Do you want to work with a multilateral treaty?
Are you interested in helping and protecting children who have been involved in an international parental child abduction (IPCA)? If so, the U.S. Department of State would like you to consider joining the Hague Convention Attorney Network!
IPCA is a federal crime in the United States but is not considered a crime in many countries. Parents whose children have been abducted to another country often had few mechanisms to seek the return of, or access to, their child. In response, the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction (the Convention) was adopted under the auspices of The Hague Conference on Private International Law as a civil remedy to bridge often very different legal systems and resolve individual cases promptly. Simply put, the Convention dictates that an abducted child must be promptly returned to their country of habitual residence, unless certain narrow exception(s) apply, where competent authorities are best positioned to make custody determinations in the child’s best interests.
Because of a reservation the United States took when ratifying the Convention, it is not bound to assume any costs or expenses resulting from the participation of attorneys or from court proceedings in Convention cases in the United States except insofar as they are covered by a legal aid program. However, the U.S. Department of State, as the U.S. Central Authority (USCA) for the Convention, has worked over the years to build a volunteer network of private attorneys willing to provide pro bono or reduced fee legal representation to qualified applicants in Convention cases in which the child has been abducted to the United States. There are over 2,000 attorney members of this Hague Convention Attorney Network (HCAN) across the United States today, but as the number of international child abduction cases where children have been taken to the United States rises, more attorneys are needed. This is where you come in.
Why consider joining HCAN?
It’s an opportunity to work on cases involving a multilateral treaty. It’s also a fulfilling opportunity to provide pro bono or reduced fee services to clients whose children have been abducted to the United States, and who otherwise may lack the resources to pursue their case in U.S. federal or state court. You can be part of something meaningful, gain experience in federal litigation should the case be filed in federal court, and give back to your local community.
Who can join the Hague Convention Attorney Network?
You must be an active member in good standing of a U.S. state bar and be willing to provide pro bono and/or reduced fee legal services. Don’t know much about the Convention? No problem! We have resources organized on a webpage specifically for attorneys, including a link to a litigation guide produced by Kilpatrick Stockton, LLP, and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), complimentary interpretation services for oral telephone communications, and an opportunity to connect with experienced mentor attorneys in HCAN. And when you agree to be on a HCAN attorney list, you only agree that a Hague Abduction Convention applicant can contact you. You are not obligated to take a case. If you do take a case, it is as a private attorney.*
How to join?
That’s simple! Check out the enrollment form or our FAQ sheet where you will also find resources related to the Hague Abduction Convention.
*Attorneys for Hague applicants are not agents or representatives of the USCA or the United States government. Inclusion on attorney lists does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation of the U.S. Department of State, and the Department of State assumes no responsibility for the performance of attorneys on these lists.