Summer 2011-#8. FROM THE CHILDREN'S CORNER.

Authorby Pamela A. Marsh, Esq.

Vermont Bar Journal

2011.

Summer 2011-#8.

FROM THE CHILDREN'S CORNER

THE VERMONT BAR JOURNAL Volume 37, No. 2 Summer 2011 FROM THE CHILDREN'S CORNER by Pamela A. Marsh, Esq. Child Welfare Law Specialization

In Vermont, there are many attorneys who have for years worked in the field of child welfare law. These attorneys represent the state, the Department for Children and Families, parents, and children in the child welfare system. Matters of abuse, neglect, truancy, and delinquency comprise the field of child welfare law in Vermont. The National Association of Counsel for Children [NACC] now offers certification as a Child Welfare Law Specialist in twenty-eight states, including Vermont.

Pursuant to the Vermont Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 7.4 (d), a Vermont attorney may hold him or herself out to be a specialist in a particular field, provided that the certifying organization is accredited by the American Bar Association to certify specialists in a particular field. The NACC certification program meets these qualifications. It was created and sponsored by a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Children's Bureau and is accredited by the American Bar Association. The program has also been endorsed by the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) and the Conference of Chief Justices/Conference of State Court Administrators (CCJ/COSCA).

According to NACC:

The specialization area as approved by the ABA is defined as "the practice of law representing children, parents or the government in all child protection proceedings including emergency, temporary custody, adjudication, disposition, foster care, permanency planning, termination, guardianship, and adoption. Child Welfare Law does not include representation in private child custody and adoption disputes where the state is not a party.

New Hampshire and Connecticut have recently undertaken to certify a significant number of Child Welfare Law Specialists. In Connecticut, sixty-two attorneys have completed the certification process. Certified attorneys in Connecticut receive increased pay for work in this field. Sixteen New Hampshire attorneys began the certification process in 2010, and have just sat for the certification exam. In 2011, the NACC is offering child welfare law specialization to attorneys in Vermont for the...

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