Friday, August 17, 2001
Page 3
New Website Provides Judges, Attorneys With Resources in Family Law
By KIMBERLY EDDS, Staff Writer
The Judicial Council yesterday unveiled a website to make family law information even easier to access for attorneys and judges.
Aimed mainly at lawyers, bench officers, and other court professionals, the site includes juvenile case law summaries, publications and other research materials. The Judicial Council’s Center for Families, Children & the Courts site also provides legal professionals training opportunities in family law matters and applications for CFCC research grants.
Unlike the Judicial Council’s recently launched self-help site, aimed at pro-per litigants, the CFCC site provides attorneys and bench officers resources specifically targeted for them.
CFCC staff attorney Beth Kassiola said the new site although allows families and children involved in court proceedings are able to learn about court services.
“The site really serves a lot of different constituencies,” Kassiola said. “It serves a combination of court users and court professionals.”
One of the many features of the site is an interactive activity booklet which teaches children about the court system through cartoons and plain language.
While the booklet explains what will happen in court and what a judge and a lawyer does, it also talks about tougher issues such as emancipation and probation.
Court-related word searches and coloring pages are also included.
To help parents through court proceedings, the site provides downloadable online publications on topics such as foster parenting, juvenile dependency, and divorce.
The CFCC, a division of the Judicial Council which makes court policy, is involved with many projects related to family, juvenile, child support, custody, visitation, and domestic violence law and procedure.
The CFCC site is located at www.courtinfo.ca.gov/programs/cfcc.
Copyright 2001, Metropolitan News Company