See Justice Come to Life by Serving as an Adoption Attorney for Foster Parents
The MC Law Adoption Legal Clinic is working with the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services (MDCPS) to help provide permanent homes for children in foster care. Law students enrolled in the Adoption Legal Clinic serve as the attorney in cases where foster parents have committed to provide a permanent home for the minor child who has been the victim of child abuse or neglect. This clinic brings abstract notions of justice to life by offering students the opportunity to learn Adoption Law, Termination of Parental Rights Law, how to properly file a case with the court, meet with clients and witnesses, liaise with social workers and judges, draft all pleadings and file them with the court, schedule court hearings with court administrators, represent families in court, and apply for the child's post-adoption birth certificate.
The MC Law Adoption Legal Clinic works with the Department of Child Protective Services (MCPS) to help provide permanent homes for children in foster care.
As an adopting family, you will need legal assistance to complete the adoption of the child or children who have been placed in your home. If you do not have an attorney and do not wish to seek one, the Adoption Legal Clinic can provide legal assistance at no cost to you.
A law student who is supervised by a full time law professor admitted to the practice of law in Mississippi can help you finalize your adoption. No fees will be collected from you and you will not need to visit an attorney’s office.
Adoptive Procedure
Tell your adoption worker at MCPS that you wish to use the Adoption Legal Clinic at Mississippi College School of Law.
The Legal Clinic will receive your family’s adoption packet from the MCPS, and you will be contacted directly by the Legal Clinic. The Legal Clinic will prepare all legal documents for you.
You must return the adoption packet to the Legal Clinic via certified mail within five (5) days of receipt. A return envelope will be provided for you.
The Legal Clinic will communicate the court date to you and make certain you understand the procedure to follow.
Following the court date, you will receive the child’s birth certificate by mail directly from Mississippi Department of Vital Statistics within six (6) to eight (8) weeks.
The Adoption Legal Clinic serves families who do not have an attorney and do not wish to seek one.
If a resource family would like to use the Adoption Legal Clinic, they need only tell their adoption worker at MCPS and a clinic worker will pick up their packet from MCPS in Jackson.
Services are provided at no cost to the adoptive family.
MC School of Law Adoption Law Clinic Contact
Crystal Welch
Associate Clinical Professor
email: adoption@mc.edu
cell: 601.291.9719
phone:601.925.7179
fax: 601.925.7182
