Scholarships

TexasBarCLE will host the Handling Your First (or Next) Civil Appeal Webcast Replay on May 22, 2024. For more information on this course, please see the current brochure.

The Children’s Commission is offering a limited number of reimbursement scholarships for qualifying attorneys to attend the webcast replay. Please read below for scholarship criteria, attendance policy, and a link to apply.

Webcast Replay Date and Location:  

May 22, 2024; virtual

Scholarship Details and Criteria:  

This scholarship will be awarded in the form of reimbursed registration fees to attend the virtual webcast replay.

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, 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.

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.

Applicants 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. 

Scholarship recipients 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:  

Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 17, 2024. To apply, click the button below. 

Notification and Logistics:  

This scholarship will be awarded in the form of reimbursed 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. We hope to notify all applicants of their scholarship status no later than the week of April 22.

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 and the Child Protection Law Section of the State Bar of Texas will host the 6th Annual Advanced Child Protection Law Course (Advanced Course) on April 4-5, 2024, in Dallas. TexasBarCLE will also offer a 3-hour Child Protection Law 101 Course (101 Course) as a pre-conference training, on the morning of April 4th. 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.

The Children’s Commission is offering a limited number of registration scholarships for attorneys to attend the live events or webcast replays. Please read below for scholarship criteria, attendance policy, and a link to apply.

Dates and Locations: 

Advanced Child Protection Law Course:

LIVE Advanced Course (in-person) 
April 4-5, 2024  
Westin Dallas Park Central  
12720 Merit Dr.  
Dallas, TX 75251 

Webcast Replay (virtual) 
May 9-10, 2024 

Child Protection Law 101 Course (pre-conference):

LIVE 101 Course (in-person) 
April 4, 2024  
Westin Dallas Park Central  
12720 Merit Dr.  
Dallas, TX 75251 

Webcast Replay (virtual) 
May 9, 2024 

Scholarship Details and Criteria: 

This scholarship will be awarded in the form of waived registration fees to attend the live course(s) in Dallas 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 the general attorney scholarship criteria detailed above will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis for a scholarship. Scholarships are limited and early applications are strongly encouraged.

In addition to the general criteria set out above, applicants applying for a scholarship to attend the 101 Course:

• must have no more than 5 years of experience in the area of child welfare law.

Preference may be given to attorneys who have not received scholarships from the Children’s Commission in the past two 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 receives appointments on a 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: 

Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 21, 2024. 

This scholarship 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 26.

Please note, the hotel room block ends on March 12: Westin Dallas Park Central.

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 ABA’s Center on Children and the Law will host two national conferences in 2024: the Access to Justice for Children and Families Conference and the National Parent Representation Conference. 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.

Please read below for details about scholarships to attend one of these national conferences, criteria for applicants, and a link to apply.

This scholarship is now closed. 

Dates and Locations:

The ABA Center on Children and the Law has announced it will host both national conferences in Tyson’s Corner, Virginia. The Access to Justice for Children and Families Conference is scheduled for April 9-10, 2024, and the National Parent Representation Conference is scheduled for April 11-12, 2024. For more information, please visit the ABA National Conferences web page.

The location for both conferences is:
Ritz Carlton Tysons Corner
1700 Tysons Boulevard
McLean, VA 22102
Hotel Information

Scholarship Details and Criteria:

The Children’s Commission will provide up to ten reimbursement scholarships to attend one of the two national conferences above. The scholarship will be in the form of reimbursement of up to $1,500 for the conference registration fee and eligible conference-related travel expenses to attend one of the conferences. Applicants who meet all of the criteria detailed below will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis for a scholarship. Scholarships are limited and early applications are strongly encouraged.

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

• currently represent DFPS or take appointments on a child welfare docket,
• be in good standing with the State Bar of Texas,
• be supported by their appointing or presiding judge, and
• commit to timely completion of 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 takes appointments on their CPS docket.

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. All scholarship awardees will be expected to participate in the training and to provide detailed responses to a post-event survey from the Children’s Commission thereafter.

The number of scholarships for this event is limited. Awardees who can no longer participate or no longer need the scholarship in order to attend should notify the Children’s Commission in writing and with as much advance notice as possible so that the scholarship may be offered to another applicant. Please note that awardees who accept the scholarship and subsequently do not attend the training deprive another qualified attorney of the opportunity which may also 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, January 12, 2024. This scholarship is now closed. 

Scholarship Notification and Logistics:

The Children’s Commission will notify awardees after the scholarship application period has ended and after 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 by January 19, 2024.

Each scholarship awardee will receive up to $1,500 in reimbursement after the event to cover registration and eligible conference-related travel expenses. 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.

All scholarship awardees are responsible for securing their own registration, hotel, and travel plans, and awardees must cover these costs before the training. Confirmed scholarship awardees may submit for reimbursement upon return. Please note that the early bird registration rate for both ABA conferences ends on Wednesday, February 21, 2024.

