Table of Contents

State Bar of Georgia Young Lawyers Division Juvenile Law Committee

________________________________________________________________________

THE JUVENILE CODE REVISION PROJECT

A MODEL CODE FOR GEORGIA

Soledad A. McGrath, Esq.

The Honorable Velma Cowen Tilley

Professor Lucy S. McGough

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This document is the result of a multi-year effort that would not have been possible without the generous support of the Georgia Bar Foundation and the Sapelo Foundation.

We are grateful for the efforts and support of all the Juvenile Law Committee chairpersons that participated in the development of this project: Elizabeth Reimels, Andre Johnson, Amy Howell, Melissa Carter, and Brooke Silverthorn. We are particularly grateful to the current Committee co-chairs, Ari Ellerbe Mathé and Lea Thompson, for their tireless efforts in guiding this project to a successful conclusion.

We would also like to express our sincere gratitude to the numerous individuals throughout the country who took the time to share their experiences and expertise, especially Dr. Thomas Grisso, Professor of Psychiatry, Director of Psychology, and Coordinator of the Law & Psychiatry Program at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and Mark Hardin, Director of the National Child Welfare Resource Center on Legal and Judicial Issues, for their invaluable words of advice. Finally, we thank the law students who provided research assistance at various points in the project.

This document is dedicated to the memory of Robin Nash whose commitment to bettering the lives of Georgia’s children was instrumental in launching the Juvenile Law Committee on this journey.

Copyright (c) 2008 by The State Bar of Georgia. All rights reserved. The text of The Juvenile Code Revision Project: A Model Code for Georgia may be reproduced for informational, non-commercial purposes for use by an entity engaged in studying the Model Code for Georgia for purposes of making recommendations for change in its jurisdiction's juvenile code, provided that any such reproduction of the Model Code for Georgia or portion thereof acknowledges the original publication, citing, "The Juvenile Code Revision Project: A Model Code for Georgia. (c)2008 by The State Bar of Georgia. Reprinted with permission."

The points of view or opinions expressed in this document are those of the reporters and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the State Bar of Georgia.