Every year the State of Georgia assumes the role of parent to thousands of children who have been neglected or abused by their families. Helping the State build a better future for these 'children in care' through educational achievement is the goal of this new Georgia Appleseed project, in partnership with Families First. King & Spalding LLP is the lead law firm volunteer team.On April 17th, the Georgia Appleseed Good Apple Awards were held at the Biltmore Ballrooms in Atlanta, Georgia. Over 225 guests gathered at the event to honor Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP and Dustin Heslep of Ernst & Young for their volunteer efforts on behalf of the Georgia Appleseed Effective Student Discipline: Keeping Kids in Class project. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder served as the keynote speaker for the event.
See a slideshow of the evening here.
On March 27, 2012, the Georgia State Senate unanimously passed the Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act. This key Senate vote — which was preceded by unanimous passage of the bill in the Georgia House of Representatives — makes Georgia the first state in the South to pass a uniform partition law. Advocating for the passage of the Act in the General Assembly has been a key component of Georgia Appleseed's Heir Property Project. State Representative Edward Lindsey, also a Uniform Law Commissioner, was instrumental in shepherding this critical piece of legislation through the General Assembly during the recent legislative session. Governor Nathan Deal signed HB 744 into law on April 16, 2012.
Read more about the Heir Property Project here.
Georgia Appleseed Director of Projects Rob Rhodes and Executive Director Sharon Hill are traveling the state, presenting the findings of Effective Student Discipline: Keeping Kids in Class to policy makers, educators, and community organizations and laying the groundwork for its call to action.
The 18-month study of student discipline policies and practices in Georgia's K-12 public school system includes analysis of discipline data that is remarkable for its breadth and detail. These statistical findings, combined with feedback from 200 stakeholders interviewed by Georgia Appleseed volunteers, provide keys to what feeds the 'school to prison' pipeline.
Read the report and executive summary here.
Georgia Appleseed is a leading partner in JUSTGeorgia, a statewide juvenile justice coalition that is advocating for changes to Georgia's Children's Code and the underlying social service systems to better serve Georgia's children and promote safer communities.
In conjunction with our JUSTGeorgia efforts, Georgia Appleseed conducted a statewide stakeholder interview project with the help of more than 200 attorneys from 13 major law firms. Input from the project has gone into ongoing legislative efforts to pass a new Children's Code in Georgia.
Visit www.JUSTGa.org for more info, and click here to learn more about Georgia Appleseed's role in JUSTGeorgia.
Read the JUSTGeorgia press statement regarding the Criminal Justice Reform Act.
The Winter 2012 Seeds of Justice issue is here!
Check out our latest newsletter to get exclusive coverage of Georgia Appleseed's projects, volunteers, and upcoming events.
Winter 2012 Seeds of Justice >>
Past issues of Seeds of Justice >>
Who makes medical care decisions for incapacitated seniors who have outlived family and friends? Georgia Appleseed's 'Safeguarding Seniors' project explores implementation issues arising out of a 2010 Georgia law that provides legal protections for older Georgians who have not executed a valid end-of life directive and who become incompetent to give informed consent to health care providers. Alston & Bird LLP is the project's lead pro bono firm. Read more.
The Mission of Georgia Appleseed is to increase justice in Georgia through law and policy reform.
Georgia Appleseed seeks a Georgia where the voices of the poor, the children and the marginalized are heard and where injustices that no one should endure are resolved.
Georgia Appleseed works with volunteer lawyers and other professionals to find solutions to difficult social justice problems. Georgia Appleseed does not provide legal representation for individuals or provide a referral service to connect clients with lawyers. If you are seeking a lawyer, please contact the lawyer referral service of your local bar association or go to www.legalaid-ga.org.