Agenda

Presentations:

You need to view each presentation listed below. You do not need to watch them in any specific order.

1. Overview of the Juvenile Court System By Dr. Roger Lott. 15 min 50 sec
2. Talking to Children By Dr. Barbara Sturgis. 27 min 57 sec
3. Child Maltreatment, Relationships, Child Development By Dr. Gregg Wright. 50 min 45 sec
4. Advocating for Children By Mark Ells, J.D. 17 min 03 sec
   This presentation may be difficult to hear. We suggest using headphones. If you choose to turn up your computer's volume, please remember to turn it down once completing the presentation.
5. Case and Statute Review By Mark Ells, J.D. 97 min 05 sec
   The first portion of this presentation may be difficult to hear. We suggest using headphones. If you choose to turn up your computer's volume, please remember to turn it down once completing the presentation. Be aware that half way through the volume will increase.

Reading Assignments:

From the Book: Child Welfare Law and Practice (Ventrell and Duquette, Eds.)

Assigned readings to complete training: These are minimum assignments to address the learning objectives of the training. There are many other sections of this comprehensive volume that are useful and we recommend that guardians ad litem regularly use this book as a resource.

Relevant state and federal statutes
149-173 (Federal Statutes)
185-211 (Federal Case Law)

Child Maltreatment in the Context of Other Factors
15-33 (Physical, Sexual, and Emotional Child Abuse and Neglect)
79-84 (Family Dynamics in Child Maltreatment)
95-99 (Cultural Context)
6-7 (Poverty, Race, and Maltreatment)

Child developmental considerations
53-77 (Impact of Child Development on Maltreatment)

Advocating for children
545-640 (Trial Advocacy)
220-221 (Safety)
535-537 (Safety)
363-379 (Permanency)



NE SUPREME COURT RULE REGARDING GUARDIAN AD LITEM TRAINING FOR ATTORNEYS: Commencing January 1, 2008, an attorney to be appointed by the courts as a guardian ad litem for a juvenile in a proceeding brought under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 43-247(3)(a) of the Nebraska Juvenile Code shall have completed six (6) hours of specialized training provided by the Administrative Office of the Court (see Appendix A). Thereafter, in order to maintain eligibility to be appointed and to serve as a guardian ad litem, an attorney shall complete three (3) hours of specialized training per year as provided by the Administrative Office of the Court. Courts shall appoint attorneys trained under this rule in all § 43-247(3)(a) cases when available; provided, however, that if the judge determines that an attorney with the training required herein is unavailable within the county, he or she may appoint an attorney without such training.