Directory

NORTH CAROLINA

ADVOCATES FOR CHILDREN’S SERVICES
201 West Main St., Ste. 400
P.O. Box 2101
Durham, NC  27702
Telephone:       (919) 226-0052
                        (919) 226-0053
Fax:                 (919) 226-0566
Email:              ACSinfo@legalaidnc.org
Website:          www.legalaidnc.org/public/learn/Statewide_Projects/ACS

100% Children’s Law
Does Use Volunteer Attorneys

Advocates for Children’s Services (“ACS”) began in 2000 as the Mental Health Unit of Legal Services of North Carolina and has evolved into a separate nonprofit agency.  ACS focuses on providing free legal representation for children who are in need of medical, psychiatric, special education and foster care/adoption services to which they are entitled under state and federal law. ACS utilizes volunteer attorneys, law students and other professionals, along with 3.3 staff attorneys, a paralegal, a teacher and a health care professional, to handle approximately 200 to 250 cases a year.  Cases are referred to ACS through juvenile court, social service agencies, schools, self, heath care professionals, foster parents and other attorneys.  Volunteer lawyers presently assist staff as co-counsel or through research or consultation.  Trainings for volunteers are offered as needed.  If you are interested in volunteering, please contact the program director.

ACS does handle impact litigation by picking issues of systematic injustice or by taking cases that represent many others.  ACS takes them through appeals and does public education about the specific cases.

The agency accepts calls from children and the public who are seeking legal information  ACS has a foster parents’ rights manual that assists foster parents in protecting their foster children’s rights.

CENTER FOR ADOLESCENT HEALTH & THE LAW
310 Kildaire Rd., Ste. 100
Chapel Hill, NC  27516
Telephone:       (919) 968-8850
Fax:                 (919) 968-8851
Email:              info@cahl.org
Website:          www.cahl.org

100% Children’s Law

The Center for Adolescent Health and the Law began in 1999 as part of a larger organization, and became a separate non-profit organization in April 2002.  The center exists to support laws and policies that promote the health of adolescents and their access to comprehensive health care.  The Center’s two focus areas are: consent and confidentiality; and financial access to services.  The office does not handle impact litigation.  The Center maintains a list of up to date publications on its website and offers copies of publications as resources to practicing lawyers.  One staff attorney does work with law students, however the center does not utilize volunteer attorneys.

CHILDREN’S LAW CLINIC
DUKE UNIVERSITY LAW SCHOOL
Box 90360
Durham, NC  27708
Telephone:       (919) 613-7169
                        (888) 600-7274
Fax:                 (919) 613-7262
Website:          www.law.duke.edu/childedlaw

100% Children’s Law

During a process of strategic planning at Duke Law School, a commitment was made to enhance the clinical offerings.  After a community needs assessment and development efforts, it was decided to start a clinic focused on children’s education issues.  The Law School received a planning grant followed by a large start-up grant and opened the doors of the clinic in January, 2002.  Two staff attorneys work with up to 10 law students a semester to represent children as attorneys.  The clinic assists clients with special education issues and student discipline.  The law students in the clinic advocate for children in the public schools when parents have been unable to obtain appropriate educational services for their children.  In addition, the law students represent public school students facing suspension.

Clients are referred from juvenile courts, social service agencies, health care professionals, clients themselves, other attorneys, mental health or hospital social workers and advocacy organizations. In addition, the clinic partners with several area medical practices, and gets referrals to help children establish eligibility for important public benefit programs or live in more stable family situations.  The clinic does not currently use volunteer attorneys, but might do so if it becomes over-subscribed.  Interested lawyers should contact the director.  The clinic does accept calls from children and the public seeking legal information.

COUNCIL FOR CHILDREN’S RIGHTS
601 E. Fifth St., Ste. 510
Charlotte, NC  28202
Telephone:       (704) 372-7961
Fax:                 (704) 943-5941
Email:              info@cfcrights.org
Website:          www.cfcrights.org

100% Children’s Law
Does Use Volunteer Attorneys

The Council for Children’s Rights 30-person strong professional staff of attorneys and advocates provide a full range of research, advocacy and legal services for children and serves thousands of children in the community ever year.  The Clients are referred from the courts, schools, social service agencies, health care professionals and other attorneys.  Lawyers and community members are welcomed as volunteers.

The Council has several different projects to help clients.  The Individual Best Interest Advocacy program helps 4,000 children each year receive the educational and mental health or other services they need.  For 11 years, the Custody Advocacy Project has provided guardians at litem for high conflict custody cases.  The Student Defense Project addresses exclusionary disciplinary actions against minority and low-income students in Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools.  The Larry King Center for Building Children’s Futures supports work being done in three areas: school readiness, child abuse and neglect, and access to health and mental health care.  The Center provides research and evaluation, strategic and community planning, and public policy impact.  The Children’s Defense Team assists youth in criminal cases.

MEDICAL-LEGAL PARTNERSHIP FOR CHILDREN IN DURHAM
4020 N. Roxboro Rd.
Durham, NC  27704-2120
Telephone:       (919) 668-4000
Fax:                 (919) 681-8927
Website:          www.law.duke.edu/partnershipforchildren

Launched in 2007, the Partnership is a collaborate relationship between local pediatricians and local lawyers to benefit low-income children.  The legal team consists of lawyers, a paralegal, and law students from Duke Children’s Law Clinic and Legal Aid of North Carolina.  The medical team consists of pediatricians and pediatric clinicians at Duke Medical Center, Duke Primary Care for Children and Lincoln Community Health Center.  Pediatricians and their staff consult with the legal team and refer patients who have legal needs.  The first year, 76 individuals were served.  Legal assistance is provided in the areas of housing, government benefits, domestic violence, family law, consumer law, employment law and education law.

NORTH CAROLINA GUARDIAN AD LITEM PROGRAM
P.O. Box 2448
Raleigh, NC  27602
Telephone:       (919) 733-7107
Fax:                 (919) 733-1845
Website:          www.nccourts.org/Citizens/GAL/Attorneys.asp

100% Children’s Law
Does Use Volunteer Attorneys

The North Carolina Guardian Ad Litem Program was created in 1983 when the state legislature passed legislation requiring the appointment of a guardian ad litem (GAL) together with an attorney advocate. These two individuals work as a team to promote the best interests of any child who comes before the courts because of abuse or neglect by his or her parents or caretakers.  Every district court in the State of North Carolina has an office through which GAL volunteers can be trained and put to work.  Currently approximately 90 part-time attorneys work and are paid as attorney advocates.  These attorneys worked with nearly 5,000 GAL volunteers last year, handling over 17,000 cases.

Volunteers, who can be either attorneys or interested individuals, are recruited throughout the state.  Methods include newspaper ads, billboards, outreach to local bar associations, law firms, law schools, the courts and civic groups.  A mandatory 20-hour training program (some offices offer more) is provided along with 12 hours of in-service training to all volunteers.

The GAL Program also created the Pro Bono Project, which specifically trains attorneys to advocate for children in abuse, neglect and dependency matters.  Currently, the greatest need is for pro bono attorneys to handle appellate cases.  Whether serving as a GAL or working on appeals, attorneys receive free CLE training and stay updated on current legal events through GAL publications.