Texas Center for the Judiciary, Judicial Excellence Through Education, Austin, Texas


Comment from DWI College - July 19-22, 2010 All of the speakers gave helpful information that can be used to fine tune our DWI court program. Carl Dawson and Helen Harberts information on the effects of AOD on the body, and cognitions are a great foundation in treatment and in handling participants in DWI court. Keep bringing Dawson and Harberts back! Speakers were excellent; topics were on point for what we do; lunch was super. Comments from the PDP Conference - June 13-18, 2010 Learned more than I thought. Told me information I did not know and gave me a lot of resources I did not have. My goal for attending was to get a better concept of my job and the duties assigned to the position. I believe those expectations were attained. I learned so much, made great contacts from other courts and I am coming away with great ideas and resources. Special thanks to our (Specialty) track faculty for their time and expertise (Jennifer Bolton, Cynthia DeJean, and Ed Wells). Great work! Loved everything and hoping I can return next year. Thanks to all of you. All of those involved in putting PDP together and in the actual execution of this course are true professionals. Comments from the Criminal Law Conference (B) - June 4, 2010 Very well presented and very useful information. I learn many valuable things every time! Makes me a better judge. Excellent hotel; excellent speakers. Comments from DWI Court Team Training - May 17-20, 2010 It was a well organized program with a professional and knowledgeable staff and faculty. All information gathered was very detailed and instructors were very hands on. The layout of the program is well done. The progress from day to day helps build on your understanding of the program. This was a well presented conference. Comments from the Implicit Bias Conference - May 10-11, 2010 I came with no idea what implicit bias meant nor its scope. Once the conference began, I soon got the answers and really had my eyes opened. Excellent conference. Race has been part of our history, both in Texas and the United States. We need to face it, confront it and discuss it. Thank you. Exceeded expectations; made me aware of implicit bias and make it part of inquiry and court process. Comments from the Texas College for Judicial Studies - April 28-30, 2010 2010 College covered the hot topics, new issues and big changes in the law that appears in our courts. The College provided exceptional speakers that provided valuable information to take back to the bench and use. Very good discussions about hot topic issues. The courses were timely, addressing types of cases that are being filed. Great presenters; comfortable classrooms; great class size. Professor Edward Latessa – was truly an excellent speaker with though-provoking information on how to deal with offenders. I would definitely use his information. I like this conference the most of all conferences put on by the Texas Center. Most substantial, updated presentation of matters that are relevant in everyday court issues Comments from Beyond the Bench - April 21-23, 2010 Wonderful opportunity to sit down with a multi-disciplinary team for brainstorming. I loved this conference – more participants should attend. The conference provided great information, the panel was excellent. This program did a great job of showcasing the process and all the people and agencies involved in a complicated process that can be broken down in many ways. Comments from the Evidence Summit - April 7-9, 2010 This conference was by far the single most effective judicial conference I have attended in ten years. It was a very practical presentation and in an area that every trial judge has to deal with every day. The fact that the panel members gave explanations on each question was also helpful. I had not attended an Evidence conference as judge and had heard from other judges that this would be informative, interactive and fun… They were correct! Don’t know how it could get any better. I know how difficult it is to pull things off. Best conference yet! I can’t say enough about the excellent quality of the conferences put on by the Texas Center. Comments from the Family Violence Conference - March 22-24, 2010 First days’ speakers were excellent, giving us information/perspectives that can help me shape bond/probation conditions. I learned some procedures that I can immediately use in my court. Great school – it is a major benefit to me and the cases we hear. Another excellent program. Thanks to the planners and staff. Comments from the Family Law Conference (B) - February 26, 2010 Very valuable information in morning session. Afternoon session was pleasing because there were more nuts and bolts specific application/information. It was specific to the general topic of family law and the subjects were timely to what’s going on in court. Best and most informative meeting I’ve been to in a while. Really enjoyed it – good job!! Comments from the DWI Facilitator Training - February 26, 2010 The program allowed me to see how there are many great and effective ways to facilitate group discussions. Lots of good info. The tools we were provided today have many applications not just in the seminar group discussions. Learned some new facilitation techniques. Good info; engaging facilitator. Comments from the Civil Law Conference (A) - January 22, 2010 Good topics/good speakers. Good information on E-Discovery.Very good conference – very informative [I liked the] small groups approach – seems more personal or intimate. As a result of this conference, I discovered emerging issues in several areas Comments from the iJudge Technology Conference - January 10-12, 2010 Nice up to date information on networking and how it affects the judiciary. Good presentations; interesting material. Each topic was of interest to me. Questions were answered. Thank you for putting on yet another