The time to move on creating a Statewide Office of the Children's Advocate is now.

Howard Talenfeld, the new chair of The Florida Bar 's Legal Needs of Children Committee, is on a mission to make a seven-year-old dream come true.

In 2002, the Number One priority and unanimous recommendation of the committee's predecessor, the Legal Needs of Children Commission, was to create a Statewide Office of the Children's Advocate, to oversee both legal attorney-client and guardian ad litem representation to children in court.

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For three years, that original hardworking group of Florida lawyers, judges, and experts on children's issues, chaired by 11th Circuit Judge Sandy Karlan, wrestled with how best to represent children in court--whether in dependency, delinquency, civil, probate and guardianship, domestic violence, or high-conflict custody proceedings.

In the end, they envisioned the new office would play a critical role in providing a voice for children so they can meaningfully present their positions and needs and wishes to the court. A key consideration was the independence of the office from other participants in litigation, so its actions on behalf of children would not be compromised. (The public defender would still represent children charged with crimes.)

Talenfeld says now is the time to reach consensus and push for legislation to finally make it happen, and he has a powerful ally: Florida Bar President Jesse Diner.

"As you all know, the Legal Needs of Children Commission in 2002 filed a report, and some of that work is done and accomplished and some of it is not," Diner told the committee when it met during the Bar's Annual Convention in Orlando.

"So I would hope that you all could develop consensus on what you are going to try to push forward this year. And Howard could come before the Board of Governors and ask for the board's blessing to go forward and try to reach a legislative initiative that would be successful," Diner said.

"But it starts here with this committee and building consensus ... I urge that you do it sooner rather than later."

It's been too long, as it is, Talenfeld said. He recounted the history to his committee, "so you can understand the importance of what we are about to do, and the intensity and challenges behind the struggle, and why it is so critical we reach this consensus, and then take this consensus to the Board of Governors, and then ultimately to the Florida Legislature--so that we can see the vision of that commission come true."

Diner noted...