This session will focus on both mandatory and permissive venue selection for family law filings in the State of Texas with a specific focus on strategies to improve success. The session will also include consideration and tips when representing survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. It will also include recent updates and changes to venue law from new statutes and case law. Participants will be given real world examples where they will select which outcome they think is preferable followed by group discussion regarding their choice.
I manage a few of the folks who work with LASSA (Legal Aid for Survivors of Sexual Assault) funding. I have been with LANWT for about 12 years and prior to that I was an elementary school teacher.
Thursday September 3, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am CDT Grand Salons DE
Legal Aid attorneys often encounter child support, possession/access, or property order enforcement issues, even when grant restrictions prevent them from handling the enforcement itself. Understanding the basics is essential for giving sound legal advice. This session provides a streamlined overview of enforcement and contempt from the perspectives of the movant, respondent, and judge. Topics include drafting clear orders, pleading willful violations, proper service, and knowing when clarification is required. The panel will also cover key defensive strategies—service defects, affirmative defenses, verified denials, special exceptions, directed verdicts, and double jeopardy issues. Judges will conclude with practical guidance on presenting and defending enforcement actions and discuss alternatives when an order cannot be enforced.
Protective Orders (POs) in Texas never seem to stop evolving, and legal aid practitioners can quickly become PO experts, as they are the ones commonly filing these cases and assisting survivors of violence and trauma. This session will provide any new legal aid attorney with the tools and knowledge to see a PO case from start to finish. Seasoned PO practitioners may find that the session offers much-needed reminders, updates on new cases and legislation, and helpful tips and tricks.
Family Clinic Staff Attorney, St. Mary's Center for Legal and Social Justice
Stephanie Medellin is the staff attorney for the Family Law Clinic at the Center for Legal and Social Justice at St. Mary’s University School of Law. Stephanie represents clients in divorce, adoption, name change, and probate cases in court. She also co-teaches clinic seminar... Read More →
