Making the Legal System Work for Children and Parents

Learn About High-Quality Representation

The Family Justice Initiative is a national collaborative of children’s attorneys, parents’ attorneys, educators, researchers, national policy advocates, and lived experience experts who share a common goal: to increase access to high-quality legal representation for children and parents in child welfare cases. It’s led by the ABA Center on Children and the Law, the Children’s Law Center of California, and the Washington State Office of Public Defense.

Advocacy

What is high-quality legal representation and how can it help families?

Partnering for Families

We are a national initiative working to improve legal representation for families across the United States.

Connect

Support our cause and join the initiative.

Curious about our approach? Contact us today.

Our Founders

American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law, Casey Family Programs, Center for Family Representation, and Children’s Law Center of California

What's New

October 2, 2024

Family Justice Initiative Webinar Series: Learn about Anti-Racist Lawyering in Practice

October 22, 2024 | 3PM EST How can the legal community recognize and incorporate anti-racist practices inside and out of the courtroom? How can legal advocates challenge racism and inequity? If we do not take action, are we complicit? Raising issues of racism can be difficult, but is nonetheless imperative. How can counsel for all…

September 20, 2024

Colorado’s OCR Concentrating Efforts On Two Landmark Bills

Colorado Office of the Child’s Representative Colorado’s Office of the Child’s Representative (OCR) is thrilled to be concentrating its efforts on supporting effective implementation of recent legislation aimed to enhance youth rights, including two landmark bills enacting client-directed representation for youth 12 and older in dependency proceedings and a right for all youth to fully…

May 28, 2024

FJI Spring Newsletter 2024

Welcome to the spring edition of the Family Justice Initiative newsletter. We hope you will find these resources helpful to your practice.