The Children's Law Center

Elizabeth Bartlett shares her summer experiences:

I’m completely impressed with The Children’s Law Center and the experience I have lined up for the rest of the summer. The Children’s Law Center is a nonprofit organization in Washington, DC that provides representation to children and adults through three programs: Guardian Ad Litem (representing children in the neglect system), Family Permanency (representing adults seeking to gain custody or adopt children), and the Health Access Project (getting kids special education and mental health services.) I’m working with the Family Permanency Project, as I am particularly interested in adoption. Most of the law clerks are on the Guardian Ad Litem project and work with lawyers representing the best interests of the children in neglect cases.

After one week the seven other law clerks and I have been given an overview of the organization, attended caseload meetings with our project groups, and been sent to a great lunch put on by the Washington Council of Lawyers. The second week has begun with a custody hearing, serving papers, attending a family law case handlers meeting, doing legal research on several topics, and reviewing case files. I really feel like I’m part of my project team and that I’m making a meaningful contribution to the custody and adoption work it focuses on.

I’m really glad to have the opportunity to take a job like this during my first law school summer. It’s very easy to jump on the firm bandwagon without trying out other ways to practice law when one path pays and the other doesn’t. EJF funding gives students the possibility of trying out the public and nonprofit sectors without having to necessarily work two jobs. I hope others are having a high quality experience like I am, and that students in the future will take advantage of this wonderful opportunity.