Important Information for Judges and Attorneys Handling Child Welfare Cases

Resource Letter:

For Judges and Attorneys Handling Child Welfare Cases

October 27, 2023

Now Available:

Enhancing the Experience for Parents Involved in Child Welfare Cases

A recording of the October 19, 2023 live webcast entitled “Enhancing the Experience for Parents Involved in Child Welfare Cases” is now available on the Children's Commission’s On-Demand MCLE webpage for judges and for attorneys.

Hon. Robert Falkenberg, Associate Judge of the Child Protection Court of South Texas, led a panel discussion highlighting the importance of attorney-client communication, best practices in preparing clients for court appearances, and legal advocacy inside and outside of the courtroom with Cynthia Dyar, Special Director of the Texas RioGrande Legal Aid Family Defense Project; Janet Vanderzanden, Staff Attorney at the Travis County Office of Parental Representation; and Kameryn Townsend and Jacqueline Reyna, parents with lived experience.

The State Bar of Texas approved 1.5 hours of MCLE for the webcast, including 0.25 ethics hours. Self-reporting information is available on the Children’s Commission website.

Upcoming Children's Commission Webinar:

Trial Skills for Child Welfare Cases: Laying Your Evidentiary Foundation

Please join the Children's Commission on Friday, November 17, 2023, from 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. for a webinar entitled “Trial Skills for Child Welfare Cases: Laying Your Evidentiary Foundation.”

Michele Surratt, Texas Department of Family and Protective Services Managing Attorney for DFPS Region 9, and Tiffany Reedy, Managing Counsel for the Child Protection Services and Disability & Elder Law Divisions at the Harris County Attorney’s Office, will review the foundations necessary to introduce exhibits commonly used in child welfare cases such as business records, certified copies, photos, video clips, outcry statements, and drug test results. The discussion will also include potential objections and foundational issues that may be encountered by attorneys attempting to lay their evidentiary foundation.

MCLE and TBLS credit are currently pending. This presentation will be archived and materials will be made available on the Children’s Commission website following the live webinar.

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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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