**HELP WITH ADOPTIONS**

I currently am the assigned Adoptions Judge for the Family Court of the
Superior Court of the District of Columbia.  In that assignment, I help
co-ordinate adoption litigation throughout the Family Court in addition
to managing the adoption cases assigned to my calendar.  I am writing on
behalf of the court to seek help from attorneys of the D.C. Bar. 

The Superior Court is very much in need of attorneys to provide pro bono
representation to petitioners in adoption cases involving children in
the neglect and abuse system.  The Children\'s Law Center is
coordinating the effort to locate and train attorneys willing to agree
to take on this work.  The Children\'s Law Center also is available as a
resource to petitioner\'s attorneys during the litigation.

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        Previously, Child and Family Services Agency offered a voucher
program to compensate petitioners' attorneys.   Since CFSA ended the
voucher program, petitioners have been provided with representation
largely as a result of generous assistance from the private bar. 
Currently, however, we have a backlog of cases, many of which have been
waiting for the appointment of counsel for months.  And, additional
cases are being added to the waitlist on an ongoing basis.  The delay in
finding counsel for petitioners has a significant impact on children in
the neglect and abuse system.  Without counsel for petitioners, the
adoption cases are unable to go forward, and the children linger in the
neglect and abuse system awaiting resolution of their cases.  In those
cases in which adoption decrees are granted, children benefit from the
security offered by a permanent placement, and related neglect and abuse
cases can be closed, freeing up scarce resources for other children. 
Thus, the delay in finding counsel for petitioners is a critical problem
for our community.

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        This work is an outstanding pro bono opportunity for attorneys
who are interested in providing direct assistance to people from our
community who have made the momentous decision to open their homes to
children in the neglect and abuse system in need of a permanent, loving
home.  The cases offer an opportunity for trial court litigation, but
litigation that is manageable and time limited, in the local, D.C.
Superior Court.   I repeatedly hear from attorneys who have represented
petitioners in these cases that they found this important work very
rewarding.

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        To summarize the options for training:\
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1.  The Children\'s Law Center is offering a training session this
Tuesday, September 14th from 1-5 p.m.  I have attached their notice
describing the training.  We are urging attorneys to attend this
training session, if possible, and to agree to take at least one case so
that we immediately can eliminate the current backlog of cases awaiting
counsel;

2.  The Children\'s Law Center will schedule training at a law firm if
there are at least 5 lawyers interested in training; and

3.  There will be another training session at the Children\'s Law Center
in late October.\
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         Finally, if lawyers are willing to accept appointment in cases
and are not in need of additional training before doing so, they should
contact LaShanda Taylor at the Children\'s Law Center at
[ltaylor@childrenslawcenter.org]{.underline}.

        Your help in providing legal assistance to petitioners seeking
to adopt children who have been neglected or abused would be very much
appreciated.

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 **Ronna Beck, Associate Judge, Superior Court of the District of
Columbia**