National Association of Counsel for Children
Melissa A. Paul-Franklyn, Esq. is an experienced attorney specializing in child welfare law, currently serving as Attorney-In-Charge at The Legal Aid Society since September 2008. In this role, Melissa oversees staff attorneys who represent children in child welfare proceedings, provides practice training, and advocates for children's rights in cases of neglect, abuse, and custody. Additional contributions include co-teaching at New York Law School's Juvenile Rights Law Clinic Seminar and acting as New York State Coordinator for the National Association of Counsel for Children. Melissa's educational background includes a Juris Doctor from Cardozo School of Law and a BA in Psychology and Political Science from McGill University.
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National Association of Counsel for Children
Founded in 1977, the National Association of Counsel for Children (NACC) is a nonprofit membership and advocacy organization dedicated to advancing the rights, well-being, and opportunities of children and families impacted by the child welfare system through access to high-quality legal representation. Our vision: Every child and family involved with the court system is well-represented by a lawyer who works to ensure that every child is raised by a nurturing family and has positive life opportunities. NACC believes all children involved in child welfare proceedings need lawyers who are well-trained to achieve the best possible outcomes– outcomes where children are raised on a path toward success in loving and supportive families. We also believe the child welfare court system works best when all parties – children, parents, and social service agencies – are represented by high-quality, well-trained lawyers. NACC provides programs and resources that improve the quality of legal representation for children, parents and agencies; we support a community of hard-working and dedicated professionals and help attract and retain diverse talent in the children’s legal advocacy profession; and we advocate for policies that advance rights, including the right to counsel for children and parents.