MUNICIPAL COURT JUDGES

a. Each municipal court judge will, as an official duty: (1) within one year after taking office, complete a minimum of 16 hours of live instruction at a seminar or clinic from the Texas Municipal Courts Education Center (TMCEC) in the performance of the duties of office if a licensed attorney, or a minimum of 32 hours of in-person, continuous instruction if not a licensed attorney; and (2) each fiscal year thereafter, complete a minimum of 16 hours of instruction from the Texas Municipal Courts Education Center in the performance of the duties of office. A judge must complete at least eight hours of live instruction from a TMCEC seminar or clinic. A judge may complete the remaining eight hours through approved live TMCEC trainings, approved online education, or a combination of approved live events and online education. 7 | R u l e s o f J u d i c i a l E d u c a t i o n (3) in every fiscal year that ends in 0 or 5, complete two hours of course instruction related to youth diversion and understanding relevant issues of child welfare, including issues related to mental health and children with disabilities as required by Section 22.1105 of the Government Code. See Rule 12(a). b. A person who serves in the dual capacity as a municipal judge and as a justice of the peace may be permitted to receive credit toward fulfillment of the requirements of the rules of judicial education for each office by attending a course of instruction for either office, provided that the curriculum is pertinent to the duties and responsibilities of each office. The determination of the applicability of the course to each or either office shall be made by the judicial education committee having jurisdiction over each office in accordance with that committee’s procedures. Eligibility for credit for this subsection is conditioned on the judge first completing two years of instruction pertaining to the duties of the office of municipal judge from the Texas Municipal Courts Education Center, as required by Rule 5(a). c. After serving as a municipal court judge for a period of two years and meeting the judicial education requirement each year as required by Rule 5(a), a judge may attend an alternate course approved by the Municipal Courts Education Committee. The alternate course must provide at least eight continuous hours of live presentation. A judge may complete the remaining eight hours through approved live trainings, approved online education, or a combination of approved live events and online education. An approved alternate course may be selected only every other year.