ABA's Center on Children and the Law holds second annual conference July 13-14

Aiding lawyers and other legal professionals involved with parents and their children in the legal system will be the focus of the American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law's second annual conference, "Improving Representation in the Child Welfare System." This two-day conference will feature a variety of workshops and discussion groups covering a host of different situations. The opening plenary, "Still Searching for America's Heart: Why We Haven't Done Better for Poor Families and Children," on July 13, 9:30-11 a.m., will feature Georgetown University Law Center Professor Peter Edelman and New York University School of Law Professor Martin Guggenheim. Cook County, Ill., Judge Patricia Martin, president-elect of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, will be the luncheon speaker on July 14, noon - 1:30 p.m. Her remarks are titled "Navigating the System: Working to Empower Parents and to Preserve Families." Who: American Bar Association's Center on Children and the Law What: "Improving Representation in the Child Welfare System" Among the topics: * A holistic approach to representing minor parents in foster care; * Representing parents prior to removal of child; * Including parents with personal experiences in the foster care system as part of the legal team; * Child welfare consequences of the criminal justice system - working with incarcerated parents; * Reinstatement of parental rights; and * Incarcerated parents and their children. When: July 13-14 Where: Ritz-Carlton Hotel 1250 South Hayes St. Arlington, Va. This event is free and open to members of the press. For further schedule details, a list of confirmed panelists or to request an interview, please contact Alexandra Buller at Alexandra.Buller@Americanbar.org or 202/662-1508. As an entity of the ABA Young Lawyers Division, the Center on Children and the Law has for more than 32 years been a leader in providing technical assistance, training and research programming that addresses the broad spectrum of law and court-related topics associated with children. The center works to help professionals meet the needs of vulnerable children involved in the court system through a variety of avenues and is funded by grants and contracts through governmental and private sources. Published: Fri, Jul 8, 2011