The Children’s Commission is pleased to announce the availability of a hands-on Trial Skills Training for less experienced attorneys handling CPS cases who want to improve their litigation skills. A fictional Texas CPS case and live witnesses are partnered with top-notch instructors to coach attendees through all stages of trial. For purposes of the training, “less experienced” means that prior to applying to the Trial Skills Training, applicants who represent children and parents will have completed two to three contested Adversary Hearings and/or two to three final termination trials as first chair, and applicants who represent DFPS will have completed at least three contested Adversary Hearings and/or three to five final termination trials as first chair.
The course will be taught in San Marcos, Texas on May 8-10th, 2019. There is no fee to register, and additional information about cost and reimbursement is provided on the Children’s Commission’s website at the link below. Space is limited to 21 attorneys; participants are evenly divided into three practice groups comprised of seven children’s attorneys, seven attorneys who represent DFPS, and seven parents’ attorneys. Early applications are strongly encouraged.
Please forward this email to attorneys in your jurisdiction who may be interested in applying. The application deadline is midnight on Thursday, January 10th, 2019. The Children’s Commission will contact each applicant’s primary or referring judge to confirm the applicant’s suitability for the training. Applicants who will have a new primary judge as of January 1, 2019 will be asked to provide a professional reference for the same purpose. Attorneys will be notified no later than the week of February 4th, 2019 about whether they have been accepted into the May 2019 Trial Skills Training.
If you should have any questions or need additional information, please contact us by emailing
children@txcourts.gov
.
Thank you for your consideration.
