Scholarships for Attorneys

The Texas District and County Attorney’s Association (TDCAA) and Children’s Commission collaborated to create the “Fundamentals of Child Welfare Law” online course in January 2022. This six-part online course is designed for less-experienced child welfare prosecutors and covers the fundamental skills needed to represent the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) from pretrial to final outcome of a child welfare case. More information about the online course is available on the TDCAA website.

The Children’s Commission is offering up to 14 need-based scholarships for attorneys who currently represent DFPS in child welfare cases. Scholarships take the form of reimbursement of registration fees after the online course has been completed. Interested applicants must apply for the reimbursement scholarship and will receive notice of their selection prior to registering for the online course. Please read below for scholarship criteria, attendance and reimbursement policies, and a link to apply.

Scholarship Details and Criteria:

Scholarships for this online course are limited and are intended for attorneys new to the practice of child welfare law, with up to three years’ experience, or who have limited knowledge of the online course topics. The entire online course qualifies for 5.25 hours of MCLE.

Applicants who meet all of the following criteria will be considered for a scholarship. To meet the criteria for this scholarship, the applicant must:

• currently represent DFPS in a child welfare ,
• indicate a financial need,
• be in good standing with the State Bar of Texas,
• commit to registration and completion timelines (see Attendance Policy below), and
• commit to complete a post-event survey from the Children’s Commission.

Please note: preference will be given to attorneys who have up to three years’ experience representing DFPS in child welfare cases.

Proof of registration and completion of the course within the time allotted are required to receive reimbursement. See the Reimbursement Policy section below for more details.

Scholarship Notifications and Logistics:

The TDCAA online course has an open enrollment. This scholarship application will remain open until August 30, 2023 or until the maximum number of awardees (14) is reached. Pending applicants should wait to hear from the Children’s Commission before registering for the course.

If awarded, this scholarship will take the form of reimbursed registration fees ($175) after the training has been completed. Awardees will be required to pay for the course up front and to adhere to the attendance and reimbursement policies below.

Please note: the Commission can only reimburse an individual attorney for registration fees and CANNOT reimburse an office or a county that pays for an attorney’s registration. 

Attendance Policy:

This scholarship is funded by a federal grant, which is managed by the Supreme Court of Texas Children's Commission. The Children's Commission is responsible for reporting attendance in support of the grant expenses.

If awarded a scholarship, awardees must register within 30 days of receiving notice of the scholarship. Additionally, all scholarship awardees must participate in the training within 30 days of their registration date. Failure to adhere to these timelines may result in forfeiture of the scholarship.

All scholarship recipients are required to complete a post-event survey from the Children’s Commission upon completion of the training.

Awardees who can no longer participate or no longer need the scholarship  should notify the Children’s Commission in writing so that the scholarship may be offered to another applicant. Notice may be sent to CCScholarships@txcourts.gov.

Reimbursement Policy:

Scholarship awardees may submit for reimbursement of registration fees ($175) after the training has been completed. A reimbursement form with instructions for submission will be provided to awardees. Forms must include the following supporting documentation in order to receive reimbursement: 

• Proof of payment for registration, including date of purchase
• A copy of the certificate of completion provided by TDCAA upon completion of the training.

The Children's Commission requires the certificate as proof of attendance only and does not submit CLE for scholarship awardees. Please refer to the TDCAA website regarding MCLE reporting.

If you have any questions, please email CCScholarships@txcourts.gov.

Application Link:

To apply for a scholarship, click the button below.

The American Bar Association’s (ABA) Center on Children and the Law typically hosts two national conferences every other year in Washington, D.C. These conferences bring together experienced child and parent attorneys, youth formerly in foster care, parents, judges, child welfare agency representatives, and other key stakeholders to receive not only substantive training, but also tips for returning to their home states to work on ways to improve the quality of legal representation for children and parents.

The next conferences will be held in Spring 2024. For more information, please visit the ABA National Conferences web page.

TexasBarCLE and the Child Protection Law Section of the State Bar of Texas will host the 5th Annual Advanced Child Protection Law Course (Advanced Course) on March 23-24, 2023 in Houston. TexasBarCLE will also offer a 3-hour Child Protection Law 101 Course (101 Course) as a pre-conference training, on the morning of March 23rd. Both the 101 Course and the Advanced Course will also be offered via webcast replay. For more information on both courses, please see the current brochure.

This scholarship is now closed. 

Dates and Locations:

Advanced Child Protection Law Course:

LIVE Advanced Course (in-person) 
March 23-24, 2023  
Hilton Houston Post Oak by the Galleria  
2001 Post Oak Blvd  
Houston, TX 77056 

Webcast Replay (virtual) 
May 2-3, 2023 

Child Protection Law 101 Course (pre-conference):

LIVE 101 Course (in-person) 
March 23, 2023  
Hilton Houston Post Oak by the Galleria  
2001 Post Oak Blvd  
Houston, TX 77056 

Webcast Replay (virtual) 
May 1, 2023 

Scholarship Details and Criteria: 

This scholarship will be awarded in the form of waived registration fees to attend the live course(s) in Houston or the virtual webcast replay(s). The Children’s Commission will work with the State Bar of Texas to register scholarship awardees directly for the 101 Course and the Advanced Course.

