The Advocate - June 2020

June 2020

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NACC STATEMENT

NACC Statement Condemning Police Brutality and Racist Violence

There can be no children's justice without racial justice.

UPCOMING COVID-19 WEBINAR

Advocacy for Youth in Congregate Care during COVID-19

Thursday, June 25th, 3:00-4:30 PM ET

Presenters:

Jennifer Rodriguez, JD

Jennifer Pokempner, JD

Tom Welshonce, JD

Federal and state law, as well as social science research, support the least-restrictive, most family-like placement for youth in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Despite that, many youth, particularly older youth, in both systems continued to be placed in congregate care at alarming rates. The risks and concerns of congregate care placement are heightened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Attorneys play a key role in advocating to get and keep their clients out of congregate care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Join attorneys from around the country to learn why congregate care placement is particularly risky during the pandemic, and what attorneys can do to zealously advocate for their clients that are placed in or may be placed in congregate care. Participants will walk away with best practices and advocacy tips that are applicable during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

This webinar is part of NACC’s ongoing series of responsive training measures to support attorney practice in the COVID-19 pandemic supported by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The session is open to members AND non-members.

Pending accreditation for 2 hours of CLE in Colorado. CLE approval in at least one state can streamline an attorney’s CLE application in another state. Check with your jurisdiction for details on simplified CLE applications and online/on-demand learning requirements.

UPCOMING MEMBERS-ONLY WEBINAR

Children and Families at a Crossroads: Client-Centered Cross-Practice Representation of Undocumented Children

Tuesday, June 30th, 2:00-3:30 PM ET

Presenters:

Melissa Paul-Franklyn, JD

Cristina “Tina” Romero, JD

Jadera Ramirez-Garcia, JD, MSW

Jordyne James, LMSW

The Legal Aid Society of New York

This webinar will focus on the intersection of child welfare and immigration law practice, and highlight how holistic teams of attorneys, social workers, paralegals and investigative staff can collaborate to address all relevant aspects of young clients’ lives, both inside the courtroom and out, and represent the child as a whole. Participants will learn best practices for identifying systemic barriers and legal concerns of immigrant youth in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems; dynamic client interviewing techniques that enhance issue-spotting and promote age-appropriate and culturally sensitive dialogue and interactions; and how to identify cross-advocacy issues such as education and housing. The presenters will also share immigration law updates and explain immigration categories, status, and other law practice considerations, including Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) hearings.

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

NACC'S PROMOTING EXCELLENCE AWARDS

DUE JULY 1, 2020

NACC honors the champions among us who raise the bar and set the standard for excellence in children's legal advocacy. NACC’s Promoting Excellence Awards are presented annually to individuals and institutions making significant contributions to the rights and well-being of children through excellence in legal representation.

NACC is now accepting nominations for awards in the following categories:

Outstanding Legal Advocate
Outstanding New Lawyer
Outstanding Children's Law Office

Deadline: July 1, 2020.

Award Information & Nominations Here

NACC STATE COORDINATORS

NACC is thrilled to announce 12 new State Coordinators:

Alabama: Fernando Morgan, JD, CWLS
Connecticut: Christopher Oakley, JD, CWLS
Florida: Tim Stevens, JD
Georgia: Jen Carreras, JD, CWLS
Indiana: Nicole Goodson, JD
Mississippi: Carlyn Hicks, JD, CWLS
Nebraska: Candice Novak, JD
Nevada: Denise Glasgow, JD
Ohio: Kimberly Jordan, JD
Tennessee: Thomas Coupe, JD, CWLS
Texas: Judge Aurora Martinez-Jones, JD, CWLS
Vermont: Marshall Pahl, JD

State Coordinators help lead NACC’s expanded outreach and provide localized support to a growing network of child welfare attorneys.

NACC POLICY NEWS

Civil Gideon Resolution Reaches U.S. House of Representatives

On May 8, 2020, Massachusetts Congressman Joe Kennedy III and 14 co-sponsors introduced a resolution supporting a guaranteed right to legal counsel in civil proceedings involving housing, health care, family integrity and other basic human needs. The proposal would extend the right to counsel in criminal proceedings (originally recognized in Gideon v. Wainwright ) to other civil matters, where legal representation is critical and necessary, regardless of ability to pay. NACC Executive Director Kim Dvorchak was quoted in the release regarding right to counsel for children in dependency cases. “From the moment a child is placed in foster care, everything is at stake – their home, school, relationships with parents and siblings, community, and future…Ensuring the right to counsel in the child welfare system can make all the difference navigating this complex system and – as research shows – achieving the best possible outcomes. Due process and fundamental fairness demand nothing less.”

NACC & Partners Demand Congressional Action to Protect Older Youth in Foster Care

NACC joined FosterClub and other partners to call upon Congressional leaders to act immediately to protect older youth impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Requested relief includes increases and flexibilities to the John H. Chafee Foster Care Program, a temporary moratorium on discharges from the foster care system for youth between 18 and 21 years old, and financing to assist youth until age 22 using federal Title IV-E dollars. Read more here .

NACC Joins Call Urging Congress to Support Workforce and Economic Assistance for Opportunity Youth

Led by the Reconnecting Youth Campaign , NACC joined in a request for attention and support for Opportunity Youth, youth of color, and youth experiencing poverty during the public health crisis. Opportunity Youth are defined as those between age 16 and 24 years old who are not employed or in school. The request details needed support critical for workforce training programs, mental health services, and public benefits navigation to ensure eligible young people can access unemployment benefits, SNAP benefits and economic stimulus payments. Read more here .

