Personal Narrative: My Role As A Guardian Ad Litem

CASA or court appointed special advocates, advocate for children in court, They are appointed by judges to watch over and advocate for abused and neglected children, to make sure they do not get lost in the over-burden legal and social service system or languish in inappropriate group or foster homes. For many of these abused children, their CASA volunteer will be the one constant adult presence in their lives. They listen and then they act-- they get to know the child by talking with everyone in the child's life, parents, relatives, teachers, medical professionals, attorneys, social workers, foster parents, and others. They use this information to inform judges and others of what the child needs and what will be the best permanent home for them. Guardian Ad Litem are usually lawyers or mental health professionals, depending on the court and the circumstances. They investigate the matter at hand, use their own judgment in determining what is in the best interest of the child, and report their findings/recommendation to the court. In contested custody/visitation cases, courts frequently appoint a guardian ad litem for the children (1).

My desire to help young adolescents who are remanded to the foster system regardless of their circumstances has pushed me in pursuing a Criminal Justice degree and has furthered my desire to become a Victim Advocate. Understanding how the criminal justice system works will only make me a better Victim Advocate. The ability to provide information and consolation on what victimization is, can help anyone who is going through a traumatizing experience. It can even lessen the intensity of trauma when there is someone present who understands and can empathize with the victim. A Victim Advocate is also essential in explaining the legal and protections of a victim, providing information on the criminal justice process, providing emotional

Though minors are often overlooked and underrepresented in the judicial system, Georgia’s abused and neglected children find support in the Georgia Court Appointed Special Advocates, Inc. (CASA) organization. Working in conjunction with a court-appointed attorney, CASA provides each child in foster care with a trained, volunteer advocate who is assigned to the child and works alongside the child’s Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS) case manager. CASA goal is to give at-risk youth a voice that will represent and fight for their best interests during custody disputes, as well as ensure that their needs are met while in the foster care system.

So when I first got there I had the idea that it was a mock trial. It was not until we start and they started going over the history of the Texas Supreme Court and how they are able to travel thought the state did I realize that the court cases were real. Which, I am glad that they were real cases because that would have been boring if they were mock. So once I got that all right in my head I started to focus on the cases the first one was at some point difficult to follow to quote my friend who’s in high school “I don’t get why everybody is so mad about so ranch there is plenty of it at Walmart at leas that’s what that one dude said”. Now, my friends, he is the class clown, so I knew it was a joke but he did ask me “for real why did he keep

After checking every photo taken during the investigation, the Deputy District Attorney, Michelle Trego asked the detectives to interview the witnesses again. “We want to make certain she pays for this crime,” Michelle said riding up in the elevator with Detective Wallace.

I received a call from Lorna and Christina. Lorna said that she got an Order of Dismissal from the Hearing Rep, but she did not understand what it says, what this is about. She swiftly read it, saying that the claimant file a hearing on 05/10/17, which is a very late request.

I contacted with Chicago Law Clinic. Then they directed me to the National Immigration Justice Center. I know this place and other alternative places. I called them several times to make a free or reduced rate appointment. I also spoked with many people from different departments of Loyola. Unfortunately, they are busy or providing general help. I know many of their advice. I also know well asylum application process due to my personal research during the absence of an attorney for me. As a result, many free legal services are very limited and don’t provide specific help or advice! As a result, the best solution is to have an attorney. Unfortunately, I couldn’t afford it now!

I am here to vouch for my friend, Jake who has been charged with underage drinking.

The concept of a guardian ad litem is for an individual, usually an attorney to provide assistance to a minor involved in the juvenile justice system. This representative is selected to provide recommendations to the court for the direction of actions believed to provide the best outcome for the child. Guardian ad litem’s are tasked with making sure the child is not lost in the court proceedings and due diligence is given to obtaining the best course of action for that child and family though the use of social service agencies.

There I was on the block next to the High Bar. It was about 5:00 at night when my coach told me to do a Kip. As I got up on the bar my nose filled with the smell of chalk. I started to swing, and as I came out of my half turn I looked good. Everything seemed fine but as I came to the part of the Kip where I have to pull my legs up to the bar, I slammed my shins into the bar. My momentum was stopped and I dropped on to the mat, missing the Kip. I felt like I had let down my coach and I had let down myself too. That day I experienced failure. That failure made me want my Kip even more so I worked harder and had support from my teammates.

My need for exemption falls on the financial disability my family and I will face if I were to dorm at Cal Poly Pomona. My mom does not have a permanent or stable job to rely on because she babysits on an irregular basis, which is why she can’t present her taxes to demonstrate her income. I also have a 7 year old brother whom I help with homework and any school related activity because of the language barrier between my mom and his education. I translate any information that my mom needs to know and help my brother understand his work when he is having difficulty. I would gladly like to dorm on campus because I think it is a great way to become more involved in school activities and network with other people, but due to my economic status I

That is where we put the whenever we are under way, that way they are not laying around, where they are on the floor and keep them dry and people from stepping on them and everything else. So, I don’t know, the buoys are actually tied to a rope that are tied to the rails and she would have had to have been up against the rail to have gotten her foot caught on it, so I don’t know, I don’t know. They are actually fenders or bumpers, buoys are actually what is out in the water that marks the shallow water or no wake and something like that. So, it would have been, if it was one of our fenders from the boat, they are, like I say, they are tied to ropes that are fastened to the rail and we set them over the side when we pull up to a

As a child I always wanted to be a teacher, until my sophomore year of high school. The class of 2015 attended a tour of the Branch Area Career Center. The Branch Area Career Center is a technical school for high school students. As I walked around to different classes they offered my attention gravitated towards criminal justice. I attended my junior and senior year. My junior year we discussed different aspects of the criminal justice field. Once my senior year came, I job shadowed in my local district court. I was able to watch trials and meet local attorneys. My mentor throughout the year helped me discover my passion for the field of paralegal studies.

The initial induction proved useful in numerous ways through a thoughtful process designed to illuminate our responsibilities and positions. As a Guardian Ad Litem (G.A.L.) assistant, our responsibilities lie with the children orientated within the individual cases associated with judicial proceedings. These proceedings operate by division within the Legal Aid department; division three consists of a litigation director, case coordinator, and courtroom attorney. G.A.L. assistants support division three by providing crucial home visits to ascertain the health and well-being of children affected by abuse, neglect, and drugs. In turn, the home reports reflect a child’s environment to a judge or magistrate officiating

Advocates are an essential role for juveniles in the criminal justice system. Their role is to speak up for people in situations where the advocate is either more knowledgeable, will suffer no consequences by speaking out, and where they can be a buffer for their client. (Criminaljusticeprograms.com, 2013) CASA (court appointed special advocate) / GAL (Guardian ad Litem) is a trained volunteer appointed by a judge to represent the best interest of children in cases that come before the court due to alleged abuse or neglect. 600,000+ children pass through the U.S. foster care and family court system annually. The average child will spend nearly 2 years in foster care, and on average those children will change homes three times.