Orientation Manual for Parent Attorneys

Introduction
About the Office of Indigent Defense Services (IDS)
IDS Homepage for Parent Representation
Training
UNC School of Government (SOG)
North Carolina Advocates for Justice (NCAJ)
North Carolina Bar Association (NCBA)
Useful Weblinks
Books and Listservs
Fee Application Information
Other Forms
Parent Attorney Performance Guidelines
Indigent Defense Education Main Page

 

Parent Representation Coordinator

North Carolina Office of Indigent Defense Services

123 West Main Street, Suite 620

Durham, NC 27701

Tel: 919.560.5987 / Fax: 919.560.6900

wendy.c.sotolongo@nccourts.org


To:      New Parent Attorneys

From:  Wendy C. Sotolongo, Parent Representation Coordinator

Date:   November 2008

Thank you for agreeing to represent indigent parents who have lost, or face losing, custody of their children. It is well established that “the interest of parents in the care, custody, and control of their children is perhaps the oldest of the fundamental liberty interests recognized by this Court”. Troxel v. Granville, 530 U.S. 57, 65-66, 147 L.Ed.2d 49, 56-57 (2000).

By agreeing to represent indigent parents, you have:

  • pledged to defend this liberty interest against the awesome power of the government and to protect your clients' right to due process and equal protection;

  • joined hundreds of other attorneys in North Carolina who are dedicated to the belief that parents should receive services to help their family remain intact or, if their child has been removed from the home, to receive services that may reunite their family; and,

  • committed to being an advisor to your client, providing your client zealous advocacy both in and out of court and maintaining a professional and respectful demeanor toward your client and all other parties.

In return, we here at Indigent Defense Services (IDS) are committed to ensuring that you have access to the training, support, and consultation services you need to be an effective advocate.  Please take advantage of the training programs we offer and the resources available on the North Carolina IDS website, especially those on the Parent Representation page. I also encourage you to become a member of the parent attorney listserv by providing our office with your e-mail address.  Finally, I am available to discuss issues that arise in abuse, neglect, dependency, and termination of parental rights cases, having practiced almost exclusively in this area of law for eighteen years.

This online manual will assist you in learning the resources that are available to you through IDS and the School of Government, and to familiarize you with some of the policies and procedures that will impact you.  I am very grateful to Whitney Fairbanks, Civil Defender Educator at the School of Government, for her work in compiling and organizing these materials. If you have suggestions on ways to improve this orientation manual for future parent attorneys, please let her know.