Trial Skills Training

Attorneys who wish to participate in a TST course offering must submit an application by the designated deadline. In addition, to be considered for the course, applicants must meet the following minimum criteria at the time of their application:

• Be licensed to practice in the State of Texas and be in good standing with the State Bar of Texas;
• Be in good standing with their primary judge presiding over child welfare cases;
• Must currently represent DFPS or be actively accepting appointments to represent parents and/or children on a child welfare docket;
• Must commit to complete any pre-assigned webcasts, all of which are eligible for Texas Minimum Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) credit, in preparation for the training;
• Must commit to complete any pre-test and post-test surveys designed to assist the Children’s Commission in gauging the effectiveness of the course and of the training materials assigned; and
• Must commit to attending and actively participating in all scheduled virtual and in-person sessions of the course.

Applicants will be chosen based on the minimum criteria listed above as well as additional criteria provided in their application responses, skill set of the applicant pool, and geographic location. Applicants may be invited to participate in the TST Contested Hearings Course in a role (child ad litem, parents’ attorney, or attorney for DFPS) that they do not traditionally serve in. Additionally, participants may be assigned to represent a party that they do not traditionally serve for the purposes of one or more of the program’s simulated court hearing practice sessions.

Preference may be given to those applicants who meet the above criteria and meet one or more of the following additional criteria:

• have been practicing child welfare law for less than 5 years; and/or
• devote a minimum of 25% of their law practice to child welfare cases.

The Children’s Commission will contact each applicant’s primary judge to inquire about the applicant’s suitability for the TST course offering before inviting individuals to participate in the program.

For more information about the TST Contested Hearings Course, please review the information below.

The Fall 2025 TST Contested Hearings Course Application will open soon. Please check this webpage frequently for updates.  

To receive notice about future Trial Skills Training offerings and other training opportunities, please sign up to receive Resource Letters from the Children’s Commission.

Trial Skills Training was designed to improve the litigation skills of Texas child welfare law attorneys through a combination of lectures, strategy sessions, and practical case exercises in a simulated courtroom setting.

Since its inception in October 2013, the Children’s Commission has hosted numerous TSTs with a focus on jury trial preparation presented by a volunteer faculty comprised of highly experienced judges and attorneys from across the state. In September 2024, the first iteration of the Trial Skills Contested Hearings Course, which focuses on improving courtroom hearing practice skills was held.

This training is moderated by Judge Piper McCraw of the 469th Judicial District Court in Collin County, Texas. Judge McCraw also serves as a Children’s Commission Jurist in Residence and Training Committee Chair.

The TST Contested Hearing Practices 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, and participating witnesses include 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.

The course offers approximately 15-20 live free MCLE hours, including ethics, an additional 4-6 free MCLE hours in the form of preassigned webinars in preparation for the training, and an opportunity for participants to claim up to an additional 3 self-study MCLE hours.

By the conclusion of the training, participants will complete the following activities:

• view assigned webinars related to child welfare courtroom practices;
• attend live lectures on contested hearing practice skills specific to Texas child welfare cases;
• observe those skills successfully demonstrated by faculty;
• participate in strategy sessions with faculty on how to develop witness examination questions and argument;
• practice their litigation skills within their peer group (practice sessions may use live witnesses who play the role of lay or expert witnesses from the fact pattern);
• receive critiques from faculty about participants’ skills during the small group practice sessions; and 
• receive four 1:1 coaching sessions to discuss skills, style, and personal demeanor via review of video recordings taken during several small group practice sessions.

Trial Skills Training faculty includes: 

• Hon. Piper McCraw, TBLS Board Certified in Family Law and in Child Welfare Law, Judge of the 469th District Court, Children’s Commission Jurist in Residence, Training Committee Chair, and Trial Skills Training Moderator 
• Hon. Gary Coley, former Judge of the 74th District Court of McLennan County
• Hon. Robert Falkenberg, Associate Judge of Child Protection Court of South Texas
• Hon. Charles Griffin, TBLS Board Certified in Child Welfare Law, Associate Judge of the Gulf Coast Children’s Court 
• Hon. Michelle Moore, Judge of the 314^th District Court of Harris County
• Hon. Elizabeth Watkins, TBLS Board Certified in Child Welfare Law, Associate Judge of the Child Protection Court of the Concho Valley 
• Rob Galvin, TBLS Board Certified in Child Welfare Law, Attorney for Parents and Children in Central Texas
• Tracy Harting, CWLS, TBLS Board Certified in Child Welfare Law, Family Justice Division Chief, Williamson County Attorney's Office
• Amanda Lockhart, TBLS Board Certified in Child Welfare Law, Attorney for Parents and Children in Brazos County
• Doug Lowe, former District Attorney, Anderson County
• William “Drake” Mikeska, TBLS Board Certified in Child Welfare Law, Managing Attorney, Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, Region 8
• Kellie Price, TBLS Board Certified in Child Welfare Law, Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, Special Projects Attorney
• Tiffany Reedy, Managing Counsel, Child Protective Services and Disability & Elderly Law Divisions, Harris County Attorney’s Office
• Belinda Roberts, TBLS Board Certified in Child Welfare Law, former Attorney for Parents and Children in Central Texas
• Jack Sigman, former Attorney for Parents and Children in Central Texas 
• Diane Sumoski, TBLS Board Certified in Child Welfare Law, Director of the SMU Dedman School of Law’s Child Advocacy Clinic 
• Michele Surratt, Managing Attorney, Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, Region 9
• Laura Valdes, Assistant District Attorney, CPS Unit, Bexar County District Attorney’s Office
• Mauro Valdez, TBLS Board Certified in Child Welfare Law, Supervising Attorney, CPS Unit, Bexar County District Attorney’s Office
• Mark Zuniga, Staff Attorney, Texas Justice Court Training Center

