The Children’s Corner
gaging in representation, whether they are
representing children or parents, or even if
they are prosecuting the cases.
MM: These are high-stakes issues. It
seems that the practice of juvenile law can
make a real impact on the lives of children
and families for a generation or more.
LH: Right. The juvenile docket deals with
the most intimate and important facets of
people’s lives. Juvenile abuse and neglect
cases force families to confront issues that
can be generations-in-the making or be the
result of recent physical or mental health,
or economic downturns. If parents do not
make sufficient progress in addressing and
resolving these issues they face the very
real probability of losing their children to
adoption by another family.
PM: Ideally, interventions can happen
before children need to be taken out of
the home. If that isn’t successful, it is important to work with families to try to solve
the problems that resulted in removal of
the child. However, if families are not responsive to the work and services offered,
then it is important to achieve permanency
for the child as soon as possible, especially when representing very young children.3
MM: I can understand why you decided
to pursue Child Welfare Law Certification.
What are the requirements for obtaining
the certification?
PM: The Child Welfare Law Certification
is available to attorneys who represent children, parents, and agencies in child abuse,
neglect, and dependency cases. It need
not be full-time practice. Once the application is submitted with necessary references, CLE credits, and a writing sample,
the applicants are screened by a committee that determines eligibility to sit for the
certification exam.
MM: How long did this process take and
how long did you study for the exam?
LH: It took about a year to complete all
the requirements and take the exam. I studied pretty intensely for about six months.
PM: It took approximately nine months
40
to complete the requirements, review the
study guide, and take the exam. Even for
attorneys not taking the exam, the Red
Book study guide (Child Welfare Law and
Practice)4 is a very good guide of juvenile
law and practice at the national level.
MM: How comprehensive was the exam
content?
PM: It was very comprehensive. It does
not test knowledge of state law, but rather federal law, statutes, caselaw, etc. It is
a two-hour examination with a break between the multiple choice and essay sections. It must be taken at a designated
Sylvan learning center, which may require
travel.
LH: The exam tested on all aspects of
juvenile practice. It included questions on
procedural law, federal funding and benefits, education, immigration, and ethics.
Exam questions encompassed issues from
the perspective of government and agency
attorneys, social workers and juvenile and
parent attorneys.
MM: What would like to see improved
about juvenile law in Vermont?
LH: We desperately need more resources in the legal system, such as better pay
for court appointed counsel and more
judge time. I feel that a separate juvenile
court division dedicated to these complicated and important cases could best deal
with the exploding juvenile docket, similar
to drug court or traffic or domestic abuse.
PM: I agree that we need more judge
time, whi