detailed laws, adapted from the Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 18a, are designed to accommodate all sizes of municipal courts, and strike a balance between uniformity in application of the law and judicial efficiency. The new series of laws can be used in any kind of criminal or civil case in which a municipal court has jurisdiction. An individual registration form for this clinic is available HERE.
DOT and Federal Motor Carrier Law • April 17, 2012 • at the LaPorte Municipal Court 
Location of clinic: 3005 North 23rd Street, La Porte, TX 77571
Effective enforcement of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR) requires a partnership of federal, state, and local government. Effective enforcement also requires extensive training of local police in an area of little familiarity to most municipal court personnel. With the ever-expanding number of municipalities that are authorized to enforce both the FMCSRs and vehicle weight standards, municipal courts are entering this arena in increasing numbers. Join TMCEC "on the road" for a review of relevant federal and state authority and an opportunity for judges, court personnel, and prosecutors to better understand this complicated area of traffic law. An individual registration form for this clinic is available HERE.
Specialty and Problem-Solving Courts • May 30, 2012 • at the TMCEC office
Problem-solving courts focus on resolving the underlying chronic anti-social behaviors of defendants. The most common type of problem-solving court is the drug court, but many Texas cities are experimenting with specialty dockets to address certain defendants or types of cases. From truancy courts to animal courts, from homeless courts to community courts, this clinic will look at the legal authority for cities to implement these specialty or problem-solving courts. Participants will also hear from judges and clerks who work in these successful specialty courts to get ideas to take back to their cities. An individual registration form for this clinic is available HERE.