very effective conference. Comments from College for New Judges - December 6-9, 2009 It exceeded my expectations. Unlike many CLE’s where there are many topics that don’t give you practical advice, this class provided practical, usable information. I will be able to think back on this seminar when placed in an unfamiliar position. Ethics has never been so interesting – good job. Great seminar – moved along quickly with a lot of valuable information. Comments from the Family Law Conference (A) - November 6, 2009 Good programs and I like the fact that we were a small group and could interact with speakers. Love the one day curriculum. I thought the session on marital property was excellent. Environment and size of conference was perfect. Great atmosphere. Comments from the Criminal Law Conference (A) - October 16, 2009 Great conference and great topics. I really believe any trial judge dealing with suppression issues should attend this conference. Especially needed (and enjoyed) Finding of Facts and Conclusions of Law because they are starting to be requested more frequently. Enjoyed conference – informative. Comments from the Beyond the Bench Conference - September 13-15, 2009 It was informative and challenged me to think about how CPS operates currently and how improvements can be made in the system. The conference was properly focused with key players brought together to identify and address issues, particularly issues of local concern. This was the most helpful and relevant conference I have ever attended. The Moderator made the topic very thought provoking – gave us so much to think about. Comments from You Asked For It, You Got It! - August 5-7, 2009 Topical subjects. Exceptionally good this year. Day to day, basic information that is helpful on a regular basis. The education put on for us by TCJ is far above any other continuing education I have found useful to me as a judge. Comments from DWI College - July 27-30, 2009 I have learned a lot and plan to apply some new ideas. Very informative and educational. It kept my attention. I would recommend it to other courts that wish to start a DWI court. Well organized, on time, great accommodations. The TCJ staff was outstanding – the variety of subjects presented made the hours fly by. Comments from DWI Court Team Training - July 13-16, 2009 Texas Center for the Judiciary always provides the best speakers and accommodations. This was no different – thanks for helping us get better at what we do! Knowledgeable trainers – all knew substantial information on subject they taught. Great program. I feel fortunate to have attended. Comments from the CPS Judical Conference - June 3-5, 2009 Very well organized and no wasted time. The topics were new and fresh and great presenters. To staff: good job/excellent, top notch; fantastic; super. Outstanding, marvelous. Comments from the Criminal Justice Conference - May 18-20, 2009 Best since I’ve been on the bench. (3 years) Nicely done – I especially liked having several conferences in one – good idea. This was an excellent conference. I had to miss last year and regretted it. I’m always amazed at how gracious and efficient the Texas Center staff is. We are lucky to have such good CJE. Comments from the Writs Back to Basic Workshop - May 18, 2009 I am newly elected to a criminal bench and have not had to deal with Writs before so this was a great back to basics workshop. This was the best set of classes I’ve ever attended. Great paper – great speakers. It helped me understand (1) the controversy; (2) my duties; (3) the options to take and (4) the consequences. Comments from the Blow 'n' Go Conference - May 18, 2009 Enjoyed the vendors and judge participants. Also appreciated the copies of form Judge Garcia provided. Thought it was good to allow judges to try different items on II device. Allowed us to confirm/deny many excuses we get from defendants. Varied format was great. Sharing ideas and procedures in other counties was helpful. Comments from the Beyond the Bench Conference - May 3-5, 2009 I am so glad I had the opportunity to attend this conference. First rate program! Excellent moderator; well selected panelists. Smooth program from logistics to the highlight elements of the event. Great participants, panelists and moderator – generated an enormous amount of energy. I have no doubt these folks will return home and work much better together, which I know will lead to improvements, short and long term, in the system. Beyond my expectations…this was my first involvement with “Beyond the Bench.” This was an excellent conference with valuable/applicable information. The panel was excellent and “representative” of stakeholders. Representation of families and youth extremely useful. Excellent - I have been with CPS 29 years and this is the best conference I have attended based on the multidisciplinary approach involving judges. All judges shold participate in Beyond the Bench if they hear CPS cases. Comments from the Texas College for Judicial Studies - April 20-24, 2009 Excellent faculty. Every single speaker in the Core and Family track were excellent, well worth hearing. A major strength was the Constitutional discussions with Mari Kay and Dean Sager. Well balanced, thought-provoking program. The Texas Center for the Judiciary as always, friendly, helpful and professional. This entire curriculum was very good. The speakers were qualified and the information relevant and useful. I’m glad that I enrolled in the College and I will recommend it to other judges. Comments from the Family Violence Conference - March 30-April 1, 2009 Conference was very informative and will prove useful in dealing with protective orders, criminal cases, and drug court. This was a very good conference. Very important information for all judges. Comments from the El Paso Regional Conference - February 23-25, 2009 The El Paso judges deserve much praise for their hospitality – we need to challenge judges in other