Commission on the Legal Needs of Children
The Florida Bar Commission on the Legal Needs of Children , a special commission appointed by former Florida Bar President Edith Osman for a two-year term beginning July 1, 1999. The Commission, chaired by Circuit Judge Sandy Karlan, has been extended for an additional one-year term through July 2, 2002. The Commission’s purpose is to identify the legal needs of children who appear in all divisions of the state court system in Florida, either as parties, victims, witnesses or defendants. The Commission identified five priority areas of legal needs of children which may be accessed in the Interim Report - March 2001. The five priority areas include Representation of Children; Right to Treatment and Services; Technology in the Courts; Confidentiality and Competency; and The Florida Bar's role in meeting the legal needs of children.
The Commission is in the process of reaching final recommendations regarding the needs identified in the Interim Report. The Commission agreed on Representation recommendations on January 11, 2002. The Representation recommendations may be accessed on the Florida Bar website or by sending a written request to the staff listed below.
The Commission's final recommendations regarding Treatment and Services and Confidentiality are in the Final Report.
You may wish to access the Children’s Law Workbook - available in two PDF files:
Children’s Law Workbook Questions and Children’s Law Workbook Charts.
A history of the workbook and a sample Interagency Information Sharing Agreement is also online.
Articles in The Florida Bar News and The Florida Bar Journal provide more background on the commission's activities and goals.
The Florida Bar News
Oct. 15, 1999: "New Legal Needs of Children Commission to meet in Tampa."
Nov. 15, 1999: "Commission launches effort to assist children"
Oct. 1, 2000: "Children's panel turns to the experts"
Aug. 1, 2000: "Children should have the right to counsel, too"
Mar. 1, 2000: "Bar Children's Commission begins prioritizing needs"
Mar. 15, 2000: "Commission continues identifying legal needs of children"
Nov. 1, 2001: "Should all children in court be represented?"
Dec. 15, 2001: "Senate takes up children's issues"
Feb. 1, 2002: "Children deserve independent representation"
Feb. 15, 2002: "Bill would require Pds to represent abused children"
The Florida Bar Journal
December 1999 : "Protecting Our Most Precious Resource"
Artwork by Charles F. Badland
© 1999
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