This three-day course will address the laws and procedures applicable to juvenile abuse, neglect, and dependency cases. The course will include a basic overview of an A/N/D case and provide individual sessions that address drafting and filing A/N/D petitions; pre-adjudication issues including jurisdiction, discovery, paternity, ICWA, and GALs; adjudication; evidence at adjudication; dispositional hearings including the different types of hearings, evidentiary standards, dispositional alternatives, visitation, and reunification efforts; reasonable efforts; permanency planning; and an ethics session on working with DSS social workers, parent attorneys, and attorney advocates.

The course is designed for attorneys representing a county child welfare department with three or fewer years of experience in this subject area of the law. Although attorneys with more experience in child welfare law may apply, preference will be given to those attorneys with less than three years of experience in this practice area.