Vernon's Texas Rules Annotated - VTRA TX R STAND ATTY CERT PT I § XX. Child Welfare Law

1. “Child welfare law” involves litigating suits under Title 5, Subtitle E of the Texas Family Code and issues that arise in suits by a governmental entity for the protection of an abused or neglected child, including but not limited to the possession and conservatorship of a child, the termination of parental rights, the placement of a child in foster care, or the adoption of a child. Practitioners of child welfare law must have:

• knowledge of applicable federal law, including the Indian Child Welfare Act, the Adoption and Safe Families Act, the Fostering Connections to Success and Adoption Act, the Safe and Stable Families Act, the Strengthening Families Act, the Every Student Succeeds Act, constitutional law, education law, immigration law, and disability law;

• knowledge of applicable state law, including the Texas Education Code, the Texas Penal Code, guardianship law, and juvenile law; and

• experience in the trial or appeal of judicial or administrative proceedings involving a governmental entity for the protection of an abused or neglected child.

2. “Lead counsel” is the lawyer who takes primary responsibility for the representation of the client in the case. To be considered lead counsel in a case at the trial level, the applicant must make an opening statement or closing argument, and conduct significant direct and cross-examination of live witnesses at trial. To be considered lead counsel in an appeal, applicant must be a signatory to and perform substantial work in drafting the briefs for that party.

3. “Post-trial proceedings” include prosecuting or defending against an appeal or original proceeding in an intermediate appellate court or in the Supreme Court of Texas and proceedings to correct an action of the trial court incident to an appeal.

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2. Applicant must have devoted a minimum of 25% of his or her time practicing child welfare law in Texas during each year of the five-year period of certification unless applicant meets the exception in Part I-General Requirements, Section VI, C, 1(b).

1. Applicant must submit names of persons with whom he or she has had dealings involving child welfare law matters within the three years immediately preceding application.

2. Applicant must submit names of persons with whom he or she had dealings involving child welfare law matters since certification or the most recent recertification.

3. Applicants must submit the following types of references: