The Probate and Family Court Administrative Office in conjunction with the Administrative Office of the Trial Court, Boston Medical Center, the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Western New England College and Stonehill College will be presenting the second in a series of mandatory six (6) hour domestic violence training program for guardians ad litem. The first training was held in Boston on April 15 and 29, 2003 at the Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education training facility and one hundred and fifty-seven people attended. There will be no charge to attend this training.

          All guardians ad litem certified in either Category E, guardians ad litem/evaluators or under Category F, guardians ad litem/investigators, guardians ad litem/next friend, pursuant to Supreme Judicial Court Rule 1:07, must attend one of the training sessions in order to receive further appointments under Categories E and F.

          Some of the topics that will be covered will include the impact of domestic violence on children, the role of the guardian ad litem in cases involving allegations of domestic violence, the impact of domestic violence on parenting, the custodial presumption statute, report writing and parental alienation. Chief Justice Dunphy said "We believe a uniform training concerning domestic violence for guardians ad litem involved in child welfare cases will be beneficial to all guardians ad litem and better enable them to assist the judges in making decisions in the best interests of the children affected by litigation in the Probate and Family Court."

          For persons who were on the Category E or F lists prior to January 1, 2003, this training will satisfy the six-hour continuing professional education requirement for 2003. Any person who has applied and been accepted to either the Category E or F lists after January 1, 2003, must also take another six-hour professional education course during 2003 in either the child custody/visitation field for Category E or the domestic relations/custody, adoption fields for Category F.

          The following is the schedule of trainings:

• November 15, 2003 at Stonehill College, Easton
• November 18, 2003 at University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Worcester
• November 19, 2003 at Western New England College, Springfield

          All trainings will be held from 9:00 A.M. until 4:00 P.M.  Registration will begin at each location at 8:30 A.M.

          For persons who did not attend the Boston session, attendance at one of these sessions is mandatory in order to satisfy the six-hour continuing professional education requirement for 2003. To register for one of the trainings, please reply to Jamie Ann Sabino at the Administrative Office of the Trial Court via email at sabino_ j1@jud.state.ma.us* or send your reply to Ms. Sabino at the Administrative Office of the Trial Court, Two Center Plaza, 5th Floor, Boston, MA 02108 by October 31, 2003..

* please note that the email address listed above has an underscore ( _ ) in between the "sabino" and "j1"