Applicants who meet all of the criteria detailed below will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis for either scholarship. To meet the criteria, the applicant must: 

• currently represent DFPS or take court appointments on a child welfare docket, 
• be in good standing with the State Bar of Texas, 
• be supported by their primary judge, and 
• commit to completing a post-event survey from the Children’s Commission. 
• Additionally, for the 101 Course, attorney applicants must be new to the practice of child welfare law, with no more than 5 years of experience.

Preference may be given to attorneys who have not received scholarships from the Children’s Commission in the past year. Judges with applicants from their jurisdiction will be notified by the Children’s Commission and asked to confirm that the applicant currently represents DFPS or takes appointments on their child welfare docket. 

Attendance Policy: 

These events are hosted by the State Bar of Texas. This scholarship opportunity is funded by a federal grant, which is managed by the Supreme Court of Texas Children's Commission. The Children's Commission is responsible for reporting attendance in support of the grant expenses.

Applicants to virtual trainings will be asked to verify their commitment to participate in the training in a timely manner to the Supreme Court of Texas Children’s Commission. If awarded a scholarship, awardees will be asked to verify their attendance to virtual events. 

Scholarship recipients to virtual trainings are required to participate and submit a completed post-event survey within 30 days of the event, regardless of any extended access to the training. 

All awardees are required to notify the Children’s Commission in writing and in advance if they can no longer participate or if they no longer need the registration scholarship. Please note that awardees who accept the scholarship and do not attend may deprive someone else of the opportunity to attend the training and may also disqualify the awardee from receiving a Commission scholarship in the future. 

Application Link: 

The application period is now closed.

Notification and Logistics: 

This scholarship will be awarded in the form of waived registration fees. If you are awarded a scholarship, the Children’s Commission will notify you after the scholarship application period has ended and we have verified your standing with the Bar and your eligibility with your primary judge. We hope to notify all applicants of their scholarship status no later than the week of February 27.

Please note, the hotel room block ends on March 5: Hilton Houston Post Oak by the Galleria.

The Children’s Commission will work with the State Bar to register all awardees directly. Awardees do not need to register themselves for the 101 Course or the Advanced Course. Please note that the Children’s Commission is not able to reimburse attorneys who pay the State Bar of Texas for the courses.

All scholarship awardees are responsible for monitoring notices and emails from the event organizer. The Children’s Commission is not affiliated with the event and may not be aware of notices issued by the event organizer regarding cancellation policies, CLE notices and reporting rules, notices or policies regarding COVID-19, etc. 

The Texas District and County Attorneys Association (TDCAA) will host the 2023 Crimes Against Children Conference on April 11-14, 2023 in San Antonio, Texas. The Conference will feature a 12-hour child welfare track over two days on April 12-13, 2023. More information about the conference is available on the TDCAA website.

This scholarship is now closed. 

Crimes Against Children Conference (in-person) 

April 11-14, 2023  
Westin North
9821 Colonnade Boulevard
San Antonio, Texas 78230

Scholarship Details and Criteria: 

This scholarship will be awarded in the form of waived registration fees to attend the full conference. The Children’s Commission will work with TDCAA to register scholarship awardees directly.

Applicants who meet all of the criteria detailed below will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis for a scholarship. To meet the criteria for this scholarship, the applicant must: 

• currently represent the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) in child welfare cases, 
• be in good standing with the State Bar of Texas, 
• be supported by their primary judge, and 
• commit to completing a post-event survey from the Children’s Commission. 

Preference may be given to attorneys who have not received scholarships from the Children’s Commission in the past year. Judges with applicants from their jurisdiction will be notified by the Children’s Commission and asked to confirm that the applicant currently represents DFPS on their child welfare docket.

Attendance / Cancellation Policy: 

This event is hosted by TDCAA. This scholarship opportunity is funded by a federal grant, which is managed by the Supreme Court of Texas Children's Commission.

If awarded, scholarship recipients are required to notify the Children’s Commission before March 24, 2023 if they can no longer participate or if they no longer need the registration scholarship. If awardees cancel their registration after this date, and the Commission incurs fees, they may be disqualified from receiving a scholarship from the Commission for the next two years. Please also note that awardees who accept the scholarship and do not attend may deprive someone else of the opportunity to attend the training.

Application Link: 

The application period is now closed. 

