The One Child, One Lawyer Program offers a unique opportunity for meaningful pro bono advocacy on behalf of abused and neglected children in the two highest volume Juvenile Courts in Georgia- Fulton and DeKalb. One Child, One Lawyer originated with the Georgia Supreme Court's Child Placement Project, through a grant from The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta. One Child, One Lawyer was created in response to resource challenges facing the juvenile courts and their attorneys, which undermine the courts' ability to properly serve the abused and neglected children appearing before them.

AVLF took over direction of the Program in March 2005. The mission of One Child, One Lawyer is to provide each child removed from an abusive home with appropriate legal representation by a trained and committed attorney speaking on behalf of that one child and advocating for that unique child's best interests and individual needs. AVLF is able to offer the One Child, One Lawyer Program through a grant from Hedge Funds Care, an alliance of hedge fund industry professionals with the mission of raising funds to support activities focused on the prevention and treatment of child abuse and neglect.

State and federal law mandate that deprivation cases (civil actions involving abuse or neglect of a child) achieve resolution and "permanency" for the child within 12 months from the date the child is removed from the home. In reality, however, deprivation cases often linger in the juvenile courts, and children stay in foster care longer than they should. Extremely high caseloads are crippling the ability of court-based Child Advocate Attorneys to advocate effectively. The advocacy of a volunteer lawyer can ensure that the courts and the child protective agencies attend to the children in their care and follow the law's timetables.

AVLF recruits lawyers who want to make a difference in the life of a child. Through the One Child, One Lawyer Program, attorneys in private practice are appointed as attorneys ad litem to represent a child throughout the entirety of the case. The One Child, One Lawyer Program trains the volunteers on issues of legal representation of children and the mechanics of the juvenile courts and the child protective services of Fulton and DeKalb counties. AVLF provides ongoing support to the One Child, One Lawyer volunteers, including case consultation and continuing education seminars. Volunteers are expected to commit to the Program for the entirety of the case to which they are assigned, from time of appointment through the final disposition of the case. The One Child, One Lawyer volunteers will be essential to achieving a stable, loving and permanent placement for the children they represent. The life of One Child can be impacted tremendously by One Lawyer.

For further information about our One Child, One Lawyer Program, please download a brochure or contact Lila Newberry Bradley at AVLF at 404-521-0790 x23 or lnbradley@avlf.org.