locations to be such gracious hosts. Good conference! Keep up the good work. I thought all subjects were exceptional. Good variety of topics. Excellent faculty. TCJ staff was outstanding as always. Uniformly the speakers were excellent. December 19, 2008 Dear Ms. Bickett: I am the newly elected Judge of the 430th Judicial District court. I attended the College for New Judges and made a pledge to donate.... Accordingly, please find a check [enclosed]. On a separate note, I wanted to inform you how impressed I was with last week's program. The presenters were very interesting and very professional. The format of presenting material and having subsequent discussion assisted us in better understanding of the subject matter. Thank you again. Should you have any questions, please call me. Sincerely, Israel Ramon, Jr. 430th District Court Edinburg, Texas October 7, 2008 Wow….just checking the site for info and noticed the new website. Very nicely done, and quite a lot of information. Congratulations! I enjoyed reading thru the articles and looking at all of it. Martha Trudo Judge, 264th District Court Belton, Texas October 7, 2008 Dear Mari Kay, Thank you for your support and the Texas Center's report of the West Texas Bench & Bar Conference. The "Jeopardy" game and transponders were a hit. I told everyone how nice you are to loan them to me. I can't thank you enough for helping me with this great Evidence presentation. You and your staff are the best! Sincerely, Robin Darr Judge, 385th District Court Midland, Texas October 6, 2008 Dear Mari Kay, Thank you so much for having me as a speaker at your wonderful conference! It was so great to be part of such a wonderful program, and I am really glad that you included me on your judge's panel. Your organization did such a wonderful job of making me feel ready and prepared to take the bench at your new judge's course. It is so great to see that every conference I have to since that very first is just as interesting and excellent as the first one I came to. I hope you are very proud of the quality of your programs. I am honored to have been a part of such a great educational program. Thank you again! Sincerely, Ada Brown Dallas, Texas Letter to the Editor: Texas Judges Receive Excellent Education Texas Lawyer 10-06-2008 To the Editor: I was surprised to read that Mary Alice Robbins only talked to one dissatisfied judge about the quality of the judicial education programs provided to the Texas judiciary by the Texas Center for the Judiciary in her story about the judiciary's annual meeting. [See "Judicial Spat Erupts at Meeting," Texas Lawyer, Sept. 22, 2008, page 4.] As a former chair of the Texas Center and the Judicial Section of the State Bar, I have been fortunate to attend many TCJ conferences as well as conferences by the National Juvenile and Family Court Judges, the National Judicial College and other national organizations. I believe the education provided to Texas judges meets and exceeds the quality of educational programs offered to judges nationally. I served on the TCJ Curriculum Committee and know that the committee volunteers countless hours planning education that is relevant and necessary to keep our judiciary informed. The committee is made up of judges from each level of TCJ's constituents. The Center is unique in that the programs it offers are planned and designed by judges for their colleagues. Who better to know what the leading issues are than the judges in the trenches? The Texas Center for the Judiciary deserves the opportunity to continue to provide quality judicial education to the judges of this state with funds from Fund 540. Those funds should be administered fairly and by somebody who has the time and expertise to make decisions based on sound grant administration principles. I hope the Legislature will consider carefully the requests of the three judges of the Court of Criminal Appeals and allow the Texas Center a fair and unbiased opportunity to utilize Fund 540 for the purpose for which it was originally created -- judicial education. No one does that better than TCJ. During my tenure as chair of the Center and Section in 2006 I was privileged to attend the ABA Annual Meeting in Hawaii at which Mari Kay Bickett received the ABA Award for Excellence in Judicial Education. In the same year the Center was also recognized by Gov. Rick Perry and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and State Bar President Eduardo Rodriguez for providing excellence in judicial education. So when I say no one does it better, I'm not alone in holding that opinion. Laura A. Weiser Judge, County Court-at-Law No. 1 Victoria County September 26, 2008 Mari Kay, I just had to let you know that I thoroughly enjoyed the just completed annual Texas Center sponsored judicial seminar in Dallas at the Anatole. Their outrageous prices aside, it was a great meeting. Every session was helpful to us sitting judges and the papers seemed to be fine. As I have time, I intend to review them. They go up the mountain with me to Cloudcroft and in the quiet of my deck I read them to the bluejays! I realize that a lot of work goes into the negotiations with these hotels and the planning of the conference, and your efforts are definitely appreciated. The sessions benefit us and the fellowship is helpful as well. There's nothing like learning that another judge has faced a similar problem and then getting a chance to discuss it. I've notice that discussions of this sort seem to draw a crowd because all of us are open to alternative approaches to problems that beset us all. If there are any doubters as to the value and merit of these programs, feel free to refer them to me. All of your staff were so helpful and I apologize for all the dumb questions I ask and the assistance I need. They always maintain a friendly and courteous and even more importantly, a cheerful demeanor. Thanks, Al Walvoord Judge, County Court at Law, Midland, Texas