Notification and Logistics: 

This scholarship will be awarded in the form of waived registration fees. If you are awarded a scholarship, the Children’s Commission will notify you after the scholarship application period has ended and we have verified your standing with the Bar and your eligibility with your primary judge. We hope to notify all applicants of their scholarship status no later than the week of March 6.

The Children’s Commission will work with TDCAA to register all awardees directly. Awardees do not need to register themselves for the Crimes Against Children Conference.

All scholarship awardees are responsible for monitoring notices and emails from the event organizer. The Children’s Commission is not affiliated with the event and may not be aware of notices issued by the event organizer regarding cancellation policies, CLE notices and reporting rules, notices or policies regarding COVID-19, etc.

TexasBarCLE will host the 2023 Child Abuse and Neglect (CAN) one-day Workshop during the Annual State Bar of Texas Advanced Family Law MCLE. This one-day training covers current topics of interest to Texas attorneys who practice on the child welfare docket. More information is available on the TexasBarCLE website.

The Children’s Commission will provide up to 100 registration scholarships to attorneys to attend the 2023 Child Abuse and Neglect (CAN) Workshop on one of the dates and locations listed below. Additional information and application link are below.

The 2023 one-day CAN Workshop will be held live on Wednesday, August 9, 2023, as an in-person event in San Antonio, Texas with one virtual webcast replay on September 22, and two video replays which will be held in Dallas on September 22 and in South Padre Island in October 2023. More information is available on the current CAN Workshop Brochure.

• Live CAN One-Day Workshop:
  August 9, 2023
  Marriott Rivercenter 
  101 Bowie Street 
  San Antonio, TX 78205 

• Webcast Replay (virtual option):
  September 22, 2023

• Video Replays:
• September 22, 2023 
  Courtyard Dallas Carrollton Conference Center
  1201 Raiford Rd.
  Carrollton, TX 75007

• October 2023
  South Padre Island, TX
  Location TBD

Scholarship Details and Criteria:

This scholarship will be awarded in the form of waived registration fees ($125) to attend one of the CAN Workshop dates listed above. The scholarship covers registration for the CAN Workshop only and not the full Advanced Family Law Course. The Children’s Commission is not able to reimburse attorneys who pay the State Bar of Texas directly for registration to attend the one-day CAN Workshop.

Preference may be given to attorneys who have not received scholarships from the Children’s Commission within the past 2 years, and applicants who meet all the criteria detailed below will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis for a scholarship. To meet the criteria for this scholarship, the applicant must:

• currently represent DFPS or currently receive court appointments on a child welfare docket,
• be in good standing with the State Bar of Texas,
• receive a letter of support from their primary or appointing judge, and
• commit to completing a post-event survey from the Children’s Commission.

Judges with applicants from their jurisdiction will be notified by the Children’s Commission and asked to confirm that the applicant currently represents DFPS or currently receives appointments on their child welfare docket.

Attendance Policy:

This event is hosted by the State Bar of Texas. This scholarship opportunity is funded by a federal grant, which is managed by the Supreme Court of Texas Children's Commission. The Children's Commission is responsible for reporting attendance in support of the grant expenses. All scholarship recipients will be expected of the following:

• Participate in the training on the event date they selected in their application.
• Complete a post-event survey from the Children’s Commission thereafter.
• Scholarship recipients attending virtual webcast replay courses will be asked to verify completion of the training within 30 days of the event.
• Awardees are required to notify the Children’s Commission in writing and in advance if they can no longer participate in their selected training or if they no longer need the registration scholarship. Please note that failure to attend the training may disqualify the awardee from receiving a Commission scholarship in the future.

Application Link and Deadline to Apply:

Applications will be accepted until midnight on Friday, May 26, 2023. To apply, click the button below.

Scholarship Notification and Logistics:

This scholarship will be awarded in the form of waived registration fees. The Children’s Commission will notify scholarship recipients after the application period has ended and upon verification of eligibility. We hope to notify all applicants of their scholarship status no later than June 26, 2023.

The Children’s Commission will work with the State Bar to register all awardees directly. Awardees do not need to register themselves for the CAN Workshop date selected in their application. The registration scholarship will cover registration for the CAN Workshop only and not the full Advanced Family Law Course. Please note that the Children’s Commission is not able to reimburse attorneys who pay the State Bar of Texas directly for registration to attend the CAN Workshop.

All scholarship awardees are responsible for monitoring notices and emails from the event organizer. The Children’s Commission is not affiliated with the event and may not be aware of notices issued by the event organizer regarding cancellation policies, CLE notices and reporting rules, notices or policies regarding COVID-19, etc.

The NACC’s 46th National Child Welfare Law Conference is scheduled for August 10-12, 2023, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Additionally, a second virtual conference will take place on September 20-22, 2023.  Registration to attend the in-person conference includes access to the virtual conference in September. Information and agendas for each conference are available on the NACC website.

