Child Welfare Law Specialist
The Law Office of Michelle J. Latray is proud to announce that Michelle J. Latray is certified as a Child Welfare Law Specialist by the National Association of Counsel for Children. This certification is awarded by the National Association of Counsel for Children and accredited by the American Bar Association and the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
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The NACC certification program was created and sponsored by a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Children's Bureau and is accredited by the American Bar Association. The program has also been endorsed by the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) and the Conference of Chief Justices/Conference of State Court Administrators (CCJ/COSCA). The NACC also obtains the necessary authorization from the state regulatory authorities such as the court, state bar association, or committee on legal specialization.
NACC Child Welfare Law Certification is available to attorneys who serve in the role of Child's Attorney (including Guardian ad Litem, Law Guardian, Attorney ad Litem), Parent's Attorney, and Agency/Department/Government Attorney. The specialization area as approved by the ABA is defined as "the practice of law representing children, parents or the government in all child protection proceedings including emergency, temporary custody, adjudication, disposition, foster care, permanency planning, termination, guardianship, and adoption. Child Welfare Law does not include representation in private child custody and adoption disputes where the state is not a party.” To date, there are over 400 NACC Certified Child Welfare Law Specialists in 32 jurisdictions.
The Child Welfare Law Certification is available to attorneys who represent children, parents and agencies in child abuse, neglect and dependency cases. It is modeled after physician board certification and requires that attorneys satisfy the following requirements to be apply: 3+ years practicing law, 30% or more of the last 3 years involved in child welfare law, 36 hours CLE in past 3 years in courses relevant to child welfare law, and a writing sample demonstrating legal analysis in the field of child welfare law drafted in the last 3 years.
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The National Association of Counsel for Children (NACC) is a non-profit child advocacy and professional membership association. The NACC is dedicated to providing high quality legal representation for children. Their mission is to improve the lives of children and families through legal advocacy.
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Currently, Ms. Latray practices law in Limestone County and surrounding counties, with a primary practice focus in the areas of family law and criminal law. In addition to her private practice, Ms. Latray accepts court appointments from various courts in the areas of criminal law, juvenile law, child protection court matters, guardianship/ad litem matters, adoptions, and Texas Juvenile Justice cases.
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