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What is the Volunteer Lawyer Program's Children's Law Center? In October of 1998, the Volunteer Lawyers Program (VLP), co-sponsored by the Maricopa County Bar Association and Community Legal Services, established the Children's Law Center (CLC) in order to address unmet legal needs of children. The VLP increases access to our civil justice system to low-income persons by recruiting, training and mentoring private volunteer attorneys who extend services to those who cannot be served by Community Legal Services due to limited resources. The Children's Law Center was created in order to increase services to at risk children. Now more than 250 attorneys provide pro bono assistance through the Children's Law Center programs. Current Children's Law Center programs include the Free Advice Clinic for Teens, the Guardian Ad Litem Project, the Children with Disabilities Project, the Guardianship Project and the Adoption Project. These projects were developed in collaboration with other childrens service organizations to fill gaps in legal assistance for children of diverse ethnic, racial and economic backgrounds. Over the past two and a half years, these programs have helped over 800 youth in need of assistance. The Children's Law Center has received support from The Helen Dyar King Fund at The Arizona Community Foundation, Ronald McDonald House Charities, The Finova Group Inc., Maricopa County Bar Foundation, The Maricopa County Bar Association, Young Lawyers Division Barristers Ball and South Tempe Rotary Club. The Guardian Ad Litem Project began in July 1999 and has been very successful in providing the family court in Maricopa County with volunteer attorneys to represent the best interests of children. To date, 175 attorneys from a variety of practice areas have volunteered to serve as guardians ad litem for 279 children. In the past, guardians ad litem were appointed by the court only in family court cases where it appeared that a dependency might be indicated. Yet, there are many other instances where the court needs an extra set of eyes and ears to research and make recommendations on the best interests of children. The Children's Law Center's Guardian Ad Litem project affords the court this opportunity. At the request of the court, a volunteer attorney is assigned to the case and reports to the court, their findings as to the best interests of the children. Volunteer attorneys have enjoyed their experiences with the Guardian Ad Litem Project. Some have been so pleased with their experience on their first pro bono GAL case that they have accepted a second and even a third case. "It is truly rewarding" is the most common sentiment from GAL volunteers. One volunteer attorney emphasized that being a GAL for a child offers a nice change of pace from daily practice and remarked, "You know you are really helping a child and making a difference; these kids really need you." Another volunteer GAL, Robert Fisher, commented, "As a guardian ad litem, you are in a position to strongly influence what happens to the children. I think the children really appreciate having someone who can focus on their interests rather than the interests of either parent." As a guardian ad litem, the volunteer attorney serves a very important role to the court, a role that otherwise would not be filled. There is tremendous benefit having this program work for the children. In an effort to reach the teenagers, the Children's Law Center created and staffed the FACT- Free Advice Clinic for Teens. This program provides youth an opportunity to consult with a volunteer attorney and get professional help resolving legal problems. In two years, FACT volunteers have advised 250 teens. The most common problems involve child support enforcement, employment, debt collection, education, guardianship and consumer issues. The teens are impressed with attorneys volunteering their time to help them for FREE, which lets them know that someone really cares. The attorneys are thrilled to get immediate gratification and help these teens. In many instances, one phone call or letter from an attorney is enough to stop harassment from a creditor or obtain a refund in an unfair consumer transaction. The Free Advice Clinics for Teens are in collaborative efforts with Tumbleweed Young Adult Program, Mesa Gang Intervention Project, and Vista Del Camino Community Center, just to name a few. Constant outreach efforts are being made to expand coverage of Maricopa County and to connect with more youth. This is another positive experience for the volunteers and the teens. The volunteers can see an immediate outcome and feel good about the difference they are making and the teens are appreciative that a professional is taking time to meet with them for FREE. Some are surprised lawyers can be so nice and approachable and some want to know what it takes to be a lawyer (how long is school, how hard, etc.?) This program supplies legal advice and assistance as well as a mentor and role model. The Guardianship Program, of the Children's Law Center provides security and stability to children. This program assists caretakers, who in most instances have been caring for these children for years without any legal standing. They come to the Children's Law Center when they find they need guardianship to enroll the child in school, remain in public housing, get the child some medical treatment or other services. The Children's Law Center provides volunteer attorneys to help these caretakers obtain the standing that they need in order to care for these children properly, when the parents are unable or unwilling to do so. Recently, the program helped a young refugee who was rescued by a family while fleeing their country. The family noticed a youngster clinging to his dead mother and grabbed him and took him to safety. Once in this country, they needed to have legal guardianship of this child in order to take care of him. A volunteer attorney filed the necessary paperwork and completed the court process to help this child have a permanent family. Another pro bono project of the center is the Children with Disabilities Project, which arranges volunteer attorneys for children that are wrongly denied or dropped from their benefits. These children need Social Security funds in order to obtain special care. The Adoption Project, just recently funded by Ronald McDonald House Charities matches volunteer attorneys with families who are caring for children and need legal help to adopt them. This is an opportunity to assist underprivileged children to achieve stability, security and permanency. The grant helps cover costs of home studies to prepare the cases for low-income families. Volunteer attorneys have been so pleased with their Pro Bono experiences with the Children's Law Center. Many have said they feel like they are finally doing that which they went to school for, making a difference. The attorneys feel good about the work they do and the difference that they are making in the life of a child. The Children's Law Center provides support for attorneys who work outside their usual area of practice, by providing training and materials, consultants, mentors, support services and malpractice insurance. The Children's Law Center continually recruits and trains volunteer attorneys to assist children. If you have an interest in the program, please call Roni Troppper at (602) 258-3434 x 266 or email at rtropper@clsaz.org. Who is behind the scenes at the Children's Law Center?
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