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When I first accepted a case to represent a boy who
was going to be expelled from school,
I was a corporate lawyer with no litigation experience.
I was able to successfully settle the boy’s case,
but what struck me the most was that it was obvious
that nobody had ever stood up for him before. Thousands
of Florida’s abused and neglected children go
to court with nobody to stand up for them. You can make a difference by agreeing to take a case as part of Fostering Independence, a new program designed to provide guardian ad litem representation to a teen in foster care.
Fostering
Independence matches a teen in foster care with
a guardian ad litem team, consisting of a pro bono attorney,
a case coordinator and a program attorney. You will
represent the teen’s best interests as the guardian
ad litem after completing an eight-hour training by
viewing DVDs that can be checked out and taken home or viewed on our website.
Other pro bono opportunities with the GAL Program include
representing the child in a regular attorney-client
relationship as the attorney ad litem and assisting
the GAL Program using your area of expertise, including
special education, probate, guardianship, appeals, or
immigration.
I appreciate your interest in representing a child.
I know you will find it as rewarding as
I have.
Sincerely,
Fostering Independence, Florida Guardian ad Litem Pro Bono Project Brochure
Quince Takes Court’s Helm: Challenges Lawyers to Become GALs for Foster Kids, Jan Pudlow, The Florida Bar News (July 2008)
Attorneys Needed for Aging-Out Foster Kids, Jan Pudlow, Florida Bar News (August 2008)
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