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What are the basic requirements?
- Year One:
- New attorney judges must complete 16 hours of live instruction at a seminar or clinic within one year of taking office.
- New non-attorney judges must complete a minimum of 32 hours of in-person, continuous instruction at a TMCEC New Judges Seminar
- Recurring Annual Education:
- Beginning with a judge’s second year of education, all municipal judges are required to annually complete 16 hours of judicial education between September 1st and August 31st.
- The required 16 hours must consist of at least eight hours of live instruction from a TMCEC seminar or clinic. The remaining 8 hours of education can be satisfied through live presentation, approved online education, or any combination of approved live events and online education. This is often referred to as flex-time.
- Opt Out
- Additionally, after two years of judicial education, municipal judges may choose to “opt out” of TMCEC education by participating in relevant, approved education from approved providers of at least 8 hours of live presentation. If the approved opt out is less than 16 hours, the remaining hours can be satisfied through flex-time. The choice to “opt out” of TMCEC training is available in alternating years.
- Magistrate Duties Training
- 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. Note that the on-demand Magistrate Duties course does NOT include updates from the 89th Legislative Session. TMCEC is updating the course and plans on it to be available by December 31, 2025.
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?
No. Except for the first-year requirements, judges can complete their 16 hours at one continuous event or spread out over different events as long as eight of the hours are live from a seminar or clinic.
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 that are subsidized by grant funds.
Am I required to attend more than one TMCEC educational offering annually?
No. After year one, judges must complete at least 8 hours of live training at a seminar or clinic. There are options to satisfy all 16 hours at a single event. 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 Update
- TMCEC Virtual Clinics (Live or On-demand)
- 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?
Non-TMCEC approved providers can be used towards your flex-time, for more information on flex-time click here. If you are considering using one of these providers in lieu of the required eight live TMCEC seminar or clinic hours, this would be considered an opt-out. To see if you qualify and for more information click here.
For a list of approved providers, click here.
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; and
- A program agenda or educational transcript showing specific classes completed; or
- Other documentation as approved by the Executive Director or Director of Education.
What live TMCEC virtual events count toward the required eight live hours?
TMCEC’s Virtual Regional Judges Programs as well as TMCEC’s Virtual Clinics are both considered live events and can satisfy the eight live hours. Virtual Clinics watched on demand DO NOT count as live hours, however. While webinars are offered live as well as on-demand—webinars (even live) do not count towards the required 8 live hours at a seminar or clinic as outlined in the Rules of Judicial Education.