Our INItiatives

We advance justice for the most underrepresented children across the state through several initiatives.

School Justice

We work with schools to provide children with needed supports and reduce their risk of involvement with the juvenile justice system. Schools with effective discipline policies keep kids in class learning and create a safe and productive learning environment for all students.

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School Justice

Housing Justice

Georgia Appleseed advocates for reforms large and small, local and statewide, that increase access for low-income children and their families to stable, healthy homes. Children in healthy homes do better in school, have lower levels of justice involvement, and can look to a brighter future.

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Housing Justice

Behavioral Health

We work with local school climate committees that are required in each county across the state to improve children’s behavioral health services and to integrate these services with Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS).

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Behavioral Health

Foster Care (FAIR)

Children in foster care face unique barriers to school success. Georgia Appleseed advocates for legal and policy innovations to the foster care system, grows the community of advocates for children in care, and provides direct legal representation for children in care facing suspension or expulsion from school.

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Foster Care (FAIR)

Our Approach

We employ a three-pronged approach of direct connection, community and coalition building, and system reform.

Direct
Connection

Connecting directly with the children and families we serve is at the heart of everything we do.
Direct
Connection

Coalition
Building

Building a community of advocates across the state is vital to being able to advance justice.
Coalition
Building

System
Reform

Guidance, policy recommendations, and legal resolutions to address persistent systemic issues.
System
Reform

Leadership

Board of Directors

Tori Silas

Board Chair

Eric Fisher

Board Vice Chair
Barnes & Thornburg

Carrie Zhou

Board Secretary
Aprio

Adam Ozgo

Board Treasurer
EY

Harold Franklin

Immediate Past Board Chair
King & Spalding LLP

Ebony Mobley

YPC President
Georgia Institute of Technology

Adwoa Awotwi

Locum Tenens

Alison Ballard

Taylor English Duma

Mary Benton

Alston & Bird LLP

John Bey

Bey & Associates

Matthew Bozzelli

Southern Company

David Brackett

Bondurant Mixson & Elmore

John Fleming

Eversheds Sutherland

Paula Frederick

State Bar of Georgia

Brian Gordon

McDermott Will & Emery LLP

Kate Helm

Nelson Mulllins Riley & Scarborough, LLP

Judge Todd Markle

Court of Appeals of Georgia

Jessica McKinney

WestRock

Christopher Middleton

Cox Rodman & Middleton

Micah Moon

Delta Air Lines

Judge Shondeana Morris

DeKalb County Superior Court

Raj M. Nichani

The RMN Agency

Diane Prucino

Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton

Randi Schnell

Rooms To Go

Neil Shorthouse

Partners in Change

Amy Steigerwalt

Georgia State University

L. Chris Stewart

Stewart Miller Simmons

Debra Tavaras

Soulstice, Inc.

Marc Taylor

Taylor English Duma

Team

Staff

Michael Waller

Executive Director Michael Waller leads the Georgia Appleseed team in the development of innovative policy solutions and tools to keep …

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Career

Jobs and Internships

FULL-TIME POSITIONS

We are currently seeking a Staff Attorney to join our team. View and share our Job Description, and/or submit your application to Human Resources.

INTERNSHIPS & EXTERNSHIPS

We invite rising 2L and 3L law students to share our passion to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline, keep low-income families and their children in safe and healthy homes, and support children in foster care. We offer unpaid internships and externships for fall, spring, and summer.  In addition, we host fellows from a variety of fellowship programs. We value new perspectives, and diversity in life and work experience.

Interns and externs assist attorneys and program staff in all current program activities. An individual intern or extern’s experience will depend on their interests and goals, and our current needs.

They may do the following:

  • Conduct legal, social science, and policy research
  • Write and update attorney manuals and guidance
  • Draft and prepare legal and other advocacy documents (including pleadings, briefs, talking points, emails, etc.)
  • Develop tools for parents, students, and other caregivers
  • Visit and interview stakeholders
  • Assist in the representation of children in foster care before school disciplinary tribunals
  • Attend and assist with coalition and other stakeholder meetings
  • Participate in advocacy strategy sessions
  • Collect and assess statistical data
  • Coordinate public programs and events

Interested students should send a current resume by email to programs@gaappleseed.org with “Internship/Externship Query” in the subject line of the email. In the body of the email, please explain why you are interested in working with us, and highlight life, education, and work experiences you believe relevant to our work. We prefer applicants who can commit to a full semester or summer internship or externship.

Georgia Appleseed Center for Law and Justice is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate against any job applicant or employee because of that person’s race, color, sex, age, religion, national or ethnic origin, disability, sexual orientation, creed, citizenship, HIV status, or marital status.  We recognize the value of diversity in the workplace and strongly urge people in all protected groups to apply for employment. Reasonable accommodations will be made for individuals with mental or physical disabilities who are otherwise qualified to perform the essential duties and responsibilities of a given position in a satisfactory manner, provided the needed accommodation does not result in an undue hardship for Georgia Appleseed.

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