## RULES OF JUVENILE COURT PROCEDURE **DELINQUENCY MATTERS**

Table of Rules **CHA PTER 1**  *** * ***
**PA RT D**  **MA STERS**  **182. Qualifications of Master**  185. Appointment to Cases 187. Authority of Master 190. Admissions Before Master 191. Master's Findings and Recommendation to the Judge 192. Challenge to Master’s Recommendation *** * ***2

**RULE 182. QUA LIFICA** **TIONS OF MA STER** 
**A. Education, Experience, and Training.**  **To be eligible to be appointed**  **as a master**  **to preside over cases governed by the Juvenile A ct, 42 Pa.C.S. § 6301**  **et seq., an individual**  **shall: 1) be a member, in good standing, of the bar of this Commonwealth;**  **2) have been licensed to practice law for at least five consecutive years; and**  **3) have completed six hours of instruction**  **, approved by the Pennsy**  **lv ania**  **Continuing Legal Education Board prior to hearing cases ,**  **which specifically** 

**addresses all of the following topics :**  **a) the Juvenile A** **ct; b)**  **the Pennsy lv**  **ania Rules of Juvenile Court Pro cedure;**  **c) the penal laws of Pennsy**  **lv ania;**  **d) the Child Protective Services Law;**  **e) evidence**  **rules and methodology ;**  **f) child and adolescent development;**  **and g)**  **the collateral consequences of**  **an adjudication of delinquency**

**. B. Continuing Education.**  **A master shall complete six hours of instruction**  **from a course(s) designed by**  **the Juvenile Court Judges’ Commission, in juvenile**  **delinquency**

**law , polic**  **y , or related social science research every tw**  **o y ears**  **from the initial appointment as master. C.**  **Compliance. 1)**  **A master shall sign an affidavit attesting that he or she has met the**  **requirements of this rule. 2)**  **Prior to appointment as a master, the affidavit shall be sent to the President Judge or his or her designee of each judicial district where**  **the attorney**

**is seeking appointment as a master. 3)**  **After submission of the initial affidavit pursuant to paragra ph (C)(2),**  **masters shall submit a new affidavit every tw o y** **ears attesting that the continuing education requirements of paragraph (B) have been met.** 3 **COMMENT Pursuant to paragraphs (A** **)(1) & (2), masters are to be in good standing and have at least five**  **consecutive years of experience as an attorney. It i**  **s best practice to have at least two years of experience in juvenile law.**  **Pursuant to paragraph ( A)(3), the**  **initial training program(s) is to be approved by the**  **Pennsylvania Continuing Legal Educatio**  **n Board (Board). The program may be one course or**  **multiple courses with at least six hours of instruction, equivalent to at least six CLE credits. When the Board is approving courses designed to address the requirements of this rule, it should**  **consult w ith the Juvenile Court Judges’ Commission to ensure proper course requirements are**  **being met. A dditionally, for this initial training course(s), training already provided by the**  **Juvenile Court Judges’ Commission or the Office of Children and Families in t**  **he Court s**  **may meet the requirements of this Rule.**  **For continuing education under paragraph (B), masters are to attend six hours of instruction from a course or multiple courses designed by the Juvenile Court Judges’**  **Commission. This is to ensure uniform training among masters.**  **These requirements are additional requirements to the**  **Pa.R.C.L.E. because they mandate specific training in juvenile delinquency law. However, the credit hours received do count**  **towards the total maximum required under Pa.R.C.L. E. 105.**  **Pursuant to paragraph (C), a master is to certify to the court that the requirements of this rule have been met prior to the appointment as master**  **, and submit new affidavits every two years thereafter** 

**.**

**Official Note: Rule 182 adopted September 1**  **1 , 2014**  **, effective October 1, 2016** 

**. Committee Explanatory Reports:**  **Final Report explaining the provisions of Rule 182 published with the Court’s Order at 44**  **Pa.B. -**  **( -**  **).**4 

### DEPENDENCY MATTERS

**CHA PTER 11**  *** * ***
**PA RT D**  **[ PROCEEDINGS IN**  **CAS ES BEFORE**  **] MA** **STER S**  **1182. Qualifications of Master**  1185. Appointment to Cases 1187. Authority of Master 1190. Stipulations Before Master 1191. Master’s Findings and Recommendation to the Judge5

**RULE 1182. QUA LIFICA** **TIONS OF MA STER** 
**A. Education, Experience, and Training.**  **To be eligible to be appointed**  **as a master**  **to preside over cases governed by the Juvenile A ct, 42 Pa.C.S. § 6301**  **et seq., an individual**  **shall: 1) be a member, in good standing, of the bar of this Commonwealth;**  **2) have been licensed to practice law for at least five consecutive years; and**  **3) have completed six hours of instruction ,**  **approved by the Pennsy lv**  **ania Continuing Legal Education Board prior to hearing cases**  **, which**  **specifically**

**addresses all of the fo llowing topics**  **:**

**a the Juvenile A** **ct; b)**  **the Pennsy lv**  **ania Rules of Juvenile Court Procedure; c)**  **the Child Protective Services Law; d)**  **evidence rules and methodology**  **; and**  **e) child and adolescent development.**  **B. Continuing Education. A**  **master shall complete six hours of instruction from**  **a course(s) designed by the Office of Children and Families in the Court**  **s , in**  **juvenile dependency**

**law, policy , or related social science research every tw**  **o years from the initial appointment as master.**  **C. Compliance.**  **1) A**  **master shall sign an affidavit attesting that he or she has met the requirements of this rule.**  **2) Prior to appointment as a master, the affidavit shall be sent to the**  **President Judge or his or her designee of each judicial district where the attorney** 

**is seeking appointment as a master. 3)**  **After submission of the initial affidavit pursuant to paragra ph (C)(2),**  **masters shall submit a new affidavit every tw o y** **ears attesting that the continuing education requirements of paragraph (B) have been met.** 
**Comment Pursuant to paragraphs (A** **)(1) & (2), masters are to be in good standing and have at least five c**  **onsecutive years of experience as an attorney. It i**  **s best practice to have at least two years of experience in juvenile law.** 6 **Pursuant to paragraph ( A)(3), the initial training program(s) is to be approved by the**  **Pennsylvania Continuing Legal Education Board (Board). The program may be one course or**  **multiple courses with at least six hours of instruction, equivalent to at least six CLE credits. When the Board is approving courses designed to address the requirements of this rule, it should**  **consult with the Office of Children and Families in the Court**  **s to ensure proper course**  **requirements are being met. A dditionally, for this initial training course(s), training already**  **provided by the Office of Children and Families in the Court s**  **or the Juvenile Court J udges’**  **Commission may** **meet the requirements of this Rule. For continuing education under paragraph (B), masters are to attend six hours of**  **instruction from a course or multiple courses designed by the Office of Children and Families in the Court**  **s . This**  **is to ensure uniform training among masters. These requirements are additional requirements to**  **the Pa.R.C.L.E. because they mandate**  **specific training in juvenile de pend**  **ency law. However, the credit hours received do count towards the total maximum requi**  **red under Pa.R.C.L.E. 105. Pursuant to paragraph (C), a master is to certify to the court that the requirements of this**  **rule have been met prior to the appointment as master , and submit new affidavits every two years**  **thereafter**

**. Official Note: Rule 1**  **1 82 adopted**  **September 1 1**  **, 2014 , effective**  **October 1, 2016**

**. Committee Explanatory Reports:**  **Final Report explaining the provisions of Rule 182 published with the Court’s Order at 44**  **Pa.B. -**  **( -**  **).**