The Children's Law Center is my primary source for finding pro bono cases to handle. The staff does an amazing job screening matters, and they are incredibly responsive. Their devotion to assisting those in need is a model for others to follow.
Amazing organization and wonderful staff, the children's law center swiftly assists persons qualifying for probono legal assistance. Additionally, the children's law center assists attorneys in gaining knowledge to become better practitioners. A win win environment!
The Children's Law Center helps families in need to adopt grandchildren and siblings and take guardianship of children whose parents are incarcerated or battling drug addiction. These are just some of the situations that bring families to their door. These services help children and families in the Phoenix area every day with adoption and guardianship proceedings. The volunteer attorneys sometimes take on several cases at once because they are dedicated to helping children to have stable and loving homes.
I worked with one of the Children's Law Center's sister programs, the HIV/AIDS Law Project. Every time we had a client with children that needed help, the Coordinator and volunteers for the Children's Law Center came to the rescue. Given the dynamics of dealing with children in need combined with HIV-positive parents in need can be very challenging. Not once was a client turned away. Not once was an issue too big or too complicated that it could not be addressed. Without hesitation, I would refer a friend in need of assistance to the Children's Law Center.
The Children's Law Center provides legal support and education for children and their families in need. An unmet civil need (such as custody, guardianship, etc) can be as devastating to a person/family as a criminal charge. Yet there is a constitutional right to defense in a criminal trial. There is no constitutional right to legal assistance in a civil trial. The CLC steps in to provide assistance to those who most need it, but can least afford it. I volunteered with this organization as an attorney and can tell you that while there are many worthy organizations that exist, this one is truly exceptional. The professionals who run the group are invested in their mission, care about their clients, and ensure that the attorneys that volunteers are high caliber and well trained. The only reason I no longer volunteer is that I moved out of state. However, I stay in touch with the administration and would gladly volunteer again.
I became acquainted with the Children’s Law Center in 2003. I can say in all of my years of volunteering, I have never worked with a more devoted and committed group of people and all for such a worthy cause. The Children’s Law Center not only helps to serve people within the local community, but also aids to serve as an internal mechanism by providing education and training to those willing to help and springboard this experience into local communities. Keep up the good work!