TMCEC - Programs - Clerks - Certified Municipal Court Clerk

LEVEL III PACKET & APPLICATION

The Municipal Court Clerk Certification Program was established to encourage professional development and educational growth. It is sponsored by the Texas Court Clerks Association (TCCA) in cooperation with the Texas Municipal Courts Association (TMCA), the Texas Municipal Courts Education Center, and Texas State University in San Marcos. The Certified Municipal Court Clerk (CMCC) is the final step in the certification process, and in 2007, there were 31 Level III Certified Municipal Court Clerks in Texas.

Eligibility Requirements

Participants must be employed by a municipal court in order to participate in the certification program.

Education Requisites

Participants must successfully complete a 24-hour assessment clinic. The assessment clinic emphasizes role-plays and simulations on work place problems, employee appraisals, conflict resolution skills, dealing with diversity, preparing a cost benefit analysis, developing a change project for your court, and working in teams.

Other than the Assessment Clinic:

The applicant must provide proof that within three years, the applicant has:

1) Attended:
    a) two annual conferences of TCCA, and a court administrators program or
    b) two annual conferences of TMCA, and a court administrators program or
    c) two annual conferences, on TCCA and one of TMCA; and a court administrators program; or

2) Attended one annual conference of TCCA or TMCA and a court administrators program and 4 hours of approved educational programs sponsored by TCCA (state or local chapter), TMCA, or TMCEC, or a combination thereof; or

3) Attended a court administrators program and completed 28 additional hours of training sponsored by TCCA (state or local chapter), TMCA, or TMCEC or a combination thereof.

Certification Exam

Participants in the program must pass a certification exam to gain Level III certification. The tests will be offered several times a year, click here for the 2007-2008 test registration form and test dates. For TCCA or TMCEC members, the Level III exam is $50. For non-members, the cost is $90. The cost of retaking the exam is $50 for the complete exam or $25 per part of the exam for members and non-members. An individual may retake an exam until a passing grade is obtained.

The Certified Municipal Court Clerk exam questions are taken from 16 books. You may obtain these books on your own, or request a loaner set from TMCEC. The exam questions are multiple choice and true-false. A list of level three study questions are available. The following topics are emphasized:

Leadership
Organizational Behavior
Supervision
Hiring and Firing
Performance Appraisal
Diversity
Planning
Office Management
Caseflow Management
Financial Management
Records Management
Court Security

Check out these study tips to help you prepare.

Journal

In addition to passing the Level III Exam, Certified Municipal Court Clerks must first complete an extensive written journal based on first hand observations of court processes across Texas. This process typically takes between six months to two years, and exposes clerks to the varied caseloads, objectives, and management styles of different courts of varied sizes and functions. Download the Level III Journal Handbook here.

Continuing Education

To maintain proficiency of a Certified Court Clerk Level III, a clerk must complete 20 hours of continuing judicial education each year through TCCA, TMCA, NCSC, NACM, ICM or TMCEC.

Participants must submit proof of their continuing education. Click here to download a renewal application and get more information. Not completing the required hours of continuing education will result in a loss of all levels of certification. To appeal a loss of certification, click here.