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Judicial Education Requirements

Judicial Education Requirements for 2025

Where do training requirements come from? Judicial education requirements come from both the state legislature and the Court of Criminal Appeals. To view the Rules of Judicial Education, click here. Rule 3 applies to justice court. 

The academic year runs from September 1, 2024 through August 31, 2025. 

Experienced judges have additional requirements this year. Read below for more details. 

Training Requirement Checklist for 2025


  • 2025 Judicial Education Requirements for Non-Attorney Experienced Judges

    • A non-attorney judge that has previously completed their first year of new judge training.

    • Judges need a total of at least 20 hours. All of the requirements listed below can count toward the 20 hours. 

    • In-person hours mean at an in-person training location, not online learning. Live online learning (like a live webinar) does not count for this requirement. 

      Your in-person hours do not have to come from TJCTC. 

    • Civil hours are instruction regarding substantive, procedural, and evidentiary law in civil matters in accordance with Section 27.005(a) of the Government Code. 

      You can taken civil hours through TJCTC OR a pre-approved education entity. 

      All TJCTC courses will list if they qualify for civil hours or not. To find out if another entity's education qualifies for civil, please email jessforeman@txstate.edu with the list of courses. 

    • You are required to get at least 10 hours from TJCTC. These hours can be from in-person training or online training. 

    • In years ending in 0 or 5 (like 2025), you are required to get a 2-hour Juvenile Diversion course. We are offering this course as a general session at all of our 20 and 10-hour programs. 

      We will also produce a webinar (out in January) and a module (out in November) for you to take to complete this requirement as well. 

      This course can be through another training entity, but the rules state that if you take it online, it must be through TJCTC. If you are taking a course with another group and want to confirm if it qualifies, email Jessica at jessforeman@txstate.edu. 

    • During each state fiscal biennium, judges must take a magistration course. You could have taken this course in 2024 or 2025. 

      Here are the courses that qualify: 

      • Webinars:
        • Any webinar listed under the “Magistrate Duties Webinars”
        • Under Impaired Driving: Drug Impaired Driving
      • Modules:
        • Setting Bail and Bond Conditions Under the Damon Allen Act
        • TJCTC Magistration Module
      • In-person judge classes:
        • FY24 20-hour
          • Magistrating Out-of-County Warrants
          • Appointment of Counsel
          • Reducing DWI: The Magistrate’s Role
          • Rural Magistration and EDO Issues
        • FY25 20-hour
          • Handling Out-of-County Warrants
          • Mental Health Detention
        • Workshops:
          • FY24 – West Texas Magistration Workshop 
          • FY24 – Impaired Driving Symposium
          • FY25 – Impaired Driving Symposium
  • 2025 Judicial Education Requirements for Attorney Experienced Judges

    • An attorney judge that has previously completed their first year of new judge training.

    • Judges need a total of at least 20 hours. All of the requirements listed below can count toward the 20 hours. 

    • In-person hours mean at an in-person training location, not online learning. Live online learning (like a live webinar) does not count for this requirement. 

      Your in-person hours do not have to come from TJCTC. 

      Please note: Even if you submit all MCLE hours, the Court of Criminal Appeals still requires you to take 10 in-person hours. 

    • Civil hours are instruction regarding substantive, procedural, and evidentiary law in civil matters in accordance with Section 27.005(a) of the Government Code. 

      You can taken civil hours through TJCTC OR a pre-approved education entity. 

      All TJCTC courses will list if they qualify for civil hours or not. To find out if another entity's education qualifies for civil, please email jessforeman@txstate.edu with the list of courses. 

    • In years ending in 0 or 5 (like 2025), you are required to get a 2-hour Juvenile Diversion course. We are offering this course as a general session at all of our 20 and 10-hour programs. 

      We will also produce a webinar (out in January) and a module (out in November) for you to take to complete this requirement as well. 

      This course can be through another training entity, but the rules state that if you take it online, it must be through TJCTC. If you are taking a course with another group and want to confirm if it qualifies, email Jessica at jessforeman@txstate.edu. 

    • During each state fiscal biennium, judges must take a magistration course. You could have taken this course in 2024 or 2025. 

      Here are the courses that qualify: 

      • Webinars:
        • Any webinar listed under the “Magistrate Duties Webinars”
        • Under Impaired Driving: Drug Impaired Driving
      • Modules:
        • Setting Bail and Bond Conditions Under the Damon Allen Act
        • TJCTC Magistration Module
      • In-person judge classes:
        • FY24 20-hour
          • Magistrating Out-of-County Warrants
          • Appointment of Counsel
          • Reducing DWI: The Magistrate’s Role
          • Rural Magistration and EDO Issues
        • FY25 20-hour
          • Handling Out-of-County Warrants
          • Mental Health Detention
        • Workshops:
          • FY24 – West Texas Magistration Workshop 
          • FY24 – Impaired Driving Symposium
          • FY25 – Impaired Driving Symposium