“Someone Who Was There Just for Me”
On February 9th, our very own Jahlia Hernandez had the opportunity to tell her story at the Chief Judge’s annual State of the Judiciary Address.
What Jahlia, the founder and leader of CLC’s trailblazing community engagement program, shared at the address is critical for everyone to hear:
“Kids have a right to tell the adults how they feel. And adults should listen… Justice for children means giving them a voice.”
A Spotlight on AFCs
Judge Wilson dedicated his annual address to highlighting the Family Court’s critical role in society. CLC was so honored to be among those invited to speak to highlight the life-changing role that Attorneys for the Child play in Family Court proceedings.
“Our clients face the trauma of domestic violence, migration, continual conflict, death of a parent or caregiver, or mental health issues—all of which are often compounded by economic inequality,” shared CLC ED Liberty Aldrich at the event. “But the very real prospect of not having a voice in the decisions that shape their most intimate lives, of being told that they don’t matter by their family members or by powerful people, causes additional damage.”
Using Her Voice
Jahlia, whose case was in Court from the time she was 2 until she was 17, powerfully communicated the importance of her Attorney.
“Having an Attorney for the Child was life-changing for me. She became one of the only people in my life that I felt comfortable talking to about my family situation. It was too hard to talk to my friends and too stressful to talk to family.”
“Knowing that there was an adult in the courtroom whose sole job was to advocate for me made me feel seen, protected, and less alone in a system that often felt overwhelming.”
The Children’s Voice Project, the youth initiative that Jahlia leads, invites former CLC clients to spread awareness of children’s rights in Family Court. The Project aims to educate current clients as well as the broader community.
Many court-involved children do not, however, get an AFC. Lack of funding, resource constraints and insufficient public awareness all contribute to this—many children and adults alike have never heard of an Attorney for the Child. And AFCs continue to receive less funding and have higher caseloads than other attorneys.
We were thrilled to have been invited to speak at the 2026 State of the Judiciary to share the critical work CLC is doing every day to empower young people experiencing disruption and violence in their family lives.
We are just getting started in 2026. Children need and deserve direct representation in Family Court—whether that is in SIJS, custody, orders of protection or child protective proceedings. It is what justice demands.