Established in 1979, the Committee on Children and the Law is charged with the responsibility of rendering information and guidance to the Executive Committee, the legal community and the public on the effect of existing laws and pending legislation impacting children, and the administration of juvenile justice and child welfare.
In furthering its mission, the Committee:
- Examines, studies and provides comment and reports on legal issues related to the rights and interests of children, in particular those involved in court proceedings;
- Formulates and, with the approval of the Executive Committee, publishes practice standards for attorneys representing children in New York and periodically revises these standards so as to keep them current with the development of the law;
- Drafts and promotes original legislation which it believes is necessary or useful to the rights and interests of children;
- Develops, coordinates and conducts continuing educational programs; and
- Recognizes, at least annually, contributions to the areas of juvenile justice and child welfare.
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Standards for Attorneys Representing Children in New York
Standards for representing children were initially developed for a New York State Bar Association Law Guardian Study in 1984 (Law Guardians in New York State: A Study of the Legal Representation of Children). Subsequently, the Committee on Children and the Law (formerly known as the Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare Committee) concluded that Bar Association adoption and distribution of the standards would prove beneficial to the bench and bar. The preparation of standards and commentaries represent an important aspect in improving representation, and in assisting the large number of attorneys who appear before the Family Court.
Links to the revised and updated standards are listed below:
Standards for Attorneys Representing Children in New York Combined File (2015) (170 pages)
Standards for Attorneys Representing Children in Adoption Proceedings (2015) (29 pages)
Standards for Attorneys Representing Children in Child Protective, Foster Care, Destitute Child and Termination of Parental Rights Proceedings (2015) (35 pages)
Standards for Attorneys Representing Children in Custody, Visitation and Guardianship Proceedings (2015) (31 pages)
Standards for Attorneys Representing Children in Juvenile Delinquency Proceedings (2015) (44 pages)
Standards for Attorneys Representing Children in Person in Need of Supervision Proceedings (2015) (23 pages)
Child Support Pamphlet
To order copies of the NYSBA Child Support Pamphlet, click here.
For more information about the Committee on Children and the Law, contact Kevin Kerwin, Staff Liaison to the Committee at kkerwin@nysba.org.
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