2026 Trial Skills Training Contested Hearing Practices Course Application |
2026 Trial Skills Training Course Description
The Children's Commission's Trial Skills Training (TST) is a unique, realistic, and effective interactive training designed to improve the litigation skills of Texas Child Welfare attorneys across the state. Each TST program has a rigorous application process, and each cohort has limited capacity by design in order to provide participants with a hands-on training experience. The Fall 2026 TST Contest Hearings Practice Course is limited to 27 attorneys actively practicing child welfare law who wish to improve their practice skills.
The Contested Hearings Practice Course is based on a fictional child welfare fact pattern with a complete mock case file and provides training by lecturing, demonstrating, strategizing, and practicing litigation skills in several mock contested hearings. The use of live witnesses is an integral part of the program, featuring DFPS Caseworkers, Pediatric Fellows and/or Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, and Parent Therapists.
Participants are expected to review the case file, prepare an initial strategy, complete assigned prework in advance of the course dates, and attend and fully participate in all virtual and in-person sessions of this course which consists of half-day virtual trainings on the afternoons of September 9 and 16, 2026, and 2.5 days of in-person training on September 21-23, 2026 in San Marcos, Texas.
Participants will earn approximately 24.5 live MCLE hours (including ethics hours), an additional 4 hours of MCLE in preparation for the training, and an opportunity for an additional 3 self-study MCLE hours, all of which is offered at no cost to the participant.
To review applicant criteria and TST Contested Hearing Practices Course information, such as the course description, training logistics, and reimbursement for travel-related costs incurred to attend the course, please visit the Children's Commission TST webpage.
Please send questions about this training or the application to CCTraining@txcourts.gov.