NACC's Online Red Book Training Course

Summer Session Has Started!

NACC's online Red Book Training Course is designed to assist you in preparing for the Child Welfare Law Specialist (CWLS) examination, and serves as an excellent review of core dependency competency areas. The material covered in the course is drawn from Child Welfare Law and Practice: Representing Children, Parents, and State Agencies in Abuse, Neglect, and Dependency Cases (3rd Edition "Red Book"). The course consists of seven weekly webinars. Participants can join the course live or watch/listen to recordings -- includes access to electronic Red Book and course recordings through December 31.

Summer Course: June 3rd, 2020 through July 15, 2020.

Registration now through July 14.

This course is accredited for 8 hours of CLE in Colorado, including 1 hour of ethics credit. CLE approval in at least one MCLE state can streamline an attorney’s CLE application in another state. The course is accredited in two formats - for those who plan to participate live each session and for those who intend to watch the recordings. Please check with the CLE authority in your jurisdiction with regard to specific online and on-demand learning requirements or limitations. Certificates of attendance and accompanying documentation will be made available to participants after the course concludes.

To register a group of attorneys from your office, please contact NACC at Training@NACCchildlaw.org . We can also create custom packages to include hard copy Red Books and/or CWLS certification applications.

View the Syllabus and Register Here

CERTIFICATION NEWS

Child Welfare Law Specialist (CWLS) certification is a professional achievement that signifies an attorney's specialized knowledge, skill, and verified expertise in the field of child welfare law.

CWLS certification is for children's attorneys, parent's attorneys, agency attorneys, judges, and policy advocates/professors. #ChildWelfareLawSpecialist

Congratulations to Our Newest Child Welfare Law Specialist!

Angela Torres, JD, CWLS

Children's Law Center of California

Monterey Park, CA

Please visit our Applicant Resources page to download the application and review eligibility requirements, exam details, and more.

Submit your application payment here . Remember to log into your NACC profile first in order to get the member discount.

Attention CWLS Applicants! CWLS Exam Update

The CWLS exam has been reopened! Thank you for your patience during the shutdown. CWLS applicants can now schedule and sit for the exam. However, available time slots per day are limited as our exam proctoring company gradually gets back up to full capacity. If you have an exam date in mind, we recommend logging into Examity and reserving your slot now.

Visit NACC's CWLS webpage

NACC's 43rd National Child Welfare Law Conference will be online! Our commitment to providing high-quality continuing legal education programs and networking events to strengthen and support child welfare legal practitioners nationwide remains strong during these critical times.

Conference Faculty Revealed!

We are thrilled to reveal this year's outstanding line-up of expert faculty and sessions. We are grateful to faculty for sharing their knowledge and expertise online with the NACC community in August. Visit our conference agenda here to see who will be presenting.

Conference Schedule

We've scheduled a week-long program of sessions, social activities, and more, check out our conference page for more information!

Conference Webpage

Registration

Faculty & Sessions

OTHER CHILD WELFARE EVENTS

On March 26, 2021, the Columbia Journal of Race and Law will host a symposium,  Strengthened Bonds: Abolishing the Child Welfare System and Re-Envisioning Child Well-Being . The symposium honors the 20th anniversary of  Shattered Bonds: The Color of Child Welfare  by Dorothy Roberts. Strengthened Bonds  seeks to generate insightful, imaginative, and important scholarship in support of abolishing the child welfare system and creating a radically new approach to child well-being. The organizers encourage papers from all disciplines and from community members and activists. The deadline for abstracts and expressions of interest is July 1, 2020. The complete call for papers and instructions for submission of abstracts is on the  Journal website .

NACC COVID-19 RESOUCE HUB

NACC continues to answer the community's call for guidance and advocacy support regarding COVID-19 and its impact on clients, cases, processes, and policy. Over the past few weeks, NACC has:

Launched a COVID-19 Resource Hub
Published this NACC Tip Sheet: Advocacy and Child’s Attorney-Client Relationships During COVID-19
Hosted an NACC Member-Webinar Call on COVID-19, and host regular Children's Law Office Project calls
Hosted a COVID-19 Zealous Advocacy webinar – open to all, please share--includes two hours CLE credit!
Issued a J oint Policy Statement on Child Welfare Courts During a Public Health Crisis
Held our first virtual Board of Director's meeting
Testified via Zoom at a Vermont legislative hearing opposing proposal to make all family visits virtual
We did a virtual training for Iowa on FFPSA

NACC MEMBER RESOURCES

NACC State-Based Listservs in California and Oklahoma!

NACC has recently launched state-based listservs in California and Oklahoma. This is a supplement to our national listserv. If you are a California or Oklahoma child practitioner who would like to join your respective state list, please email Allison.Green@NACCchildlaw.org.

COVID-19 Open Webinars: Click here to view past webinars at your leisure.

Trauma-Responsive Skills for Lawyers During COVID-19
Zealous Advocacy During COVID-19: Practical Tips and Best Practices
NACC General Membership Webinar on COVID-19

Members-Only Webinars:  Click here to view past webinars at your leisure .

The Next Level: Appellate Practice in Child Welfare Cases -- CLE credit available!
How To Use Federal Reasonable Efforts Requirement to Advocate for Older Youth -- CLE credit available!
What Do Foster Youth and Other Stakeholders Want From Their Lawyer? Research Findings Chart the Course to High-Quality Legal Representation -- CLE credit available!
New Legal Resources for Incorporating the Family First Act into Your Practice in 2020 -- CLE credit available!
And More!