Superior Court of the District of Columbia FAMILY COURT PANEL APPLICATION In order for the Family Court Panel Oversight Subcommittee committee to determine an applicant’s qualifications, the applicant must answer all questions on this application or note specifically if a question is not applicable. Each question must appear before the answer and all applications must be typewritten. Certificates Concerning Discipline from the Office of Bar Counsel of the District of Columbia, or equivalent documents from other jurisdictions where you are now or previously have been admitted to the Bar, and certification that D.C. Bar dues have been paid currently should be included with the application. Attorneys of all experience levels who are enthusiastic and committed to providing high quality representation in connection with this important work are encouraged to apply. Completed applications must be sent electronically to CCANCJA@dcsc.gov and a hardcopy of the application and supporting documentation must be submitted to the CCAN office. Incomplete applications will not be considered. No notice will be provided to the applicant concerning failure to complete the application or submit the required documentation. 1. Full name (include any former names used) and D.C. Bar number. ANSWER: (a) If you are pending Bar Examination results or decision on your application for admission by waiver, please indicate the date of the Bar Examination or date of your application for admission by waiver. ANSWER: 2. Please state the panel or panels to which you are applying (i.e., Juvenile, GAL, Other CCAN, and/or Special Education Advocate). ANSWER: 3. If you have not previously applied for any panel, please skip this question and go to question #4. If you have previously applied for any panel(s) and were not accepted for one or more of those panels, please provide the following information with respect to each panel for which you were not accepted. This information is specifically intended to update the information you provided on your previous application and should focus on additional training and legal experience. You must also answer questions 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30. (a) Please indicate by marking with an X each panel for which you previously applied but were not accepted and provide whatever updated information you believe would be helpful to the Committee in 1 American LegalNet, Inc. www.FormsWorkflow.com Superior Court of the District of Columbia deciding on your application for that panel. Include the dates of application for each panel ____GAL Panel ____CCAN Panel ____Juvenile Panel ____Special Education Advocate Panel ____My most recent, previous application for each panel is attached. Note: If you wish to attach your most recent, fully completed application, you may do so or you may wish to complete an entirely new application. In either event, you must complete this question with respect to previous applications. (b) Please indicate whether you are now or have ever been a member of the CJA (DC or US), Probate or Mental Health and Mental Retardation panels. Please include the dates that you served on each panel. ANSWER: (c) Please indicate by marking an X each panel for which you applied but were not accepted and provide the year(s) that you applied. ____CJA US Panel ____CJA DC Panel ____Probate Panel ____Mental Health & Mental Retardation Panel (d) Please indicate whether you were ever removed from one of the above listed panels. Please state the panel for which you were removed and the date of removal. ANSWER: (e) Please indicate whether you have ever been removed from a case while serving on any of the above listed panels. Please provide details concerning your removal. 2 American LegalNet, Inc. www.FormsWorkflow.com Superior Court of the District of Columbia ANSWER: 4. (a) Office address, telephone number, fax number and email address ANSWER: (b) If your office is not in the District of Columbia, state how far it is from the D.C. Superior Court. ANSWER: (c) If you do not have an office or if your office is not in the District of Columbia, explain where you meet your clients to discuss their cases. ANSWER: (d) Describe your system for receiving messages from clients and describe your support staff, if any. ANSWER: (e) Describe your arrangements for coverage of your cases when you are on vacation or otherwise absent. ANSWER: (f) Describe your mode of transportation for visiting children or clients. ANSWER: 5 List in reverse chronological order (most recent first) each law school and college you have attended, including dates of attendance and the degrees awarded, and describe any honors you have received or significant activities, or work, in which you were involved. ANSWER: 6. State whether you are a member in good standing of the District of Columbia Bar. List all other courts in which you have been admitted to practice, with dates of admission. ANSWER: 3 American LegalNet, Inc. www.FormsWorkflow.com Superior Court of the District of Columbia 7. Describe in reverse chronological order (most recent first) your work history since you graduated from law school. ANSWER: 8. Describe any other work experiences you believe might be of assistance to those assessing your qualifications for a Family Court Panel. ANSWER: 9. Describe legal education programs you have attended within the last five years. (You need not list every program.) ANSWER: 10. Describe course work and clinical training you have had concerning the law of evidence. (You need not list every course or all training.) ANSWER: 11. Summarize in one paragraph your litigation experience. ANSWER: 12. Briefly describe your experience and expertise concerning each of the following: (a) residential placement ANSWER: (b) special education programs and procedures ANSWER: (c) adoption procedures, including adoption subsidies ANSWER: (d) legal guardianship and custody proceedings ANSWER: (e) the Interstate Compact for Placement of Children 4 American LegalNet, Inc. www.FormsWorkflow.com Superior Court of the District of Columbia ANSWER: (f) Section 8 and other housing programs for low-income people ANSWER: (g) drug treatment programs ANSWER: (h) teen mother programs ANSWER: (i) independent living programs