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 June 24-26th, 2020. 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 Tuesday, February 18th, 2020 . The Children’s Commission will contact each applicant’s primary or appointing judge to confirm the applicant’s suitability for the training. Attorneys will be notified no later than the week of March 16th, 2020 about whether they have been accepted into the June 2020 Trial Skills Training.

For more information and to submit an application for the training, please visit the Trial Skills Training webpage .

If you should have any questions or need additional information, please contact us by emailing [email protected] .

Thank you for your consideration.

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For a complete list of Jurist in Residence Letters, please visit the Children's Commission webpage . Information provided by the Children’s Commission should not be read as a commentary by the Supreme Court of Texas or any other court. The Children’s Commission website is not equipped to facilitate dialogue or conversation about matters related to the information in this communique. For more information about the Children’s Commission, please visit our website .