by David Chapman
Staff Writer
Every case file on the desk of a Guardian ad Litem attorney in the Fourth Judicial Circuit tells the story of a child in need of assistance within the court system. The attorneys who work in the program love their mission of helping children, but they have one problem.
The sheer number of cases grows faster than the hours each attorney can handle — without sleeping that is.
The need for pro bono attorneys to volunteer with cases is great, said program supervising attorney Hilary Creary, and two local law firms have stepped up with the program to host a reception in hopes of garnering interest from the legal community.
Charles Commander III of Foley & Lardner, Buddy Schultz of Holland & Knight and Guardian ad Litem officials have joined together to host an informational reception Thursday at Holland & Knight’s Downtown office, during which Creary hopes to see more than 100 interested parties looking to become a child advocate in the legal system.
“We’ve invited the entire (Jacksonville) Bar Association so I’m hoping to see many faces inquiring about wanting make a difference,” said Creary. “But if we only get one person who joins, I’ll be happy.”
The focus will be to recruit attorneys to volunteer for children ages 16 and 17, leaving enough time to help form a relationship with the child before they age out of foster care and dependancy court jurisdiction at ages 18 or 19.
The Jacksonville Guardian ad Litem serves children in Duval, Nassau and Clay counties and even with discussions of budget cuts, down economy and the like, Creary and the other attorneys only have time to concentrate on one thing.
“It’s all about the best interests of the child,” said Creary. “We don’t have time for any of that talk (potential budget) ... our mission stays the same and we’re here for the long haul and not giving up.”
Program attorney Diana Johnson deals almost exclusively with older children and knows firsthand how the case load for the 16- and 17-year-old clients. The mountain of multicolored and tabbed folders on her desk is just an initial indicator to one who walks in her office.
“They all need the help,” said Johnson.
The informational cocktail reception is Thursday from 5:30– 7:30 p.m. at the Holland & Knight offices at 50 N. Laura St. For more information on the event, call 353-2000.
356-2466