Joel’s New Position Directly Representing Children

Recently, Joel left his position as a senior staff attorney at the Indiana Public Defender Council. He loved working there, but he missed directly representing clients. When a position opened up to directly represent children, he applied immediately. He really enjoys working with children and advocating for them in our legal system. So his new position is a perfect fit.

At Child Advocates, Joel provides direct representation to older youth in the child welfare system. Unfortunately, Indiana is one of only a few states that does not provide attorneys for children going through abuse and neglect cases. In child welfare cases, CASAs (court-appointed child advocates) or GALs (guardian ad litems) are involved, but they advocate for the best interests of the child. What is best for the child isn’t always what the child wants. So many children spend years caught in the system, and they have no one who advocates what they want. It leaves them often feeling excluded and unheard.

Joel and the other direct representation attorneys at Child Advocates provide older youth with an attorney who advocates for their expressed wishes. They give their clients a voice in court. It does not mean the children always get what they ask for, but just being heard can be empowering.

Joel still handles work on a part-time, as needed, basis for the firm. I am so excited to see where this new opportunity leads him. If you want to know more about Child Advocates, here is their website.