About the Children's Rights Clinic Section
Students represent the rights of children in cases such as: intra-family and private adoptions, avowal and disavowal of paternity, attorney for the child in highly contested custody cases, limited interdictions, and continuing tutorship. The students also represent unaccompanied minors from countries such as Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador in Special Immigrant Juvenile proceedings. Students work closely together with the immigration section to obtain optimal results for our clients. Students also work with the Louisiana Prisoner Reentry Initiative to offer legal services to incarcerated or recently released persons in Jefferson and St. Tammany Parishes to resolve legal issues for these participants including traffic, custody, misdemeanor attachments, divorce, and child support in an effort to help them successfully reenter the community.
Section Success
During the Spring 2024 semester, the Children's Rights Clinic successfully represented a young woman with various legal issues, including the succession of her deceased parents. In addition, they filed and obtained custody and tutorship of her 14 year old brother. The students also filed and successfully obtained SIJ status for 4 Honduran children in Orleans Parish Juvenile court and 3 in Jefferson Parish Juvenile Court.
Supervised by Professor Ramona Fernandez
News Coverage
Professor Fernandez and Tobie Tranchina were invited to participate in a roundtable discussion with Governor John Bel Edwards to discuss the Louisiana Prisoner Reentry Initiative. The Stuart H. Smith Law Clinic & Center For Social Justice partners with United Way of Southeast Louisiana, Catholic Charities, and Southeast Louisiana Legal Services to provide legal services to formerly incarcerated individuals, removing legal barriers as they reenter society.