Americans for Immigrant Justice
3000 Biscayne Blvd, Suite 400
Miami, FL 33137
Telephone: 305-573-1106
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.aijustice.org/
Americans for Immigrant Justice is a law firm that protects and promotes the basic human rights of immigrants. In Florida and on a national level, it champions the rights of unaccompanied immigrant children; advocates for survivors of trafficking and domestic violence; serves as a watchdog on immigration detention practices and policies; and speaks for immigrant groups who have particular and compelling claims to justice.
AI Justice achieves results both systemically and for individual clients by employing a combination of free legal services, impact litigation, policy reform, and public education at local, state, and national levels. Grounded in real-world, real-people experience, AI Justice’s direct work with immigrant clients informs its broader policy work.
Children and Families Law Clinic
Shepard Broad Law Center, Nova Southeastern University
3305 College Ave.
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314
Telephone: (954) 262-6138
Website: https://www.law.nova.edu/clinics/in-house/children-and-families-clinic.html
100% Children’s Law
Does Not Use Volunteer Attorneys
The Children and Families Clinic focuses on the legal needs of individuals, with particular emphasis on the economically disadvantaged. family law constitutes one of the primary components of civil practice, particularly for practitioners in small firms. Along with the Criminal Justice Clinic, this clinic provides the most extensive litigation experience. key areas of legal representation include custody and divorce, benefits, employment, housing, and health. Students will serve as interns either in the in-house clinic, under the supervision of NSU Law Professor-Practitioners, or in a legal-aid or government office that provides legal assistance to children and families.
Children and Youth Law Clinic University of Miami School of Law
1311 Miller Dr., Ste. F305
P.O. Box 248087
Coral Gables, FL 33146
Telephone: (305) 284-2339
Website: https://www.law.miami.edu/academics/clinics/children-and-youth-law-clinic
100% Children’s Law
Does Use Volunteers Attorneys
The Children & Youth Law Clinic is an in-house, live-client clinic established in 1995 by the law school. the clinic represents children in foster care and former foster youth in dependency, health care, mental health, disability, independent living, education, immigration and other general civil legal matters, ensuring that they have a voice in court proceedings.
Under the supervision of three Florida-licensed attorneys, approximately 24 second and third year law students each year assume primary responsibility for all aspects of a client’s case.
Students learn fundamental lawyering skills, substantive law and professional ethics. The clinic seeks to instill in students a sense of professionalism and encourages them to pursue public interest law careers or to devote substantial portions of their legal practices to providing pro bono legal assistance to the poor.
Children’s Advocacy Clinic
Florida State University College of Law
425 W. Jefferson St.
Tallahassee, FL 32306
Telephone: (850)644.3400
Website: https://law.fsu.edu/academics/clinical-programs/public-interest-law-center/childrens-advocacy-clinic
40% Children’s Law
Does Not Use Volunteer Attorneys
The Children’s Advocacy Clinic represents children in foster care, juvenile delinquency, health care, special education, disability, social security and criminal law cases. The clinic provides each child full legal representation. Students represent children in state courts, in trial and appellate cases and in state and federal administrative hearings. Students learn by doing. Through role playing, pre and post legal event discussions, and court room observation, students learn the skill sets and the substantive law to zealously represent their clients. State court judges around Florida routinely appoint the clinic to handle the legal issues of the neediest children.
In addition, in 1997, the Public Interest Law Center began its Children in Prison Project (CIPP) in response to the wave of Florida children being swept into the adult criminal system. In 1995 alone, Florida transferred 7,000 children to the adult criminal system. The primary goal is to provide legal representation to children in adult prison. In specific, the project is focused on the 256 juveniles who received life without parole sentences in Florida. Students represent juveniles in prison in a variety of ways, specifically in the areas of resentencing, clemency, and post-conviction motions and appeals.
Children’s Advocacy Projects
Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County, Inc.
423 Fern St., Ste. 200
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Telephone: (561) 655-8944 \ (800) 403-9353
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://legalaidpbc.org/
100% Children’s Law
Does Use Volunteer Attorneys
The Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County, Inc., a nonprofit organization started in 1955, has several projects that provide legal representation for children in Palm Beach, Florida. Begun In 2001, The Foster Children’s Project provides an attorney to represent children in the foster care system and to advocate for permanence within 12 months. The Education Advocacy Law Project partners with the Palm Beach County School District and The Legal Aid Society’s Pro Bono Project to train volunteer attorneys who provide free legal representation to children who are facing expulsion from the school system.
The Juvenile Advocacy Project handles approximately 350 children’s law cases each year, and has a staff consisting of four attorneys and two paralegals, with the help of volunteer attorneys. volunteers work with staff attorneys in handling cases, and provide assistance with the intake of information from clients and research. Clients are referred to the JAP Project from the juvenile court, family court, social service agencies, schools, health care professionals, and other attorneys in the community. Volunteers are recruited through the local bar association, law firms and law schools. trainings are offered to volunteers on an as-needed basis. The JAP Project works with social workers, child development specialists, and psychologists to assist in the preparation of cases. The JAP Project has handled impact litigation. a recent suit brought in federal court challenges a school board policy of referring developmentally disabled children who “act out” as a result of their disability to the state attorney’s office for prosecution without providing an appropriate alternative educational setting.
Relative Caregivers Project provides legal advice and representation to adult caregivers who are caretakers for relative minor children (grandchildren, nephews, nieces). Services are designed to assist with the unique legal problems faced by relative caregivers raising minor children such as temporary legal custody, adoption, guardian advocacy, access to public benefits and health care, housing and children’s educational needs.
Children’s Healthcare Advocacy Project provides direct and co-representation as well as systemic advocacy to promote access to healthcare by overcoming obstacles in the rapidly changing and complex Medicaid programs to ensure foster children receive necessary health benefits.
Florida Legal Services
2425 Torreya Dr.
Tallahassee, FL 32303
Telephone: (850) 385-7900
Website: http://www.floridalegal.org/
95% Children’s Law
Does Use Volunteer Attorneys
Florida Legal Services provides technical expertise and works towards systemic reform in poverty issues of all types. The Juvenile Program, which began in 1996, engages in systemic reform of the systems which serve children, including foster care, juvenile justice, the health care system, schools and other institutions, through all reasonable and necessary manner of advocacy through the state and federal courts, administrative proceedings, and legislative and other policy advocacy. The Office handles impact litigation and was one of many co-counsel on Bonnie L. V. Bush, a state-wide challenge to Florida’s foster care system. The Juvenile Program also secured an appellate decision that when a parent in a dependency is entitled to court-appointed counsel, that counsel must be competent and the remedy for incompetent counsel is through a Habeas Action. The Office does handle a few individual cases if they present any type of due process issue of first impression or otherwise fit into the office’s impact area. Calls from children and the public seeking legal information are accepted.
Florida Legal Services provides support to practicing attorneys through training, technical assistance and sometimes co-counseling. The program also maintains several list-serves on various substantive issues affecting children. sample memos of law and other pleadings are posted on this site. To view these sites and list-serves, contact the supervising attorney to be admitted as a member. Volunteer attorneys are sometimes utilized to assist in research and in drafting pleadings. volunteers also provide support with daily case representation.