My ten-week internship with the Barton Child Law and Policy Clinic has allowed me to gain a better knowledge of the child welfare system in Georgia. Although I attend Emory University School of Law, I was living in New York City before moving down to Georgia and knew very little about the legal system in Georgia. The four-day training period provided at the beginning of the intern program provided a general overview of child advocacy and juvenile court proceedings in Georgia, as well as a resource binder to offer initial guidance at my placement. As I complete my internship at Barton, I feel more versed in Georgia's child welfare system and better prepared to discuss the system and possible areas for improvement.

While at Barton, I was involved in researching and drafting for three projects. The first was an analysis of Georgia and Federal Law and agency policies concerning political activity of state employees. The project initiated as a questionnaire to answer when, as a DFCS employee, individuals could participate in politics. Participation includes running for certain offices, as well as placing a yard sign endorsing a candidate or passing out partisan campaign literature. Examining the Hatch Act and various state statutes and comparing to how political activity is outlined in the DHR Employee Handbook and the DFCS Policy Manual was very interesting. There appears to be a conflict between protecting individuals from political patronage and preventing employees from any partisan political activity.

The second project involved an examination of Georgia Law and the Representation of children in abuse and neglect proceedings. Were there any national standards to apply? How did Georgia's system compare to other states in the Southeast and around the U.S.? It was fascinating to learn when children were provided with a lawyer and when they were not. Through the research, I came to believe that children need an attorney to represent their legal interests and a lay guardian ad litem (CASA volunteer) to protect their best interests. More law schools in Georgia and ultimately around the United States should develop child advocacy programs and clinics. It would be great if child advocacy could become a specialized area of the law with full-time child advocate attorneys, rather than attorneys who are appointed from a pool to represent children, many of who have little to no knowledge about children and juvenile law.

The third project involved an examination of Georgia Law and the definition of relatives for placements in adoption and foster care proceedings. Relatives and family are defined in various ways in the Georgia Code and in federal law. There seems to be no exact definition as to whom should be considered a relative of the child. Although, relatives are usually given preference for placement, it is unclear as to when the search for suitable relatives begins. A fellow student and myself completed the initial research. Unfortunately, due to the limited amount of time in the internship, the next stage of drafting into one comprehensive paper will have to occur in the fall.

The one main difficulty at the internship has been the limited time. It was impossible to complete all three projects in the ten weeks. But, it was great to have the experience research varied subject matter and garnering both legal and non-legal internet research skills in the process.

The other aspect that was both difficult and enjoyable was working with partners on research projects. It was great to work with another student and develop a work plan, dividing up the research. The difficult part was combining the research into one paper and coordinating writing styles and themes. Although, knowing that in the future I will be working with colleagues and associates in the advocacy field, the cooperation and communication skills developed during the internship will be quite useful down the road.

Another useful aspect of the internship at Barton is that we were allowed to attend various meetings concerning child advocacy matters over the summer. I was able to attend a Coalition Meeting at Prevent Child Abuse Georgia, where various child advocate organizations had come together to discuss the possibility of developing a cohesive agenda for the upcoming legislative session; and the Barton Clinic Advisory Board meeting, where I learned more about the logistics and administration behind operating a non-profit organization. In addition, field trips to the Grady Neo-natal Center, Georgia Center for Children and Celebration of Excellence were offered. These trips provided insight beyond the legal aspect of child welfare services and brought the human element into the learning process. It was nice to be reminded of the lives involved behind the words read during the research process.

The internship with Barton Clinic was personally beneficial in that it provided an opportunity to learn more about the career path of child advocacy. Through research, clinic meetings and discussion with other summer interns, I was able to learn about representing children in abuse and neglect proceedings; the difficulties faced by all participants in Georgia's child welfare system (DFCS workers, judges, advocates, parents and children); and the sense that there is a community of child advocacy organizations growing in Georgia that have a desire to work together to improve the system. As it was the summer, the only aspect that was missing for me was to learn more about the legislative process and how children's issues are approached at a political level. This is still an area I would like to explore more with the clinic during the school year.

I believe the knowledge I have gained during my internship with Barton will serve as a foundation that I can definite continue to build locally during my next few years of schooling here in Georgia and nationally, should I switch gears towards Washington and policy making.