Page 8 - Dallas Vol 5 No 3
P. 8

JUDICIAL PROFILE
A Conversation
With Judge
AALM: What court do you preside over and how long have you held that position? Garcia:  e 303rd District Court hears family law cases.  ey involve just about any family relationship you can imagine. Divorces, par- entage, child support, possession and access, termination, adoption and family violence are just a few of the types of cases that Dal- las county family court judges hear. Several cases inevitably involve contract enforcement, property division, and trusts in addition to the mental health and drug abuse aspects associated with family violence and child re- lated litigation. I was elected in 2004. Since the election was for an unexpired term, Judge Barefoot Sanders swore me in Dec. 27, 2004. AALM: How did you transition from your ca- reer as an attorney to your career as a judge? What prompted the change?
Garcia: Fortunately, Texas requires signi cant judicial training before and during service on the bench. While no class can completely pre- pare you for what judges do day to day, the Texas Center for the Judiciary does an excel- lent job at preparing people who have never tried cases as a judge. I knew before I became an attorney that I wanted to be a judge.  at said, there is never a guarantee that anyone can get elected in any given year. I was happy to practice law and could have done that my entire career if being elected was not an op- tion.
Dennise Garcia
AALM: Do you have any advice for attorneys trying a case?
Garcia: Always know exactly what your client
ATTORNEY AT LAW MAGAZINE · DALLAS· VOL. 5 NO. 3 8


































































































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