In Florida, a two-day symposium will bring together leading national advocates and experts to discuss the legal representation of abused and neglected children. Organizers of the symposium, sponsored by the American Bar Association, say there is an urgent need to raise public awareness that abused children need to have lawyers protecting them in all court proceedings.
The program begins with a media briefing Thursday, Feb. 9 followed by a symposium Friday, Feb. 10.
Expert panelists include Rosemary Barkett, former chief justice of the Florida Supreme Court, and Frank P. Cervone, executive director of Child Advocates.
Panelists will discuss the ABA’s “Model Act Governing the Representation of Children in Abuse, Neglect, and Dependency Proceeding,” which requires a child be appointed an attorney to represent them in abuse and neglect proceedings.
According to the advocacy group Child Help, more than 3 million cases of child abuse are reported each year in the United States; in approximately one third of those cases an investigation will show that abuse occurred.
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