Working within Michigan’s Family Division Court System

Description:

In this webinar, you will be given an overview of the Michigan Family Division court system, including structure and jurisdiction within the Family Division, Family Division Referees, the Friend of the Court, and specialty courts. To help child welfare professionals understand the legal perspective involved in their work, this webinar will describe the training and ethical obligations of lawyers and judges, as well as discussion on how to work cooperatively to better serve clients. The nature of our court system and how this may impact decision making will also be described.

Objectives:

1. Differentiate between the social worker’s and the lawyer’s ethical obligations toward clients.

2. Understand the organizational structure, and different components of Michigan’s family division. court system.

3. Propose how lawyers and social workers can cooperate to better serve their common clients.

Format: Live Zoom (once registered you will find a link on the online event page)

CECHs: 1 Continuing Education Contact Hour.

Skill Level: Recommended for LMSW beginning and intermediate skill levels.

Refunds: You can refund yourself up to 7 days before event on Eventbrite.

Accommodations: Please email us directly with any special accommodations you may need at swkce@msu.edu

Contact Info: swkce@msu.edu

Instructor:

Joseph Kozakiewicz, JD, MSW earned bachelor’s and law degrees from Columbia University in 1985 and 1988, and an MSW from Grand Valley State University in 2000. Mr. Kozakiewicz worked for Ottawa County’s Family Court first as a Circuit Court Referee and then as Director of the Friend of the Court before he became Director of the MSU Chance at Childhood Program in 2003.