Ounce of
Prevention
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Duncan Campbell launches project to help
at-risk youths while giving law students experience
The Portland girl had been shuttled to twelve different
foster homes and care facilities in just eighteen months.
Poor casework, thought one lawyer. But did the judge have
the authority to intervene? UO law students helped the
attorney find out-and helped a child in the process.
"It was a useful thing, because it made the judge very
comfortable telling the agency what to do," says Professor
Leslie Harris. "Now that memorandum is on the website
for anybody to use."
This is just one example of how the UO's Child Advocacy
Project promotes the welfare of children while giving
law students hands-on experience. The project started
in 2005, thanks to a $250,000 gift from Duncan Campbell,
the founder and chairman of the Campbell Group and founder
of Friends of the Children. The project pursues systemic
legal change to protect children's relationships with
nurturing adults.
"Nobody says they're against children," says Harris,
who is the project director. "But it's easy for children's
needs to get lost in complex cases because parents' lawyers
are obviously advocating for what those parents want,
which may not be consistent with what the child needs
and wants."
