Rule 24.1 Training Requirements

(a) Presiding Judge's Responsibility

It is the responsibility of each Presiding Judge of the respective juvenile courts of the State to ensure that clerks appointed pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 15-11-63 meet the training requirements for juvenile court clerks as provided in O.C.G.A. § 15-11-65.

(b) Hardship Extension Policy

i. Upon completion of each training year, the Georgia Association of Juvenile Court Clerks (GAJCC) and the Institute of Continuing Judicial Education (ICJE) shall notify the Presiding Judge of the court in which a clerk appointed pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 15-11-63 of the clerk of juvenile court's status regarding the training requirements provided in O.C.G.A. § 15-11-65(a).

ii. If an appointed clerk of juvenile court does not expect to meet the annual training requirements for certification under O.C.G.A. § 15-11-65(a), the clerk must apply in writing at the time the shortfall in hours is identified, but no later than 20 days following the final training conference of the year, for a hardship extension of the time in which to remediate the deficiency.

iii. The hardship application must be submitted to:

- the Juvenile Court Event team at ICJE,

- the GAJCC President, and

- the Presiding Judge of the juvenile court where the clerk serves.

iv. The hardship application must include:

- the expected shortfall in the number of required hours,

- any completed hours,

- an explanation of the hardship preventing completion, and

- the proposed plan to remediate the deficiency.

v. The GAJCC Executive Board, along with ICJE, will review the application within 30 days and vote on whether to deny the application, approve with modifications, or approve as is. A simple majority vote will determine the outcome. To be eligible for approval, at the time of making an application for a hardship extension, the clerk must otherwise be in good standing with annual training requirements.

vi. Within ten business days of the decision, the GAJCC President or his or her designee will email the applicant and notify the Presiding Juvenile Court Judge of its decision. The decision shall be placed into the minutes of the juvenile court record in the county(ies) in which the applicant serves as clerk of juvenile court.