Our Mission, History and Goals
Our Mission
Lawyers for Children America is a leading child advocacy organization protecting the rights of children who are victims of abuse, abandonment and neglect by providing quality pro bono legal representation and collaborating for systematic change to improve the lives of children. Lawyers for Children America is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Our Goals
Lawyers for Children America was established with the following goals:
- To implement services that will help children and youth who are victims of abuse and neglect;
- To increase pro bono efforts on behalf of children by establishing institutional commitment on the part of major law firms, corporate legal departments, government agencies, national, state and local bar associations and universities, and by establishing local affiliates of Lawyers for Children America across the United States to support that commitment;
- To improve the child welfare system in coordination with other national and local organizations;
- To increase public awareness of issues related to youth and violence.
Our History
LFCA began as a pilot in 1995 in Hartford, Connecticut under the leadership of LFCA Chairperson Emeritus, Zoë Baird, then Senior Vice President and General Counsel at Aetna. In June 1995, at a ceremony hosted by Attorney General Janet Reno in the Great Hall of the Department of Justice, LFCA was launched as a national initiative with the announcement of two additional programs developed in Washington, D.C. and Miami, FL. In addition to the three pilot sites, LFCA opened a fourth office in May 2000 in Fairfield County, CT and a fifth site in New Haven, CT in 2002.
Since their inception, all sites have grown tremendously. Since 2002, LFCA has leveraged over $3 million in pro bono legal time and in-kind contributions through its network of law firms, volunteers and participating organizations.
We hope to expand Lawyers for Children America programs in additional communities in the coming years. Please send us an email if you wish to see a program established in your community.