As many of you know, the founding Director of the Barton Child Law and Policy Center, Karen Worthington, left this fall to move closer to family and pursue an independent consulting practice. We are grateful for Karen's many wonderful contributions over the years, and she is dearly missed. Replacing Karen has been a difficult task, because her vision, energy, and commitment have gotten the Center to where we are today.
After an extensive search, we are thrilled to announce that we have found an extraordinary person to lead the Barton Center through the next phase of our work. Emory Law School has appointed Melissa Dorris Carter to serve as the next Barton Center Director. Melissa has been closely associated with the Barton Center for years. Her legal career as a child advocate started first with an internship through the Center's Emory Summer Child Advocacy Program, and then with two years as the Barton Post-Graduate Fellow in Law. Since then, Melissa has had a distinguished career, including work in leadership positions in the federally funded Court Improvement Projects of both Georgia and Illinois, and in private practice as an adoption attorney. She served for three years as Deputy Director of Georgia's Office of the Child Advocate before being appointed by Governor Perdue as the Director of that office in February of this year. In addition to her work experience, Melissa brings to the Barton Center her credentials as a published scholar on child welfare policy; the relationships she has built working as a pro bono attorney, as a federal child welfare reviewer, and as an active member and former chair of the State Bar's Juvenile Law Committee. Melissa will joining the Barton Center effective December 1, 2010.
New Barton Center Director Appointed
