Thank you for your interest in serving as a Teen Court
Attorney for the May 2026 - June 2027 term. Prior to applying, please read through the eligibility requirements, commitment levels and expectations of this role. To apply you must answer all questions associated with
this user list and click "Join User List". This application closes on March 31st.
Eligibility
- 15 to
18 years of age
- Existing jurors who turn 15 in 2026 may apply
if they have a minimum of 12 juror hours.
- 18-year-olds must be enrolled in high school during the 2026-2027 school year
- Served
a minimum of 2 times as a Teen Court Juror
- Available
to volunteer 1-2 Mondays a month from 5:15 - 9 pm
- Must
be available to attend Attorney Training/Try Outs on Saturday, April 18th from
8 AM - 2 PM
Time Required
A minimum of 1 Monday evening a month from 5:15 pm to approximately 9 pm.
Length of Commitment
May 2026 - June 2027. After completing your term, you must be available to help
train new attorneys.
Skills Necessary
Attorneys must be able to:
- Behave professionally
- Treat each case individually, with objectivity and without prejudice
- Respect defendants, fellow volunteers, judge and staff
- Communicate effectively especially while working in a group
- Be able to maintain confidentiality of all cases
Responsibilities
At Teen Court, attorneys will be assigned to represent the state's interest
(prosecuting counsel) or the defendant (defense counsel) and does the
following:
- Reviews
paperwork associated with case
- Meets
personally with each defendant prior to court (defense counsel only)
- Presents
either state's or defendant's case to judge and jury with an opening
statement, direct examination, cross-examination, and closing arguments
- Recommends
appropriate sentences to judge and jury
Attendance Expectations
If you are unable to attend on your assigned Teen Court
appearance and you are assigned as Lead Counsel, it is your responsibility to
find a substitute attorney who is not already scheduled on that evening. If
this becomes necessary, it is imperative that you contact Juvenile Case Manager
Ana Martinez no later than 24 hours prior to your scheduled appearance. Failure to do so may result in being dismissed from the Plano Teen Court Program.
By accepting your appointment as a Teen Court attorney, you
are acknowledging your responsibility to be prompt and consistent in your
attendance. Your attendance is EXPECTED when you are scheduled. If you fail to
appear for your scheduled appearance more than two times in a six (6) month
period, you acknowledge that your continued participation in the program is
subject to limitation or suspension at the discretion of Ms. Martinez.
FAQs
Can I apply if I've never volunteered as a juror at Plano Teen Court? No. To be eligible, you must have volunteered 2 times as a juror. If you do not meet this requirement, please do not apply.
How do I know if my application has been received? If you've already applied, the application link will redirect you to the User Lists area of your account and display a message that you are already a member of that User List. Another way to confirm is by clicking your initials or photo in the top right of page and clicking My User Lists. The user list "2026-2027 Plano Teen Attorney Application" will display.
When do I find out if I've been selected to attend training and tryouts on April 18th? Ms. Martinez will reach out to you on April 3rd to confirm whether you are approved to attend the training/try outs.
