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Best Interest Attorney Training

Description

The MSBA Family and Juvenile Law Section is excited to offer the first virtual presentation of Maryland’s Best Interest Attorney Training on Thursday, April 22nd and Friday, April 23rd, 2021 from 8:30 a.m. to noon. 

Experienced practitioners will cover crucial topics such as child development and access schedules, parenting coordination, custody evaluations, interviewing children, representing your child client effectively, the impact of family dysfunction, the use of expert witnesses and more.  

This training complies with Child Counsel and Custody Rules and Guidelines, Maryland Rule 9-205.1. 

6.5 hours of credit will be offered for the surrounding MCLE states. If you miss the livestream, it will be available on the MSBA CLE catalog

We’re integrating the Zoom platform into our livestream programs! Participants will now be able to use the chat box and pose questions to the faculty during the presentation. As our live streams will use Zoom, you will have the same video and audio functions. Please keep your phone or computer muted unless you’re speaking. You may wish to turn off your video camera to allow the attendees to focus on the presenters. Use the chat box to ask questions and include which faculty member you’d like to address the question.

Course Level
TBD
Professional Area of Focus
Family Law
CLE Field of Study
Continuing Education Legal Credit
6.5
Instructor(s)
Craig Borchers Rebecca Fleming Wendy Meadows Christopher van Roden Rob Erdman Lindsay Parvis Maureen Vernon Laurie Wasserman Donna Schaeffer
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When
April 22 - 23, 2021
8:30 am - 12:00 pm EDT
Location
Online
Total CLE Credits
6.5
Format
Webinar

Agenda

Day 1

04/22/2021
8:30 am
Day 1 April 22, 2021

8:30 am Welcome & Introductions
Craig Borchers, Esq.
Rebecca Fleming, Esq.

8:40 am           Maryland Guidelines for Practice for Court-Appointed Lawyers representing Children in Cases Involving Child Custody or Child Access
Wendy Meadows, Esq.
Laurie M. Wasserman Esq.

  1. The Guidelines
  2. Child’s Best Interest Attorney
    1. Qualifications
    2. Order of Appointment
    3. Duties
    4. Ex parte Communication with Court
    5. Reporting
  3. BIA litigates rather than reports
    1. Considered judgment
    2. Liability
      1. Intent of Rules/Guidelines
      2. Legacy of Fox v. Wills

9:05 am           Your Job

  1. Roles & Responsibilities:
    1. Best Interest Attorney (BIA)
    2. Child Advocate
    3. Child’s Privilege Attorney
  2. Collecting Information
  3. Attorney – Child Client Relationship
  4. Role in Litigation
    1. Factors
  5. Representing Multiple Children
  6. Getting paid

9:30 am – 9:40 am – 10-minute break

9:40 am           Child Development
Maureen Vernon, Ph.D.

  1. Development and Cognitive Needs and Abilities
    1. Developmental stages
  2. Mental & Emotional Development
    1. Attachment
  3. Context for Healthy Development
    1. Stability
  4. Communicating with The Child Client In a Developmentally Appropriate Manner
    1. Age Appropriate schedules
  5. Interview Techniques

10:40 am – 10:50 am   10-minute Break

10:50 am         Issues Impacting the Child and The Family
Maureen Vernon, Ph.D.

  1. Child Abuse & Neglect
  2. Substance Abuse
  3. Impact of Domestic Violence

12:00 pm         ADJOURN

Day 2

04/23/2021
8:30 am
Day 2 April 23, 2021

8:30 am           Case Preparation – Interviewing the Child, Investigation, Discovery Material
Rebecca Fleming, Esq.
Chris vanRoden, Esq.

  1. Interviewing the Child Client
    1. Interviewing
    2. Testimony
  2. Other evaluations
    1. Forensic Custody & Mental Health Evaluators
    2. Substance Abuse Evaluations
  3. Understanding & Addressing Educational Needs
  4. Identifying & Addressing Special Needs

9:50 am- 10:00 am  10-minute Break

10:00 am           Settlement, Trial and Post Trial
Lindsay Parvis, Esq.
Rob Erdman, Esq.

  1. Preparing and Presenting a Child’s Viewpoint
  2. Child Testimony & Alternatives To Direct Testimony 
  3. Evidentiary Concerns
  4. Ethical Issues
  5. Your Role With Self-Represented Litigants
  6. Dealing With High Conflict Families

11:15 am           A View from the Bench

Hon. Donna Schaeffer

12:00 pm ADJOURN

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Best Interest Attorney Training