Position Description
At least one must have experience representing parents in juvenile court. Both must be admitted to practice law in the state.
The appointing authorities may not appoint any of the following to be a member of the board:
- a person who is a judge;
- a person who is a registered lobbyist;
- a person serving as a guardian ad litem or counsel for a guardian ad litem;
- a person who serves as counsel for children in juvenile court;
- a person under contract with or employed by the Department of Human Services or a county department of human or social services; or a current city or county attorney or assistant city or county attorney.
All members shall demonstrate an interest in maintaining a high quality, independent appellate defense system for parents in juvenile protection proceedings who are unable to obtain adequate representation, a robust program for parent attorneys in Minnesota, and an efficient coordination effort, in collaboration with the Department of Human Services, to secure and utilize Title IV-E funding.
No more than five members of the board may belong to the same political party.
At least three members of the board shall be from judicial districts other than the First, Second, Fourth, and Tenth Judicial Districts.
To the extent practicable, the membership of the board must include persons with disabilities, reflect the ethnic diversity of the state, take into consideration race and gender, and include persons from throughout the state. The members shall be well acquainted with representing parents in district court and appellate proceedings related to child protection matters as well as the law that affect a parent attorney's work, including chapter 260C, the Rules of Juvenile Protection Procedure, the Rules of Civil Appellate Procedure, the Indian Child Welfare Act, and the Minnesota Indian Family Preservation Act.