In the Clinic, law students develop legal skills and gain insight into law practice by representing children in child protective proceedings before the Pima County Juvenile Court. Under the supervision of the clinical faculty, students take on the primary responsibility for court appearances and all other lawyering decisions in the cases in which they are involved.
The Child Advocacy Clinic has a classroom component as well. In our weekly classes, we focus on ethical issues and a number of lawyering skills that are useful both in child advocacy and in most other types of litigation. In addition to classes on substantive juvenile law, our students receive instruction and participate in exercises designed to enhance the students’ skills in areas such as interviewing and listening, case planning, examining expert witnesses, confronting ethical problems, and motion practice.
Much of our program is set out it our Child Advocacy Dependency Handbook. The Handbook has been published here on our Web site for use by students and others. In addition, our web site includes links to other useful child advocacy sites and organizations. Feel free to browse the site and learn a little more about our program.
If you have any questions,
please feel free to contact us at the Clinic at 520 626-5232.
Who we are: (back)
Paul D. Bennett, Director
Professor Bennett joined the College of Law in 1996 as the founding director of the Child Advocacy Clinic and as a Clinical Professor. Professor Bennett also teaches Professional Responsibility at the Law College. Before joining the Arizona faculty, Professor Bennett was a Visiting Lecturer and Staff Attorney at the Cornell Legal Aid Clinic and an Adjunct Faculty Member at the Cornell Law School. Professor Bennett practiced law in New York with Orleans Legal Aid Bureau and with Chemung County Neighborhood Legal Services. He was later an Assistant City Attorney with the City of Ithaca, New York and a partner in a private law firm.
Bennett, Paul D., Associate Clinical Professor & Director of
the Child Advocacy Clinic, B.A., 1973, Bates College;
J.D., 1976, Cornell Law School
Phone Number: (520)626-5245
E-Mail: bennett@law.arizona.edu
Bertha Fresquez, Administrative Assistant