Nick Verwolf, a partner in Davis Wright Tremaine LLP’s Bellevue office, received an award for his pro bono work for King County Dependency CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), a program that advocates for children in Juvenile Court proceedings who have allegedly been abused or neglected.
King County Dependency CASA recognized Verwolf with their “2010 David Soukup Award for Outstanding Legal Advocacy for Children,” praising him for his representation of CASAs as they appear on behalf of neglected or abused children in dependency hearings or parental rights termination trials. Since 2008, Verwolf has represented five advocates in these proceedings.
“Attorneys like Nick are vital to the advocacy of these children,” said Julie Orr, Davis Wright Tremaine’s pro bono coordinator. “They provide the training, legal knowledge, and technical assistance to put CASAs in the strongest possible position to advocate for the child’s best interests.”
Every year, thousands of abused and neglected children across Washington state are involved in proceedings in dependency court. In many cases, a judge will appoint a CASA volunteer to advocate for a child throughout the overburdened court system’s proceedings.
Volunteer lawyers work directly with the CASA volunteers to provide legal guidance and technical assistance to expedite the process and quickly get the child into a safe and stable environment.
