Level III Course of Study
Please be aware that due to COVID-19, the requirements for certification have changed. To view TCCA's Emergency Declaration Policies for AY21, please click here. Please direct any certification-related questions to certification@tmcec.com.
The first step you must take to preparing for Level III is to print this packet:
LEVEL III Certified Municipal Court Clerk (CMCC) Level III Course of Study & Requirements (Academic year 2019-2020)
This document will give you an overview of the requirements of the Level III self study program.
The Municipal Court Clerks Certification Program is intended to challenge court personnel in the area of professional development and continuous improvement. It is comprised of three (3) levels of competency.
The Level III portion of this program is essentially a self-study course, which requires the participant to read and comprehend 14 books, and subsequently pass a high level competency exam.
Upon achieving Level III, a clerk will receive an official certificate designating him or her as Certified Municipal Court Clerk (CMCC) and is then entitled to utilize the post nominal initials (designatory letters) of CMCC as accreditation in a resume, with their signature, name and title.
The information in this packet was developed to provide certification participants with an overview of the steps required for this final level. It contains the following information:
- Overview of the Level III & rules of participation
- Recommended “Course of Study” & education requisites;
- Overview of court observations & journal requirements; (for more details, see Journal Planning Guide)
- Overview of journal grading & review process; (for more details, see Journal Planning Guide)
- Book List with provider and costs (Attachment A, page 6);
- Level III book loan program information; (Attachment B, Page 7);
- Book Loan Refund request form (Attachment C, page 8);
- Court Observation Verification Form (Attachment D; page 9-10);
- Level III Certification Application (Attachment E, page 11).
Level III is the final level of certification. This level of certification requires the participant to read and study independently a list of 14 books that cover topics which have been selected to enhance a participants management and administration skill set. It is a professional level education program intended to build and broaden the skill set of a Municipal Court Clerk.
New Level III Book List - Effective September 1, 2019
Books to download (not available in print):
| Part B | Book 6 | Trial Court Budgeting |
| Part B | Book 7 | 2018 Financial Management Handbook Excerpt |
| Part B | Book 8 | NCSC Caseflow Management |
TMCEC keeps a few sets of books that are available through the book borrowing program.
Policy & Book Loan Processing
- Complete the form below and include a $100 check (deposited immediately) payable to TMCEC. Your book loan deposit will remain with TMCEC until all books have been returned.
- A written refund request form must be completed to receive a refund (form found below).
- TMCEC will gladly transfer your deposit to each new set of books upon receiving a new book loan agreement form for each new part requested.
- You must make a request in writing to transfer the book loan deposit to a new person.
- Books must be returned within 4 months from the date of checkout. Failure to return all borrowed books may result in forfeiture of your $100 deposit.
Level III Clerk Certification Exam
This test is also in 3 parts. You may register and pay for each exam part individually. Each part must be passed with a score of 70 or above.
The following topics are emphasized during this final portion of certification:
| Leadership | Strategic Planning | Diversity |
| Supervision | Office Management | Court Security |
| Hiring and Firing | Caseflow Management | Financial Management |
| Performance Appraisal | Court Budgeting | Organization |
Print this document for the compiled Level III Study Questions (Effective September 1, 2019)
This booklet provides study tips and suggested questions for participants to answer as the read the Level III books.
This booklet is specifically provided for the new set of books beginning September 1, 2019.
NEW LEVEL III STUDY QUESTIONS (Effective September 1, 2019):
Introduction to Applied Strategic Planning by Timothy M. Nolan, Leonard Goodstein, & Jeanette Goodstein
The Loudest Duck - Moving Beyond Diversity While Embracing Differences by Laura Liswood
Court Security: For Judges, Officers, and Court Personnel
Integrity, The Courage to Meet the Demands of Reality by Dr. Henry Cloud
The Leader's Guide to Emotional Intelligence by Drew Bird
Level III Journal Information
The first step to preparing for the journal portion of the program is by print this guide to ensure you know the requirements and rules of submitting a journal. It should be the last task you complete during the Level III portion of the certification program.
Observation & Professional Journal Planning Guide
Before achieving Level III and becoming CMCCs, participants of the Municipal Court Clerks Certification Program must first successfully complete an observation and journal component.
The journal component is comprised of three key sections:
- Court observations and journal notations
- Composition of the Professional Journal
- Submittal and Review of the Professional Journal for grading
This component is designed to allow clerks to view processes and procedures in municipal courts across the state of Texas. It is the final opportunity to showcase a combined set of competencies developed from all three phases of the program. Participants are expected to combine the knowledge acquired by achieving Levels I and II, as well as the subject matter of the required Level III management books. Therefore, the journal component must be the last assignment a participant completes during the Level III phase of the program.
Clerks are required as part of the Journal & Observation Process to:
- Adopt a managerial viewpoint when identifying common problems and developing possible solutions
- Demonstrate critical and analytical thinking
- Assess and improve professional decision-making skills
- Develop professional contacts at other courts for the purpose of benchmarking and networking in which ideas can be shared and nurtured
- Strengthen writing skills by composing a professional paper (journal) analyzing the observations of other court practices and processes
- Use the observation experience to embrace continuous improvement and enhance personal awareness by documenting personal perspective and reflecting on the home court practices and processes
Level III Assessment Clinic
To become a CMCC, persons must attend a 24-hour Assessment Clinic sponsored by TMCEC.
The purpose of the Clinic is to build mastery and confidence in performance of management duties and become better prepared for providing efficient oversight of court operations. Participants can expect to practice collaborative problem solving, presentations, and public speaking. To accomplish those goals, the program is typically limited to 25 or fewer attendees. Participants are encouraged to make self assessments of their management and human resources skills. The program begins at 1:00 p.m. on the first day and ends at noon on the 4th day.
Participation in the Assessment Clinic is one of several activities required to complete Level III. Participants need not have completed the exam or observation process before attending the clinic; however, it is necessary to be certified at Level II in good standing.
The $100 registration fee is refundable if TMCEC is notified in writing of cancellation at least 10 business days prior to the clinic. Checks must be made payable to TMCEC and mailed with the registration form to TMCEC.
The 2021 Virtual Clinic will be held on January 25-28, 2021 on our virtual conference site, Pathable. Please contact Lily Pebworth at lily@tmcec.com if you are interested in registering.
*This Clinic may only be taken once.*