Comment from DWI College - July 19-22, 2010

All of the speakers gave helpful information that can be used to fine tune our DWI court program.
Carl Dawson and Helen Harberts information on the effects of AOD on the body, and cognitions are a great foundation in treatment and in handling participants in DWI court. Keep bringing Dawson and Harberts back!
Speakers were excellent; topics were on point for what we do; lunch was super.

Comments from the PDP Conference - June 13-18, 2010

Learned more than I thought. Told me information I did not know and gave me a lot of resources I did not have.
My goal for attending was to get a better concept of my job and the duties assigned to the position. I believe those expectations were attained.
I learned so much, made great contacts from other courts and I am coming away with great ideas and resources.
Special thanks to our (Specialty) track faculty for their time and expertise (Jennifer Bolton, Cynthia DeJean, and Ed Wells).
Great work! Loved everything and hoping I can return next year. Thanks to all of you.
All of those involved in putting PDP together and in the actual execution of this course are true professionals.

Comments from the Criminal Law Conference (B) - June 4, 2010

Very well presented and very useful information.
I learn many valuable things every time! Makes me a better judge.
Excellent hotel; excellent speakers.

Comments from DWI Court Team Training - May 17-20, 2010

It was a well organized program with a professional and knowledgeable staff and faculty.
All information gathered was very detailed and instructors were very hands on.
The layout of the program is well done. The progress from day to day helps build on your understanding of the program.
This was a well presented conference.

Comments from the Implicit Bias Conference - May 10-11, 2010

I came with no idea what implicit bias meant nor its scope. Once the conference began, I soon got the answers and really had my eyes opened.
Excellent conference.
Race has been part of our history, both in Texas and the United States. We need to face it, confront it and discuss it. Thank you.
Exceeded expectations; made me aware of implicit bias and make it part of inquiry and court process.

Comments from the Texas College for Judicial Studies - April 28-30, 2010

2010 College covered the hot topics, new issues and big changes in the law that appears in our courts.
The College provided exceptional speakers that provided valuable information to take back to the bench and use.
Very good discussions about hot topic issues.
The courses were timely, addressing types of cases that are being filed.
Great presenters; comfortable classrooms; great class size.
Professor Edward Latessa – was truly an excellent speaker with though-provoking information on how to deal with offenders. I would definitely use his information.
I like this conference the most of all conferences put on by the Texas Center. Most substantial, updated presentation of matters that are relevant in everyday court issues

Comments from Beyond the Bench - April 21-23, 2010

Wonderful opportunity to sit down with a multi-disciplinary team for brainstorming.
I loved this conference – more participants should attend.
The conference provided great information, the panel was excellent.
This program did a great job of showcasing the process and all the people and agencies involved in a complicated process that can be broken down in many ways.

Comments from the Evidence Summit - April 7-9, 2010

This conference was by far the single most effective judicial conference I have attended in ten years. It was a very practical presentation and in an area that every trial judge has to deal with every day. The fact that the panel members gave explanations on each question was also helpful.
I had not attended an Evidence conference as judge and had heard from other judges that this would be informative, interactive and fun… They were correct!
Don’t know how it could get any better. I know how difficult it is to pull things off.
Best conference yet! I can’t say enough about the excellent quality of the conferences put on by the Texas Center.

Comments from the Family Violence Conference - March 22-24, 2010

First days’ speakers were excellent, giving us information/perspectives that can help me
shape bond/probation conditions.
I learned some procedures that I can immediately use in my court.
Great school – it is a major benefit to me and the cases we hear.
Another excellent program. Thanks to the planners and staff.

Comments from the Family Law Conference (B) - February 26, 2010

Very valuable information in morning session. Afternoon session was pleasing because there were more nuts and bolts specific application/information.
It was specific to the general topic of family law and the subjects were timely to what’s going on in court.
Best and most informative meeting I’ve been to in a while. Really enjoyed it – good job!!

Comments from the DWI Facilitator Training - February 26, 2010

The program allowed me to see how there are many great and effective ways to facilitate group discussions.
Lots of good info.
The tools we were provided today have many applications not just in the seminar group discussions.
Learned some new facilitation techniques.
Good info; engaging facilitator.

Comments from the Civil Law Conference (A) - January 22, 2010

Good topics/good speakers.
Good information on E-Discovery.Very good conference – very informative
[I liked the] small groups approach – seems more personal or intimate.
As a result of this conference, I discovered emerging issues in several areas

Comments from the iJudge Technology Conference - January 10-12, 2010

Nice up to date information on networking and how it affects the judiciary.
Good presentations; interesting material.
Each topic was of interest to me.
Questions were answered.
Thank you for putting on yet another very effective conference.

Comments from College for New Judges - December 6-9, 2009

It exceeded my expectations. Unlike many CLE’s where there are many topics that don’t give you practical advice, this class provided practical, usable information. I will be able to think back on this seminar when placed in an unfamiliar position.
Ethics has never been so interesting – good job.
Great seminar – moved along quickly with a lot of valuable information.

Comments from the Family Law Conference (A) - November 6, 2009

Good programs and I like the fact that we were a small group and could interact with speakers.
Love the one day curriculum.
I thought the session on marital property was excellent.
Environment and size of conference was perfect. Great atmosphere.

Comments from the Criminal Law Conference (A) - October 16, 2009

Great conference and great topics. I really believe any trial judge dealing with suppression issues should attend this conference.
Especially needed (and enjoyed) Finding of Facts and Conclusions of Law because they are starting to be requested more frequently.
Enjoyed conference – informative.

Comments from the Beyond the Bench Conference - September 13-15, 2009

It was informative and challenged me to think about how CPS operates currently and how improvements can be made in the system.
The conference was properly focused with key players brought together to identify and address issues, particularly issues of local concern.
This was the most helpful and relevant conference I have ever attended. The Moderator made the topic very thought provoking – gave us so much to think about.

Comments from You Asked For It, You Got It! - August 5-7, 2009

Topical subjects.
Exceptionally good this year.
Day to day, basic information that is helpful on a regular basis.
The education put on for us by TCJ is far above any other continuing education I have found useful to me as a judge.

Comments from DWI College - July 27-30, 2009

I have learned a lot and plan to apply some new ideas.
Very informative and educational. It kept my attention. I would recommend it to other courts that wish to start a DWI court.
Well organized, on time, great accommodations.
The TCJ staff was outstanding – the variety of subjects presented made the hours fly by.