Awardees are also responsible for cancelling their own registration and travel plans in a timely manner, should they become unable to attend. The Children’s Commission is not able to offer reimbursement for those who incur costs and do not attend. Please note that per the ABA, the final date to cancel registration is April 5, 2024. If cancelled by 04/5/2024, ABA will charge a $50 cancellation fee and refund the remainder.

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 Children’s Commission is not responsible for applying for or reporting out of state CLE credit to the State Bar of Texas on behalf of individual attendees.

Helpful Links:

ABA National Conferences web page
Hotel Information

The NCJFCJ 87th Annual Conference will be held on July 21-24, 2024, in Phoenix, Arizona. This conference generally features sessions on domestic relations, juvenile justice, child welfare, family violence, and emerging issues. More information about the conference is available on the NCJFCJ website.

The Children’s Commission is offering reimbursement scholarships for qualifying Texas judges to attend the in-person 87th Annual Conference. Please note, this is a reimbursement scholarship and confirmed awardees will be required to cover their expenses up front in order to attend. Please read below for scholarship criteria, logistics, and a link to apply.

This scholarship is now closed. 

Scholarship Criteria:

To be eligible for a scholarship from the Children’s Commission, applicants must handle civil child welfare cases. Preference is given to judges who have larger percentages of their docket dedicated to child welfare cases. Additionally, all scholarship recipients must agree to complete a post-event survey from the Children’s Commission.

This scholarship takes the form of reimbursed registration fees and allowable conference-related expenses, such as travel, lodging, and meals, up to $2,000 total. Any additional expenses must be covered by the scholarship recipient.

Scholarship Notification and Travel Logistics:

If you are awarded a scholarship, the Children’s Commission will notify you by December 15, 2023. Awardees will need to register themselves for the conference and make their own travel arrangements, including hotel reservations. Confirmed scholarship awardees may submit for reimbursement of eligible expenses upon return. For information regarding eligible travel expenses, please review the Commission’s travel reimbursement guidelines.

Please also note the following important dates:

• The early bird registration rate ends on June 5, 2024, and
• NCJFCJ’s final date to cancel registration is June 30, 2024 and an administrative fee may be incurred.

Scholarship awardees will be responsible for monitoring the NCJFCJ’s cancellation policies and cancelling their own registration and travel plans in a timely manner, should they become unable to attend. The Children’s Commission cannot offer reimbursement for those who incur costs and do not attend. More information on NCJFCJ’s cancellation policies is available under their registration webpage.

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 questions regarding this scholarship, please contact the Children's Commission at CCscholarships@txcourts.gov.

Application Link and Deadline to Apply:

Applications will be accepted until midnight on Thursday, December 7, 2023.

The application period for this scholarship is now closed. 

The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) will host the 2024 National Conference on Juvenile Justice on March 17-20, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. The conference features plenary and breakout sessions on juvenile justice, trafficking, child welfare, court best practices, and innovative solutions. More information is available on the NCJFCJ website.

The Children’s Commission is offering reimbursement scholarships for qualifying Texas judges to attend the in-person 2024 National Conference on Juvenile Justice. Please note, this is a reimbursement scholarship and confirmed awardees will be required to cover their expenses up front in order to attend. Please read below for scholarship criteria, logistics, and a link to apply.

This scholarship is now closed. 

Scholarship Criteria:

To be eligible for a scholarship from the Children’s Commission, applicants must handle civil child welfare cases. Preference is given to judges who have larger percentages of their docket dedicated to child welfare cases. Additionally, all scholarship recipients must agree to complete a post-event survey from the Children’s Commission.

This scholarship takes the form of reimbursed registration fees and allowable conference-related expenses, such as travel, lodging, and meals, up to $2,000 total. Any additional expenses must be covered by the scholarship recipient.

Scholarship Notification and Travel Logistics:

If you are awarded a scholarship, the Children’s Commission will notify you by December 15, 2023. Awardees will need to register themselves for the conference and make their own travel arrangements, including hotel reservations. Confirmed scholarship awardees may submit for reimbursement of eligible expenses upon return. For information regarding eligible travel expenses, please review the Commission’s travel reimbursement guidelines.

Please also note the following important dates:

• The early bird registration rate ends on February 7, 2024, and
• NCJFCJ’s final date to cancel registration is March 1, 2024 and an administrative fee may be incurred.

Scholarship awardees will be responsible for monitoring the NCJFCJ’s cancellation policies and cancelling their own registration and travel plans in a timely manner, should they become unable to attend. The Children’s Commission cannot offer reimbursement for those who incur costs and do not attend. More information on NCJFCJ’s cancellation policies is available under their registration webpage.

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 questions regarding this scholarship, please contact the Children's Commission at CCscholarships@txcourts.gov.

Application Link and Deadline to Apply:

Applications will be accepted until midnight on Thursday, December 7, 2023. The application period for this scholarship is now closed.