This summer I had the opportunity to intern for the Clayton County Juvenile Court under the supervision of Judge Tracy Graham. As the sole law intern for the Clayton County Juvenile Court, I was able to work directly with Judge Graham, Judge Steven Teske and Chief Judge K. Van Banke, as well as with the attorneys and court clerks. This experience afforded me the opportunity to observe and learn different approaches to the field of child advocacy while also gaining practical experience by actively participating in court proceedings. In order to gain a thorough and comprehensive understanding of the juvenile court system, Judge Graham arranged for a series of mini-internships.

I spent my first week in the field with detectives from the Department of Crimes Against Children from the Clayton County Police Department. Here, I was able to see how many deprivation cases begin and develop through the hard work of detectives. I was able to observe interviews conducted at the police station of alleged perpetrators of physical and sexual child abuse. I also observed a forensic interview conducted at the Rainbow House of a young boy who had been sexually abused by his foster parents. The content of such interviews are, obviously, of very sensitive subject matter, so it was reassuring to observe the victim friendly approach taken by the professionals involved. Furthermore, every effort is made to make the children feel comfortable and all of the interviews are recorded as a tool to protect and prevent the children from having to retell their story in the future.

During the second week of my internship I spent time with the Department of Family Children Services ("DFCS"). Working with a few caseworkers, I was able to conduct interviews of pertinent parties in deprivation cases. I also conducted home evaluations, random home inspections, and follow-up visits on complaints or leads of possible child deprivation. Additionally, I was able to experience what it is like for a DFCS caseworker to attend court concerning deprivation cases. This perspective proved to be valuable as I later had to work with DFCS case workers in my role as a Guardian ad Litem. Through this experience, I was able to gain personal insight as to the role that the DFCS case workers play in our juvenile court system. I was also able to witness that the poor reputation of DFCS caseworkers is unfortunate and ill-fitted because I saw caseworkers that expressed and demonstrated genuine care for the welfare of the children. As someone who was admittedly nave to the system as a whole or to deprivation issues prior to this internship, my experience has uncovered a newfound respect for all of the players of the system, including police officers and caseworkers who all work to promote the best interest of the children.

Throughout the third week, I spent time with the Probation and Intake Department of the Clayton County Juvenile Court. Along with the juvenile probation officers, I made home visits to the parolees, assisted in random home drug testing, and met with school officers to check the behavioral and scholastic records of juvenile offenders. Although the deprivation was the focus of this internship, I have learned that juvenile delinquency and deprivation issues are often intertwined and inseparable. For example, one case that I assisted with a home visit involved a mother whose two daughters, both under the age of fifteen, were molested by her boyfriend. Both daughters had been placed on probation as a result of a physical altercation that ultimately occurred as a result of this sexual abuse. Furthermore, since the time of the altercation and the subsequent probation, the boyfriend had moved in to the family's residence. Unfortunately, I learned that is just a small example of how juvenile delinquency and deprivation operate in tandem.

For the remainder of the summer, I spent my time directly in the juvenile court. I began by observing all court proceedings, which included probable cause hearings, adjudications, dispositions and termination of parental rights. The Clayton County Juvenile Court has three contract attorneys that rotate between the three different courtrooms and two assistant district attorneys. I worked with each of the attorneys, observing their client interviews, strategy conferences and their trial techniques. This afforded me the opportunity to become comfortable with courtroom demeanor while preparing me to act as a Guardian ad Litem ("GAL").

Although I served as a GAL in a few cases, the most memorable case happened to be the first case that I was appointed to. The case involved a family with an extensive history of DFCS involvement. There were issues of sexual and physical abuse, truancy, and drug abuse. Moreover, four of the five children had delinquent history. I interviewed and spent time with all of the children who are placed in various shelters and foster homes. I also spoke with their respective probation officers, DFCS caseworkers, and the medical examiners who performed the forensic interviews and psychological evaluations for the children. The trial was actually continued twice, with the new trial date exceeding the length of my internship. However, I became so involved with the case that I agreed and am happy to continue my representation of the children, although the trial will take place during the academic semester.

While interning at the court, I also had the opportunity to observe court-mandated mediation programs and citizen review panels. I also attended two of the monthly Child Fatality Committee and Child Abuse Committee meetings. Each committee is composed of the heads of all pertinent county agencies such as the juvenile court, the office of the district attorney, the police department, the sheriff's department, Clayton County's environmental agency, and representatives from the different hospitals. It was very impressive to observe how people from all over the county come together in order to combat such devastating issues as child abuse and fatality. I also attended a panel with Judge Teske concerning appropriate risk assessment tools utilized by juvenile courts throughout the state of Georgia. On a personal level, these experiences balanced out the distressing and heartbreaking effects that dealing with deprivation cases can have because I am now a witness to the many people who work to make a difference. I have learned and was able to work with many individuals, as well as witness collaborative efforts being made to improve the welfare of the children.

Lastly, although research was not the primary focus of my internship, I performed various research assignments throughout the summer. I researched various legal issues for the assistant district attorneys and assisted with the research for an appellate brief. I also researched a controversial issue involving juvenile delinquency that has yet to be brought before the Clayton County Juvenile Court, but that the judges anticipate will in the near future.

In closing, the internship with the Clayton County Juvenile Court through the Barton Clinic has been an invaluable opportunity. I have gained a complete and thorough understanding of the different roles involved in the juvenile court system. I was also afforded the opportunity to practice as a GAL, thus gaining the practical experience sought by all law students. Additionally, as mentioned previously, I have a newfound respect for the individuals in their respective roles of the juvenile court. It takes a special type of person to work with and for the children, and I am honored to have had the opportunity to work along side of those people.