Jodi Schatz, Esquire
Pro Bono Coordinator and Intake Attorney for Child Advocates

Q: How did you get involved with the Support Center for Child Advocates?

A: I joined Child Advocates in 1986 as a volunteer before I went to law school. I went to law school with the idea that I would become a child advocate. After graduation, I worked for several agencies, including the Law Guardian Unit in New Jersey, Women Against Abuse, and the Homeless Advocacy Project (HAP). At HAP, I worked on its Children’s Project and volunteered with Child Advocates as an attorney. I was a volunteer attorney from 1993 to 1999 when my dream came true and I became a Child Advocates staff attorney.

Q: What do you do at Child Advocates?

A: I originally handled cases at Child Advocates. I’m now the Pro Bono Coordinator and Intake Attorney. Anytime a child is referred to us, the case comes to me. I review the file, make sure that we don’t have any conflicts with the parents, siblings, or perpetrators of the abuse, and then I review the facts of the case to make sure that it’s an appropriate case for our office to accept. Once accepted, I prepare the case for the staff social worker and consulting attorney and then partner with a volunteer attorney to handle the case.

Q: How do you train the attorneys you recruit?

A: We host an annual, full-day conference that offers CLE credits for attending lawyers and social workers. The course is sponsored by the Pennsylvania Bar Institute. The conference is an overview of our work and the Juvenile Justice Systems. Our goal is to inspire others to help our kids. For anyone interested and willing to help, it’s a great training.

Q: What type of a commitment is needed to volunteer? 

A: Our cases take about 2 to 10 hours per month and they last anywhere from 6 months to 3 years. All of our volunteer attorneys are paired with a staff member. When they go to court they have their social worker or staff attorney with them for support. A volunteer attorney is generally in court once every 5 months. This schedule depends though on the case and what’s happening with the child and family.

Q: Who is a successful volunteer attorney?

A: A successful volunteer attorney is someone who’s really interested in this work. Most volunteer attorneys are a little nervous about whether they can do this. They might not go to court regularly, they may not have worked with children before, but they’re interested. In the end, they come back to me and say, “What a great experience! I felt supported in the work.  I felt like I could handle court. I felt like I really made a difference in a child’s life and I want another case.” That’s a success!

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer attorney contact Jodi at jschatz@advokid.org or (267) 546-9228.