Comments from DWI Court Team Training - July 13-16, 2009

Texas Center for the Judiciary always provides the best speakers and
accommodations. This was no different – thanks for helping us get better at what we do!
Knowledgeable trainers – all knew substantial information on subject they taught.
Great program. I feel fortunate to have attended.

Comments from the CPS Judical Conference - June 3-5, 2009

Very well organized and no wasted time.
The topics were new and fresh and great presenters.
To staff: good job/excellent, top notch; fantastic; super. Outstanding, marvelous.

Comments from the Criminal Justice Conference - May 18-20, 2009

Best since I’ve been on the bench. (3 years)
Nicely done – I especially liked having several conferences in one – good idea.
This was an excellent conference. I had to miss last year and regretted it.
I’m always amazed at how gracious and efficient the Texas Center staff is. We are lucky to have such good CJE.

Comments from the Writs Back to Basic Workshop - May 18, 2009

I am newly elected to a criminal bench and have not had to deal with Writs before so this was a great back to basics workshop.
This was the best set of classes I’ve ever attended. Great paper – great speakers.
It helped me understand (1) the controversy; (2) my duties; (3) the options to take and (4) the consequences.

Comments from the Blow 'n' Go Conference - May 18, 2009

Enjoyed the vendors and judge participants. Also appreciated the copies of form Judge Garcia provided.
Thought it was good to allow judges to try different items on II device. Allowed us to confirm/deny many excuses we get from defendants.
Varied format was great.
Sharing ideas and procedures in other counties was helpful.

Comments from the Beyond the Bench Conference - May 3-5, 2009

I am so glad I had the opportunity to attend this conference. First rate program! Excellent moderator; well selected panelists. Smooth program from logistics to the highlight elements of the event.
Great participants, panelists and moderator – generated an enormous amount of energy. I have no doubt these folks will return home and work much better together, which I know will lead to improvements, short and long term, in the system.
Beyond my expectations…this was my first involvement with “Beyond the Bench.” This was an excellent conference with valuable/applicable information. The panel was excellent and “representative” of stakeholders. Representation of families and youth extremely useful.
Excellent - I have been with CPS 29 years and this is the best conference I have attended based on the multidisciplinary approach involving judges. All judges shold participate in Beyond the Bench if they hear CPS cases.

Comments from the Texas College for Judicial Studies - April 20-24, 2009

Excellent faculty. Every single speaker in the Core and Family track were excellent, well worth hearing.
A major strength was the Constitutional discussions with Mari Kay and Dean Sager.
Well balanced, thought-provoking program.
The Texas Center for the Judiciary as always, friendly, helpful and professional.
This entire curriculum was very good. The speakers were qualified and the information relevant and useful.
I’m glad that I enrolled in the College and I will recommend it to other judges.

Comments from the Family Violence Conference - March 30-April 1, 2009

Conference was very informative and will prove useful in dealing with protective orders, criminal cases, and drug court.
This was a very good conference.
Very important information for all judges.

Comments from the El Paso Regional Conference - February 23-25, 2009

The El Paso judges deserve much praise for their hospitality – we need to challenge judges in other locations to be such gracious hosts.
Good conference! Keep up the good work.
I thought all subjects were exceptional.
Good variety of topics.
Excellent faculty.
TCJ staff was outstanding as always.
Uniformly the speakers were excellent.

December 19, 2008

Dear Ms. Bickett:

I am the newly elected Judge of the 430th Judicial District court. I attended the College for New Judges and made a pledge to donate.... Accordingly, please find a check [enclosed].

On a separate note, I wanted to inform you how impressed I was with last week's program. The presenters were very interesting and very professional. The format of presenting material and having subsequent discussion assisted us in better understanding of the subject matter.

Thank you again. Should you have any questions, please call me.

Sincerely,
Israel Ramon, Jr.
430th District Court
Edinburg, Texas

October 7, 2008

Wow….just checking the site for info and noticed the new website. Very nicely done, and quite a lot of information. Congratulations! I enjoyed reading thru the articles and looking at all of it.

