New Judges

The Rules of Judicial Education state that each justice of the peace will complete within one year after taking office an 80-hour live course of instruction from the Texas Justice Court Training Center. 

Yes, you can. All judge-elects (i.e. judges who have won the general election but have not been sworn in yet) are required to attend Stage I so that we can give you training on cases that can pop up on your first day. 

Most courts are aware that incoming judges will need to attend Stage I and the court will have a procedure to pay us for your room nights at Stage I. However, if you have any trouble getting the lodging fee paid, please do not let that stop you from coming. We can retroactively charge the county later after you have been sworn in. For questions about that, please email Francisco at fjp12@txstate.edu or call 512.347.9927. 

1. Step one is to sign up on the New Judge Form so we can create you a username and password. 

2. Step two is to register for the next upcoming new judge program.

3. Step three is to complete your magistration training, which is required within 90 days of taking office. See below for more details. 

Important!

New Requirement: All justices of the peace must be in compliance with educational requirements related to magistrate duties. 

The magistrate duties requirement includes an eight-hour course on magistrate duties within 90 days of taking office, including a DPS (Department of Public Safety) course on accessing criminal history records. All judges taking office after April 1, 2022 must receive this education within 90 days of taking office.

What are my next steps?

First, take our online bail education classes within 90 days of taking office. You can start with the TJCTC Magistration Module. There are three components to complete; you do not have to complete them in one sitting. You can start, stop, and continue as your schedule allows. To take the classes, visit our Bail Education page.

Please note: You cannot receive credit for the class if you have not been appointed to JP yet. If you will be elected in November, don't worry - we have you covered! And will provide education at our new judge programs covering this topic.

Next, thoroughly review the bail page, including information on classes necessary to access criminal history records. Then, take the criminal history records class necessary for the role you play in your county’s magistration process.

Finally, we understand that this requirement can be overwhelming when you’ve just taken office. Keep in mind that this new process has probably been initiated in your county by other JP’s in coordination with the county judge and jail staff. For example, they may have already designated a Local Administrative User (LAU). Reach out to them to find out where your county is in the process. If you are still having trouble following the process, you can contact our legal help line and our staff attorneys will be ready to assist.

How do I make sure my credit is counted?

When you complete the 8-hours of education on our bail education page, send us the form on the page and we will add your credit to your educational transcript. For the DPS class, you will just need to keep a copy of your completion certificate for your records.

No. Due to grant constraints, our 80 hour seminars are only for elected or appointed justices of the peace or visiting judges. 

Check out our online learning to go in-depth on specific topics. 

Also, we have workshops all throughout the year you are welcome to attend.

Did you just get appointed? Check out our new judge resource page for a basic overview of the justice court jurisdiction. 

For questions regarding registration or setting up your account, contact Francisco at fjp12@txstate.edu. 

For questions concerning the conferences, contact Jasmine at jms369@txstate.edu. 

Enrollment is subject to receipt of registration from each participant. The registration fee provides for program costs and meals. Pursuant to grant conditions, the registration fee is given to the grant to be spent as restricted funds. If you or your county cannot pay this fee, please contact Thea Whalen at td24@txstate.edu to inquire about a waiver. 

The Texas State overhead assessment fee is a voluntary fee deposited into TJCTC's private fund account and is used for unrestricted activity expenses that the grant cannot cover, such as salaries, benefits, and excess food and lodging costs. 

The breakdown between the fees is detailed on your invoice that is emailed to you once registered. 

All room nights are a $60/night charge regardless of location. This is a voluntary fee to cover the difference between the grant allowed GSA rate and the cost charged by the property. This cost allows education seminars to continue to be held in preferred locations throughout the state.