ANSWER: (j) mental health programs and issues ANSWER: (k) domestic violence programs ANSWER: (l) Other significant litigation experience (civil or criminal) ANSWER: 13. List up to five D.C. Superior Court judicial officers who have the most information about your qualifications to serve on the panel or panels to which you have applied. If you believe the judicial officer’s knowledge is based primarily on a specific case or cases in which you appeared, please identify the case or cases. For neglect and adoption cases, please use initials and case numbers. If the judicial officer’s knowledge about your qualifications is not related to a case(s), please provide specific detail concerning the basis for the judicial officer to provide information regarding your qualifications. ANSWER: IF YOU ARE APPLYING FOR THE JUVENILE PANEL, PLEASE ANSWER QUESTIONS 14 – 16. IF YOU ARE NOT APPLYING FOR THE JUVENILE PANEL, PLEASE SKIP TO QUESTION 17. 5 American LegalNet, Inc. www.FormsWorkflow.com Superior Court of the District of Columbia 14. In approximately how many juvenile cases in the District of Columbia have you served as counsel? ANSWER: 15. Approximately how many juvenile cases have you tried to a verdict? ANSWER: 16. Describe your work in no more than five juvenile cases in which you have served as counsel. For each of those matters, provide (a) the case name, (b) the case number, (c) the court where the case was heard, (d) the date of trial, if any, (e) the charges, (f) the name of the judge who presided over the case. ANSWER: IF YOU ARE APPLYING FOR THE GAL OR CCAN PANEL, PLEASE ANSWER QUESTIONS 17 – 20. IF YOU ARE NOT APPLYING FOR THE GAL OR CCAN PANEL, PLEASE SKIP TO QUESTION 21. 17. In approximately how many cases have you served as a GAL in the District of Columbia? ANSWER: (a) Approximately how many cases have you served as GAL in another jurisdiction? Describe the nature of your work and responsibilities. ANSWER: 18. In approximately how many neglect or abuse, termination of parental rights, or contested adoption cases have you served as counsel to a party (as distinguished from GAL) in the District of Columbia? ANSWER: (a) Approximately how many neglect or abuse, termination of parental rights, or contested adoption cases have you served as counsel to a party (other than GAL) in another jurisdiction? ANSWER: 19. Approximately how many neglect or abuse, termination of parental rights, or contested adoption cases have you tried: 6 American LegalNet, Inc. www.FormsWorkflow.com Superior Court of the District of Columbia (a) as GAL? ANSWER: (b) as counsel to a party (as distinguished from GAL)? ANSWER: 20. Describe your work in no more than five neglect or abuse cases or termination of parental rights or contested adoption cases in which you have served as GAL or counsel. ANSWER: IF YOU ARE APPLYING FOR THE SPECIAL EDUCATION ADVOCATE PANEL PLEASE ANSWER QUESTIONS 20 – 23. IF YOU ARE NOT APPYING FOR THE SPECIAL EDUCATION ADVOCATE PANEL, PLEASE SKIP TO QUESTION 25. 21. In approximately how many special education cases in the District of Columbia have you served as counsel? ANSWER: 22. In approximately how many special education cases have you participated in an administrative hearing? ANSWER: 23. Describe your work in no more than five cases in which you have served as a special education advocate. ANSWER: 24. Are you willing to be compensated exclusively from the D.C. Public Schools for your services as a special education advocate? ANSWER: FINAL QUESTIONS FOR ALL APPLICANTS: 25. Since your admission to the District of Columbia Bar, have you ever: (a) been convicted of a crime which carries a potential sentence of 180 days or more in prison? ANSWER: 7 American LegalNet, Inc. www.FormsWorkflow.com Superior Court of the District of Columbia (b) been sued by a client or been a party or otherwise involved in any other legal proceedings? ANSWER: (c) been the subject of a complaint to any court, administrative agency, bar association or disciplinary committee, or other professional group in the District of Columbia or elsewhere? ANSWER: 26. If your answer is yes to any of the above, please provide particulars. ANSWER: 27. If you currently serve on a panel, please indicate whether you have been held in contempt or sanctioned by the court for any reason since your appointment to the panel. Please provide details. ANSWER: Since your appointment to a panel have you ever been removed from a case? yes, please explain the circumstances of each removal. If ANSWER: 28. Provide any other information that you believe might be of assistance in assessing your qualifications to receive appointments to represent indigent clients in Family Court. ANSWER: 29. Attorneys selected to represent indigent clients in Family Court are expected to fully comply with the Child Abuse and Neglect Attorney Practice Standards1, and timely satisfy their continuing legal education requirements (a) Are you willing to act in accordance with the Attorney Practice Standards and timely satisfy all CLE requirements? ANSWER: 1 Adopted by Administrative Order 03-07, February 28, 2003. 8 American LegalNet, Inc. www.FormsWorkflow.com Superior Court of the District of Columbia (b) If you currently serve on a panel, please indicate whether you timely completed your CLE requirements for each year since your appointment to the panel. If not, please explain. ANSWER: 30. Since your admission to the District of Columbia Bar, have you handled any matters before the Court of Appeals? If yes, approximately how many cases have you handled? ANSWER: (a) Have you ever been removed from a case by the Court of Appeals for any reason? If yes, please explain. ANSWER: (b) Have you ever been sanctioned by the Court of Appeals for any reason? If yes, please explain. ANSWER: Please certify the following at the bottom of your completed questionnaire: I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States that the answers provided in the Family Court Panel Application is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge and belief. Further I certify that I am a member in good standing of the District of Columbia Bar. ______________________________________ Signature ____________________ Date 9 American LegalNet, Inc. www.FormsWorkflow.com