Martha Trudo
Judge, 264th District Court
Belton, Texas

October 7, 2008

Dear Mari Kay,

Thank you for your support and the Texas Center's report of the West Texas Bench & Bar Conference. The "Jeopardy" game and transponders were a hit. I told everyone how nice you are to loan them to me. I can't thank you enough for helping me with this great Evidence presentation. You and your staff are the best!

Sincerely,
Robin Darr
Judge, 385th District Court
Midland, Texas

October 6, 2008

Dear Mari Kay,

Thank you so much for having me as a speaker at your wonderful conference! It was so great to be part of such a wonderful program, and I am really glad that you included me on your judge's panel.

Your organization did such a wonderful job of making me feel ready and prepared to take the bench at your new judge's course. It is so great to see that every conference I have to since that very first is just as interesting and excellent as the first one I came to. I hope you are very proud of the quality of your programs. I am honored to have been a part of such a great educational program. Thank you again!

Sincerely,
Ada Brown
Dallas, Texas

Letter to the Editor: Texas Judges Receive Excellent Education

Texas Lawyer
10-06-2008

To the Editor:

I was surprised to read that Mary Alice Robbins only talked to one dissatisfied judge about the quality of the judicial education programs provided to the Texas judiciary by the Texas Center for the Judiciary in her story about the judiciary's annual meeting. [See "Judicial Spat Erupts at Meeting," Texas Lawyer, Sept. 22, 2008, page 4.] As a former chair of the Texas Center and the Judicial Section of the State Bar, I have been fortunate to attend many TCJ conferences as well as conferences by the National Juvenile and Family Court Judges, the National Judicial College and other national organizations. I believe the education provided to Texas judges meets and exceeds the quality of educational programs offered to judges nationally. I served on the TCJ Curriculum Committee and know that the committee volunteers countless hours planning education that is relevant and necessary to keep our judiciary informed. The committee is made up of judges from each level of TCJ's constituents. The Center is unique in that the programs it offers are planned and designed by judges for their colleagues. Who better to know what the leading issues are than the judges in the trenches?

The Texas Center for the Judiciary deserves the opportunity to continue to provide quality judicial education to the judges of this state with funds from Fund 540. Those funds should be administered fairly and by somebody who has the time and expertise to make decisions based on sound grant administration principles. I hope the Legislature will consider carefully the requests of the three judges of the Court of Criminal Appeals and allow the Texas Center a fair and unbiased opportunity to utilize Fund 540 for the purpose for which it was originally created -- judicial education. No one does that better than TCJ. During my tenure as chair of the Center and Section in 2006 I was privileged to attend the ABA Annual Meeting in Hawaii at which Mari Kay Bickett received the ABA Award for Excellence in Judicial Education. In the same year the Center was also recognized by Gov. Rick Perry and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and State Bar President Eduardo Rodriguez for providing excellence in judicial education. So when I say no one does it better, I'm not alone in holding that opinion.

Laura A. Weiser
Judge, County Court-at-Law No. 1
Victoria County

September 26, 2008

Mari Kay,

I just had to let you know that I thoroughly enjoyed the just completed annual Texas Center sponsored judicial seminar in Dallas at the Anatole.

Their outrageous prices aside, it was a great meeting.

Every session was helpful to us sitting judges and the papers seemed to be fine. As I have time, I intend to review them. They go up the mountain with me to Cloudcroft and in the quiet of my deck I read them to the bluejays!

I realize that a lot of work goes into the negotiations with these hotels and the planning of the conference, and your efforts are definitely appreciated.

The sessions benefit us and the fellowship is helpful as well. There's nothing like learning that another judge has faced a similar problem and then getting a chance to discuss it. I've notice that discussions of this sort seem to draw a crowd because all of us are open to alternative approaches to problems that beset us all.

If there are any doubters as to the value and merit of these programs, feel free to refer them to me.

All of your staff were so helpful and I apologize for all the dumb questions I ask and the assistance I need. They always maintain a friendly and courteous and even more importantly, a cheerful demeanor.

Thanks,
Al Walvoord
Judge, County Court at Law,
Midland, Texas