Our Story

Four trailblazing women

In 1997, the Children’s Law Center (CLC) was created by four trailblazing women who recognized a critical unmet need: legal representation for vulnerable children in contested custody, visitation, guardianship and domestic violence proceedings.  

• Judge Judith Kaye, the first female Chief Judge of the State of New York,
• Fern Schair, the first woman to serve as chief executive of the City Bar,
• Hon. Carol Sherman, CLC’s first Executive Director, and 
• Barbara Dildine, CLC’s first Deputy Director 

These four women came together to launch a pilot project in Brooklyn which quickly expanded across the city. We are proud of their legacy of service to children and families. 

Our founding years

CLC was the first legal services nonprofit in New York City focused on representing children in Family Court. Early cases centered on custody, visitation, and guardianship. In the first few years, the CLC:

• Filed its first appellate brief, beginning a long legacy of shaping child advocacy law
  
• Quickly became known for giving children an independent voice in legal proceedings 
  
• Represented over 2,000 children in first fiscal year
  

Expanding our reach

In our second decade, we grew immensely:

• Opened four community offices across the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island 
• Grew legal team to 30+ attorneys handling complex custody and domestic violence cases 
• Established interdisciplinary approach—pairing attorneys with social workers to provide holistic representation 
• Played a key role in shaping legal protections for children in NYC custody cases 
• Launched the Securing Seamless Education Services Project (SSES) – pronounced SUCCESS – in 2011 to assist our clients with education advocacy in the court, community, and the school system 
• Reached a milestone of 50,000 children served 

Advocating for systemic change

Over the last decade, the Children’s Law Center has significantly expanded our practice, our reach, and developed our advocacy approach.  

• Filed 1,000+ appellate briefs, influencing child welfare & family law precedents 
• Led litigation in landmark Appellate Division cases 
• Expanded legal services to include Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) for migrant children 
• Reached a milestone of 100,000+ children served 

The Children’s Voice Project

The Children’s Voice Project was launched in 2024 to amplify the perspectives of court-involved youth. In its first few months, the CVP developed its first group of fellows, produced booklets, brochures, and educational materials, and distributed more than 1,000 materials to children and families.

Today and onward

We look forward to a robust future, continuing our tradition of pioneering children’s representation in the great, diverse city of New York:  

• Serving 5,000+ children annually with a team of 38+ attorneys, social workers & paralegals 
• Expanding pro bono partnerships to increase legal aid for underserved children 
• Advocating for NYC Family Court reforms to improve child-centered practices 
• Increasing services for children in domestic violence, SIJS & international custody cases 

For almost three decades, The Children’s Law Center has transformed the lives of thousands of children in NYC. As we continue to grow, we invite you to join us in advocating for a better future.