Legal Studies

Welcome to the 2024-25 year! We hope that you are as excited as we are about the changes we’ve made for this year! From new events, easier registration and testing out variable numbers of team members, we have tried to listen to our membership and continue to make improvements to our organization. As we move together towards tomorrow, we will continue to build on our strengths, embrace new strategies, and foster a supportive environment where everyone can thrive. Let’s make this year one of growth, collaboration, and exceptional service. Please take a moment to read through the updates and take a look at the new website. Also, make sure you read about our new recruitment incentive! It’s a great way to earn a discount on your state registration! Registration information will be coming soon, and check out your region pages for dates and deadlines. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions! Melissa Hollingsworth TPSA President Updates: We are excited to announce that we created several new events and made changes to a few for this year. They are: Law Enforcement - Crash Investigation is back! Law Facility Design Police Press Conference Fire Fire Facility Design Forensics Hair Analysis is now Fiber Analysis All Events Job Exhibit One event judged together; entries across all clusters 5 total teams per chapter Wanting to help out? Apply here Refer new schools to TPSA and earn a discount on your state fees. We are testing having a variable number of competitors in a few events. This does affect our Drop Policy We are developing a new program to give out Community Service awards. This is still in progress, so feel free to send us your ideas! All rubrics will be available for review and feedback from September 2-9. If you have any feedback for rubrics, please email [email protected].

TPSA Members, I hope this letter finds you well and thriving. As we navigate the 2023-2024 school year and implement our new policies and procedures, there may be instances where revisions are necessary to clarify existing policies and procedures. After the successful conclusion of our first regional conference, we received valuable feedback from advisors regarding the 60-point minimum score required to advance to the State Conference. It has come to our attention that there is a gap in the scoring policy, particularly in addressing scores falling between 59.00 and 59.99 points. Following thorough discussions among the Executive Council and Board of Directors, we have reached a resolution to address this scoring policy gap. Effective immediately, the updated rulebook states that if a competitor or team scores between 59.50 and 59.99 and secures 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place at the Regional Conference, they will advance to the State Conference. However, if a competitor or team scores between 59.00 and 59.49 and places 1st, 2nd, or 3rd at the Regional Conference, they will not advance to the State Conference. We understand the importance of clear and transparent competition rules, and this amendment seeks to enhance the overall experience for all participants. As we move forward with the TPSA events throughout the year, we encourage you to familiarize yourself with the updated rulebook to ensure a smooth and equitable competition for everyone involved. Thank you for your continued support of TPSA, and we look forward to an exciting and successful school year. Best regards, Kira Hassler Newsom Executive Director