Educational Programs

The Commission promotes a high quality of legal representation for indigent clients through training opportunities for judges, legal aid lawyers, pro bono attorneys, and court staff from all parts of the state.  We provide judges the opportunity to learn about trends in legal practices that can help alleviate the justice gap.  We train legal aid attorneys to become more effective litigators and to use technology in ways that assist the largest number of people.  We teach court staff innovative ways to work with a high volume of pro se litigants.  And, we provide pro bono attorneys with skills to use their time and knowledge to effectively serve the poor.

The Commission’s training opportunities target both legal aid organizations and the broader legal community.

The 2023 Pretrial Academy is scheduled the week of June 12 in Austin. Specific days will be determined after the first of the year.

For Legal Aid Organizations

Legal aid organizations operate within very small budgets to provide services to low-income Texans. All too often, these limited budgets do not allow for legal aid attorneys to receive the training they need to best advocate for their clients. The Commission supports training opportunities for legal aid organizations so that their attorneys can keep their legal skills and technological knowledge up-to-date. More »

For Legal Community

Legal aid organizations are not the only ones helping low-income Texans in need of civil legal aid. Court staff and pro bono attorneys are on the front lines, working with this vulnerable population on a daily basis. The Commission has created trainings and resources for these providers to further increase access to justice in all aspects of the court system. More »