Child Advocacy Clinic
USD's Child Advocacy Clinic is operated by the Children's Advocacy Institute (CAI), a statewide center dedicated to promoting the health and well-being of California's children. Child Advocacy Clinic interns have two options:(1) they may, under the supervision of a public defender, represent minors in child abuse and neglect proceedings; and/or (2) they may work with one of CAI's professional staff members on a variety of policy projects.
Past policy projects have included
- conducting research to defeat legislation that would have authorized the public "paddling" of juvenile graffiti offenders;
- drafting and advocating legislation setting minimum standards for attorneys representing minors in dependency court;
- suing the state to compel the adoption of playground safety regulations;
- and researching and writing segments of the California Children's Budget and the Children's Regulatory Law Reporter.
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