This first-ever description of lawyer activities -- what the child’s lawyer actually does -- and how those activities vary by case type and characteristics of the attorney, gives us insight as to how attorneys choose to use their time with implications for lawyers and those who organize, train, and manage them. The analysis of lawyer activities is available as Chapter 9 of CHILDREN’S JUSTICE.

Activities of Child Representatives

• Older children experienced more frequent contact with attorneys than their younger counterparts.
• Attorneys reported higher levels of activity with female clients compared to male clients.
• Client race and ethnicity were not associated with differences in the rates of contact with children, children’s family members, or others involved in their cases.
• Attorneys with a higher proportion of child welfare cases spent more time on each case.
• An attorney’s professed level of responsibility for case-related tasks was found to be positively associated with the rates of contact with child clients and children’s family members.
• Attorneys’ opinions about the degree to which they considered their work in child welfare to be rewarding were found to be positively associated with the rates of best practice activities.