This summer I had the pleasure of working with the Honorable Judge John Beam in the Juvenile Court of Chatham County. This experience provided the opportunity to work in the courtroom and the community on a variety of social issues. Despite the challenges of deprivation and delinquency cases, the court staff provided an extremely positive and nurturing learning environment.

I spent the majority of my time serving as Guardian ad Litem on deprivation cases. In order to ensure that I made the best recommendations possible, I visited with the families, the children, and the professionals involved in the cases and learned about community resources. My investigations ranged from interviewing police officers to young children. Interestingly, many deprivation cases involved pervasive mental health or substance abuse issues that were often untreated. One case involved a child who lived with her unmedicated, violent schizophrenic mother for eleven years without any community intervention. Fortunately, DFCS, the local mental health agency, and family members are providing resources to the child.

I visited many social service agencies in the community. I toured many of the local shelters for children so I could recommend the best possible placement for their needs. As Guardian ad Litem, I attended family planning conferences at DFCS and meetings at the emergency shelter to share my ideas about what was in the best interest of the children I served. I spent time with one DFCS case manager learning about the organization and observing interactions with clients, meetings with case workers at the emergency shelters, and preparing for court. Furthermore, I visited the youth detention center and learned about their social services for the children who are currently incarcerated and often come from homes with financial difficulty and substance abuse issues. Fortunately, there are a number of agencies working to empower struggling families in Savannah.

Courtroom observation provided a valuable educational opportunity. I observed the various proceedings for deprivation cases that families experience when their child is found to be abused or neglected. The initial shelter care hearing, the deprivation hearing, the Citizen Review Panels, and review hearings bring families to court on a regular basis. For many parents it is difficult to comply with the demands of regaining custody of their children. One parent I worked with had a difficult time meeting the requirements of her case plan because she failed random drug screens. Under the current legislation these parents face dire consequences like termination if they do not comply with the case plan.

Even though research was not my primary task, I did some legal research and courtroom advocacy. Occasionally, I researched legal issues for the judge and district attorney. This allowed me to learn more about Georgia legislation pertaining to deprivation and delinquency. I also drafted legal documents like a motion for extension of custody. Also, serving as Guardian ad Litem, I had the opportunity to cross-examine witnesses and share my recommendations during court proceedings. In my first case, involving an infant with a broken arm, I even cross examined a medical expert. Thus, I quickly learned techniques by observing my future colleagues in the courtroom.

This internship provided invaluable experience to me as a dual degree student in law and social work. I not only worked with families facing a variety of social issues, but I also gained insight into the legal process these families face. Often, they navigate their way through the system lacking adequate tools or understanding of the serious implications of the process. My work as a Guardian ad Litem gave me the opportunity to aid these families and children and to work with professionals that do an outstanding job advocating for the rights of children.