Sponsor(s): Family Defense Center
Date: 05/22/2012
Time: 12:00PM - 01:30PM
Location: Neal Gerber & Eisenberg 2 North LaSalle Street, Chicago, IL 60602
Speakers: Diane Redleaf, Executive Director, The Family Defense Center
Melissa Staas, Staff Attorney,The Family Defense Center
Jonathon Fazzola, Staff Attorney, The Family Defense Center

This training will focus on how to represent wrongly-accused parents and child care professionals in appeals of unsupported abuse or neglect “indicated” findings in the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services’ Administrative Hearings Unit. These appeals are the first neutral review of investigators’ findings against families. Training topics will include an overview of the DCFS allegation system and underlying investigations, an overview of the Administrative Hearings Unit, a review of the appeal process, and answers to common questions, including timing, discovery, witnesses, evidentiary and due process issues, and expectations for attorneys handling referred cases.

These cases afford attorneys the opportunity to conduct a full evidentiary mini-trial within approximately 90 days of a case opening.  In 2011, the FDC and its pro bono program had a success rate of prevailing in 83.3% of DCFS hearings!

The training will be held on Tuesday, May 22, 2012 from 12:00 p.m.-1:30 p.m. at Neal Gerber & Eisenberg (2 North LaSalle Street, Chicago). CLE and a light lunch will be provided. Attorneys who attend this training will be qualified to accept referred pro bono cases from the Family Defense Center, and we do ask that attorneys who attend this training accept at least one referral within the year following training.

We encourage all attorneys with at least 1 year of relevant experience (including litigation or child welfare experience) to attend, but space is limited and you MUST pre-register. If you are interested in registering for this training, please send a resume to Family Defense Center Staff Attorney Melissa Staas at melissa@familydefensecenter.net by Friday, May 18 at noon.

Attachments

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File Name	Type	Size
Spring 2012 Training Announcement.pdf	PDF	131.5KB