Lawyer Program

School: Georgia State University College of Law

Working with the One Child, One Lawyer program was a wonderful introduction to the child welfare system, and has strengthened my passion to be an advocate for children. This summer I was exposed to a wide array of issues that affect Georgia's children. Throughout the ten-week internship I had the opportunity to assist volunteer attorneys in preparation for hearings and observe many proceedings in Fulton and DeKalb County Juvenile Court. I observed attorneys interview children who had been removed from their homes, collaborate with Department of Family and Children Services case managers and supervisors, and speak with family members of the children to determine the best interests of the children they represent. It was inspiring to see how devoted these attorneys are to the children, taking time away from their jobs and sometimes spending countless hours waiting for the case to be called.

The One Child, One Lawyer Program offers a day-long training to prepare the attorneys for representing a child in a deprivation action. After the attorneys complete the training they are then required to observe juvenile court before they are assigned a case. A few of the volunteer attorneys have previous experience in juvenile court, but for the most part they are new to this field. When they are assigned a case, the Director of the program, Lila Bradley, accompanies them to court until they are comfortable enough with the process to handle the proceeding on their own. Ms. Bradley, and also the One Child, One Lawyer consultant Lynn Goldman, are always available to assist the attorneys prepare for hearings and answer any questions that arise along the way. What was great about working with the One Child, One Lawyer Program is that the program is designed to help attorneys understand the process quickly, so I was able to learn many of the intricacies of child welfare very quickly.

Through the One Child, One Lawyer Program I was able to attend many meetings and trainings on child welfare law and policy. I attended a meeting at the Child Placement Project of the Supreme Court of Georgia. Many leaders in child welfare were present and discussed court improvement measures. I also had the opportunity to attend the Guardian Ad Litem Conference sponsored by the Office of the Child Advocate in Savannah, Georgia. This was a fantastic opportunity to receive training in issues such as undocumented children, mental health treatment for children, and ethics in child representation. It was also very beneficial to hear perspectives of child advocates from around the state of Georgia.

I also had the opportunity to research legal issues in child welfare and draft reports on my research. One such project was to research the recent class action lawsuit in DeKalb and Fulton Counties, Kenny A. v. Perdue. My research centered around how the consent decrees that resulted from the lawsuit will impact the One Child, One Lawyer Program and to compile a list of changes that the program will have to make to ensure it is in compliance with the consent decrees, since the volunteer attorneys serve as attorneys ad litem in Fulton and DeKalb Counties. I also researched legitimation law, notice requirements, the intersection of domestic violence and child welfare law, and liability of volunteer attorneys serving as attorneys ad litem in deprivation proceedings.

I also was extremely fortunate to work in the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation office. Not only are the attorneys and staff at AVLF very supportive and friendly, but also I was able to attend trainings offered by AVLF on issues like the Violence Against Women Act and housing/eviction disputes. I was even able to attend a meeting at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation with the Georgia Missing Children Center. I visited the One Stop Shop for victims of domestic violence and learned the process of obtaining a protective order.

The best part of my internship experience was the variety of my work. I spent time in court, in meetings, in training, talking with attorneys, conducting research - no two days were exactly the same. I have never learned so much in such a small amount of time, and I feel a desire to keep learning and stay involved in child advocacy.