The Children’s Commission is offering up to 10 reimbursement scholarships to judges and attorneys to attend the in-person conference in Minneapolis on August 10-12, 2023. The scholarship reimbursement of up to $1,000 will be applied to registration fees and eligible travel expenses. Additional information and application link are below. 

Dates and Locations:

This scholarship covers the in-person conference registration for August, which also includes registration to the second, virtual conference in September 2023.

NACC 46^th National Child Welfare Law Conference
In-Person Conference
August 10-12, 2023
Hyatt Regency Minneapolis
1300 Nicollet Mall
Minneapolis, MN 55403

Virtual Conference (included with in-person registration)
September 20-22, 2023

Please visit the NACC website for more information about dates, location, and hotel information.

Scholarship Details and Criteria:

This scholarship is intended for judges and attorneys who wish to attend the in-person conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  The scholarship will cover registration costs and conference-related travel expenses to Minneapolis for a total of up to $1,000. The funds will be used toward the dual conference registration ($475), with remaining funds available for reimbursement of eligible conference-related travel expenses following the event (up to $525), for a total of up to $1,000. The Children’s Commission will pay conference registration fees directly to NACC for each recipient, and NACC will register all Commission scholarship awardees.

Attorney applicants who meet all the criteria detailed below will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis for a scholarship until all 10 spots are filled. Scholarships are limited and early applications are strongly encouraged. 

To meet the criteria for this scholarship, the applicant must: 

• currently represent DFPS or currently receive appointments on a child welfare docket, 
• be in good standing with the State Bar of Texas, 
• receive a letter of support from their primary or appointing judge, and 
• commit to timely completion of a post-event survey from the Children’s Commission. 

Please note, preference may be given to applicants who have not received a scholarship from the Children’s Commission within the past 2 years.

Judges with applicants from their jurisdiction will be notified by the Children’s Commission and asked to confirm that the applicant currently represents DFPS or currently receives appointments on their child welfare docket. For criteria for judicial applicants, please see the Judicial Scholarships webpage.

Attendance Policy:

This event is hosted by the NACC. This scholarship opportunity is funded by a federal grant, which is managed by the Supreme Court of Texas Children's Commission. The Children’s Commission is responsible for reporting attendance in support of the grant expenses. All scholarship awardees will be expected to participate in the training in Minneapolis on the event dates and to provide detailed responses to a post-event survey from the Children’s Commission thereafter.

Cancellation Policy:

This scholarship is intended for judges and attorneys who are interested in attending the in-person conference in Minneapolis. If you are awarded a scholarship and then can no longer attend the conference in person, or no longer need the scholarship in order to attend, you must notify the Children’s Commission by August 3, 2023, so that we may cancel your registration without incurring any financial penalty.

Awardees who cancel their registration after August 3, 2023, causing the Children’s Commission to incur costs associated with their anticipated attendance, may become ineligible to receive any scholarship from the Children’s Commission for the next two years. Furthermore, the awardee’s managing attorney or judge will be notified of the late cancellation for any cancellation after August 3, 2023. 

Awardees with emergency situations requiring cancellation after August 3, 2023, must email Chelsea Martinez at CCscholarships@txcourts.gov as soon as possible so that the Commission can try to fill the slot from the waitlist.

Application Link and Deadline to Apply:

Applications will be accepted until midnight on Friday, May 26, 2023. To apply, click the button below.

Scholarship Notification and Logistics:

The Children’s Commission will notify scholarship recipients after the application period has ended and we have verified your standing with the Bar and your eligibility with your primary or appointing judge. We hope to notify all applicants of their scholarship status no later than June 26, 2023.

The Children’s Commission will work with NACC to register all awardees directly. Awardees do not need to register themselves for the conference.

The reimbursement scholarship of $1,000 will be used to cover registration fees ($475), with remaining funds available for reimbursement of eligible conference-related travel expenses after the in-person event has concluded (up to $525).

A reimbursement form will be provided to awardees and must be submitted to the Children’s Commission within 45 days of travel. For information regarding eligible travel expenses for reimbursement, please review the Commission’s travel reimbursement guidelines. 

As stated above, we will register all scholarship awardees directly with NACC (no need to register yourself). However, all scholarship awardees are responsible for securing their own travel plans and hotel reservations, and awardees must cover these travel costs before the conference. Confirmed scholarship awardees may submit for travel reimbursement upon return. Awardees are also responsible for cancelling their own travel plans and any related fees, should they become unable to attend. The Children’s Commission cannot reimburse those who incur costs and do not attend.

All scholarship awardees are responsible for monitoring notices and emails from the event organizer. The Children’s Commission is not affiliated with the event and may not be aware of notices issued by the event organizer regarding cancellation policies, CLE notices and reporting rules, notices or policies regarding COVID-19, etc. 

For more information, please visit the Texas Board of Specialization webpage.