2019 Fellowships Awarded
Organizing more than 50 events annually, and providing professional and law-related education to more than 4,000 public officials and employees, the Texas Municipal Courts Education Center (TMCEC) is one of the largest publically funded judicial branch education organizations in the United States.
Texas Municipal Courts Fellowships are awarded by TMCEC in legislative years to law students and recent law school graduates who demonstrate academic and extracurricular excellence, a commitment to public service, and an interest in learning about the Texas judicial system, criminal law, and the role of local trial courts of limited jurisdiction.
Under the supervision of the TMCEC General Counsel and Director of Education, Fellows conduct legal research, interpret recent legislation, and draft summaries of new procedural and substantive laws of interest to municipal judges, court personnel, city attorneys, and peace officers. In addition to being awarded a stipend, recipients are encouraged to explore new and challenging legal issues stemming from recent legislation and to make contributions to TMCEC’s journal and other publications.
TMCEC is happy to announce that Molly Knowles and Michael Null have been selected as Texas Municipal Courts Fellows.
Ms. Knowles is a third-year Juris Doctor candidate at the University of Texas School of Law, with an interest in criminal appellate advocacy and serves as a staff editor for The American Journal of Criminal Law. She interned with the Texas Attorney General’s Office in the Criminal Appeals Division following her first year of law school, and has accepted an internship position at the United States Attorney’s Office. Prior to law school, she worked as a paralegal at the Carlson Law Firm, and joined TMCEC as a communications assistant. Ms. Knowles was born in Bamberg, Germany but was predominately raised in central Texas. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from St. Edward’s University with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and minor in Criminology.
Mr. Null is a second-year Juris Doctor candidate at Texas Tech University School of Law, with an interest in municipal law and criminal appeals. He is a staff member for Texas Tech Law Review and participates in moot court competitions. Prior to law school, Mr. Null was a court clerk assistant for the Austin Municipal Court in the Collections Division, where he specialized in the collection of fines and fees and gained an interest in municipal courts. He was born and raised in Austin, Texas, and graduated from The University of Texas with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and minor in Government.
TMCEC was founded in 1984 by the Texas Municipal Courts Association. TMCEC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation primarily funded by a grant administered by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals from public funds appropriated by the Legislature to the Judicial and Court Personnel Training Fund. Serving more than 36 percent of the Texas judicial system, TMCEC provides: (1) judicial education, technical assistance, and the necessary resource material to assist municipal judges, court support personnel (i.e., court clerks, court administrators, bailiffs, city marshals, juvenile case managers, interpreters), and city attorneys in obtaining and maintaining professional competence in the fair and impartial administration of criminal justice; and (2) information to the public about the Texas judicial system and laws relating to public safety and quality of life in Texas communities.