350 Lawyers

NPR reported today that 350 family law attorneys in Texas have volunteered to represent the children taken away from the fundamentalist church compound in Texas. Good for them; lawyers should volunteer for good causes. And representing a child is a good cause.

But this scares me. I handle child in need of care cases. I am one of a small list of attorneys in Louisiana who stays approved by the State Supreme Court to represent children in those cases.

Child in need of care cases are NOT like other cases involving children. I'm a little worried that these kids, who are in a delicate position (probably mostly just wanting to go home to their families), will not get the best representation from these well-meaning, generous attorneys. Attorneys who are not experienced in child of need of care cases can mess things up pretty easily, no matter how dedicated they are. So it makes me nervous.

But, still proud of those attorneys.

Etcetera.