Tags
Attorney, Children's Law Center of Central North Carolina, GALs, Guardian Ad Litems, High-Conflict Custody Cases, North Carolina, North Carolina Schweitzer Fellows Program, Wake Forest School of Law, Wake Law
“Hopefully, my work with the Children’s Law Center of Northwest North Carolina will provide practical benefits that improve the health and well-being of children in Winston-Salem.”
That’s what North Carolina Albert Schweitzer Fellow (and Wake Forest School of Law student) Rich McPherson told Beyond Boulders a year ago, as he began working with the Children’s Law Center of Central North Carolina to implement a yearlong Schweitzer project aimed at expanding advocacy and access to services for children whose families are in the midst of a high-conflict custody dispute.
Now, a year later, McPherson has made an impact. In addition to serving as a Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) representing children in high-conflict custody cases himself, McPherson put together a training program for other GALs– and even presented that program to the NC Legislative Committee on Civil Guardian Ad Litems in March.
McPherson is graduating from Wake School of Law this month, and the school just posted a terrific interview with him. McPherson tells his interviewer:
The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship exists to meet health needs in underserved populations. My project seeks to improve the health of children by allowing their voice to be heard in court. As a Guardian ad Litem, I advocated for the best interests of each child that I served, whether in terms of expanding access to counseling services, tailoring an individualized education plan, or asking the court for a change in custody or visitation plan. My time with the Children’s Law Center taught me a tremendous amount about myself and the kind of attorney I want to be.
To read about the new class of NC Albert Schweitzer Fellows, and the ways they’re following in McPherson’s footsteps, click here.
To support the NC Albert Schweitzer Fellowship — funded entirely through charitable donations and grants — click here.