GALs in Virginia are bar certified Virginia attorneys appointed by courts to represent children or incompetent adults in a variety of court proceedings. Although certification procedures for each category of guardians are different, one of the major requirements for certifying as a GAL for children is to take the seven credit “Representing Children as a Guardian ad Litem”
The CLE/Certification course is offered jointly by Virginia CLE and the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia. Regent Law students and attorneys alike attended the Representation of Children as a Guardian Ad Litem training program. The CLE program featured five video lectures of qualified experts who outlined the court and filing procedures, qualifications for becoming a certified GAL in the state of Virginia, and the roles and responsibilities of a GAL.
Attendees learned that a GAL is just one part of the entire process from the filing of a case to the closing of an appeal. Third-year law students who plan to take the Virginia bar exam this summer or in February will have two years to complete the GAL certification process. Upon passing the bar, those students will send in their attendance certification forms to the Virginia Supreme Court and State Bar and be one step closer to changing the lives of children in Virginia.
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