Each offering of the Children’s Commission’s Trial Skills Training (TST) is specifically designed for attorneys actively practicing Texas child welfare law and includes a combination of mandatory virtual and in-person training curriculum.

Accepted participants will be sent training materials and a link to the TST Course landing page approximately three-to-four weeks prior to the start of the training. Participants are expected to review all case materials, prepare initial case strategy, and view assigned webinars prior to the training in preparation for discussion during the live training dates. Additionally, participants may be assigned pre-tests and post-test surveys designed to assist the Children’s Commission in gauging the effectiveness of the course and of the training materials assigned.

The virtual portion of the Fall 2025 Trial Skills Training will occur on the Zoom platform. Links for the Zoom training sessions will be sent to accepted TST participants closer to the training dates.

The in-person portion of the Fall 2025 Trial Skills Training will occur in Round Rock, Texas. Hotel information will be shared with invitees.

Included in the program at no cost to the participant:

• All participants will receive approximately 15-20 hours of free MCLE (including ethics hours) after completing the live portions of the course.
• In addition, participants will be assigned to watch several webinars in preparation for the TST Contested Hearings Course, which will be built upon during the live training. These assigned webinars will provide up to an additional 4 to 6 hours of free MCLE credit for participants.
• Participants will also be provided an opportunity to claim up to an additional 3 hours of self-study MCLE.
• In-person training days include complimentary breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snacks.

Upfront costs to the participant that may be eligible for reimbursement include:  

• Hotel expenses for participants who do not live in the city where the event hotel is located will be eligible for reimbursement in accordance with the reimbursement guidelines outlined below.
• Travel expenses related to attending the in-person portion of the Trial Skills Training Course are reimbursable subject to the reimbursement guidelines outlined below.

Note: Out-of-town participants requiring overnight accommodations should be prepared to spend a minimum of two nights away from home. Please see the Children’s Commission Travel Reimbursement Request Guidelines for more information about our reimbursement policy related to lodging.

Information about specific reimbursement requirements is provided below.

This program is federally funded and is governed by the reimbursement policies of the Children’s Commission and the Supreme Court of Texas. When applicable, all travel expenses will be paid in accordance with the following policies. Expenses eligible for reimbursement related to in-person TSTs are set out below. If you have any questions, please contact commission.accounting@txcourts.gov.

Participants who do not live in the county where the event hotel is located will be eligible for reimbursement of lodging and transportation-related expenses in accordance with the travel reimbursement guidelines outlined below.

The virtual portion of the TST Contested Hearings Course does not require travel or hotel accommodations, but it is strongly recommended that students participate from a location that has a reliable internet connection and minimal distractions. Participants cannot be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket travel, hotel, internet, or food expenses incurred at the election of the participant for the virtual portion of the TST Contested Hearings Course.

Lodging:

For the in-person portion of the TST Contested Hearings Course, invited participants will be provided a link and the deadline to secure their lodging at a rate negotiated and secured by the Children’s Commission at the event hotel. Participants are required to reserve their rooms before the reservation deadline for the secured room block. Reimbursement of lodging for the in-person portion of the TST Contested Hearings Course will be provided up to the negotiated rate. Failure to reserve a room by the indicated deadline may result in a higher room rate, and any amounts paid above the negotiated room rate for lodging will not be reimbursed.

Participants who miss the hotel reservation deadline should refer to www.gsa.gov for daily maximum lodging allowances. The rate listed for the training location will be the maximum allowed for reimbursement. The participant will not be reimbursed for any amount that exceeds the listed maximum lodging rate plus applicable taxes. 

Participants should provide a detailed invoice from the hotel that includes the participant's name (not a spouse or roommate), the room charges per night, and a zero balance that shows payment. The single occupancy rate plus applicable taxes for your hotel room will be reimbursed for up to four nights during the training dates.

Travel:

Reimbursement of expenses incurred by participants during travel to and from the in-person portion of the TST course will be reimbursed up to $500, subject to availability, and must conform to the travel guidelines set out by the Commission. Those seeking reimbursement are advised to review the travel guidelines prior to making any travel arrangements in order to ensure that travel expenses can be considered.

All reimbursement claims must be submitted within 45 days of the event. The deadline for submitting reimbursement forms for this program will be set out here once the application period has opened. Please allow 30 days from the date we receive your reimbursement request form for processing. Failure to complete this form properly may result in delayed reimbursement.