The Children’s Commission will host a webinar on October 8, 2024, from 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. entitled “Domestic Violence in Child Welfare Cases: Best Practices for Judges and Attorneys.”

Panelists will share best practices for client and courtroom interactions when domestic violence is present in a child welfare case. Keeping safety and the best interest of the child at the forefront, the panel will cover client communication, courtroom, and mediation dynamics in child welfare cases.

The panel will include the following speakers:

• Hon. Aurora Martinez Jones, Judge of the 126th District Court, moderator;
• Dr. Eloise Sepeda, Founder of Harmony One Restorative Justice;
• Lisa, Survivor Leader; and
• Maricarmen Garza, Attorney at the Tahirih Justice Center.

The State Bar of Texas has approved 1.0 MCLE credit for the webinar; Texas Board of Legal Specialization and Family Violence credit hours have been requested. The presentation will be archived, and materials will be available on the Children’s Commission website following the live webinar.

Attorneys who are appointed to provide representation of children and/or parents in cases involving the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) are required to report the percentage of their practice time devoted to that work (Section 107.0042, Texas Family Code) to the Texas Indigent Defense Commission (TIDC). Additionally, attorneys who are appointed to provide representation in adult criminal and juvenile delinquency cases are also required to report the percentage of their practice time dedicated to work on those appointed cases (Article 26.04(j), Texas Code of Criminal Procedure).

Reports are due by October 15, 2024. The report covers attorneys’ work in the prior fiscal year (October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024). 

Detailed reporting instructions are available here. Attorneys can also watch a short video demonstrating how to enter their practice time report here. 

Attorneys can submit their report by visiting this link.

The online report is very short and reflects each county in which attorneys practiced and the percentage of their practice time spent on appointed criminal, juvenile, and family protection cases during the 2024 fiscal year.  

Please reach out to info@tidc.texas.gov with any questions.

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For a complete list of Resource 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.

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