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Children's Advocacy Institute

Children's Advocacy InstituteCreated in 1989 as part of the Center for Public Interest Law, the Children's Advocacy Institute (CAI) is a public interest organization dedicated to improving the health, safety, and well-being of children throughout California. CAI advocates in the legislature to make laws, in the courts to interpret laws, before administrative agencies to implement laws, and before the public to educate and build support for laws to improve the status of children. CAI educates policymakers about children's needs for economic security, adequate nutrition, health care, education, quality child care, and protection from abuse, neglect, and injury.

CAI offers two courses at the USD School of Law to students interested in child advocacy:

(1) Child Rights and Remedies, offered only in the fall semester, is a three-unit survey course which covers a broad array of issues in child advocacy: the constitutional rights of children, defending children accused of crimes, child abuse and dependency court proceedings, tort remedies and insurance law applicable to children, and child property rights and entitlements. The course also considers the procedural problems inherent in child advocacy, including issues of competence to testify, standing, and available remedies. Students interested in Child Rights and Remedies should preregister for the course and assign it a priority number.

(2) Child Advocacy Clinic is available for students who are taking or have completed Child Rights and Remedies. Clinic student have two options:

  • Students participating in the Dependency Section work with an assigned attorney from the San Diego Office of the Public Defender representing abused and neglected children in dependency court proceedings. Interns working in the Dependency Section must become certified by the State Bar, submit fingerprints for a background check, and have a valid California driver's license, current California auto registration, and current auto insurance. Dependency Section interns must clear their class schedules such that they have two full days per week to work at the Public Defender's Office. Also, students must have completed or be enrolled in Evidence and Civil Procedure (in addition to Child Rights and Remedies) in order to participate in the Dependency Section. Dependency Section interns meet as a group once a week for one hour to discuss their work and to review current issues in child advocacy. A Dependency Section internship is worth four units.
  • Students participating in the Policy Section work with CAI staff on projects relating to rulemaking, legislation, litigation, or other advocacy. Interns may also be assigned to participate in policy research and analysis of current applications of law and regulations as they affect children. A Policy Section internship may be taken for 1-3 units.

    Students who wish to take either the Dependency or Policy component of Child Advocacy Clinic must submit a questionnaire and obtain a permission slip from Professor Robert Fellmeth or Elisa Weichel before preregistering for the course. Their offices are located in the CPIL/CAI offices (through the rear door of the Legal Research Center). Slots in the clinic are limited.

    Students interested in learning more about CAI and its academic offerings should attend the informational session scheduled for Thursday, April 12; contact CAI for the time and location of this session. If you miss this session, handouts and informational materials are available at CAI's offices in the rear of the Legal Research Center. For more information, please call us at 260-4806, e-mail us ( cpil@sandiego.edu for CAI Executive Director Robert Fellmeth and eweichel@sandiego.edu for CAI Administrative Director Elisa Weichel), or visit the CAI website at www.caichildlaw.org.