A community outreach and education grant from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission awarded to Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, Inc.’s Bi-National Project on Family Violence provided a basis for a training to LANWT attorneys and local private pro bono attorneys titled International Parental Abduction: Prevention and Response on February 23, 2007 at the Dallas Bar Association Belo Mansion. The Dallas Bar Association and Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas hosted the event. This training has been offered around the state to shelter advocates, law enforcement officers, attorneys, judges, and others.  It focused mainly on the legal remedies available to survivors of family violence whose cases involve international parental abduction. Specifically, the purpose of the training is to expose professionals to the risk factors associated with parental abductions and to provide them with information and tools they can use when working with clients regarding the following:

1) preventing parental abductions;
2) preparing to respond to an abduction—what information to have available, etc.; and,
3) responding to an abduction - legal remedies, etc.

The goals for the training are that at the end of the training all attendees should:

·             Understand the legal tools available to help prevent parental abductions;

·             Know how to properly advise clients who fear their children will  be abducted by the other parent;

·             Understand basic concepts of Mexican and International law that may effect their clients’ rights and remedies in the event of an international abduction.

·             Understand the legal remedies available to clients whose children are abducted by a parent (or another family member) to another country in derogation of the other parent’s rights;

·             Know how to properly advise clients whose children have been abducted by a parent (or another family member) to a foreign country;

·             Know how to properly advise and represent clients who have either fled abuse with their children within the U.S. or fled to the United States from another country; and

·             Prepare pleadings in international abduction cases.

·             Prepare a plan of action when confronted by unsympathetic law enforcement officials.

The training was a big success with over 75 participants of Legal Aid staff attorneys and private pro bono attorneys form around the DFW Metroplex.  The registration and lunch provided was free to all attendees. For pictures of the event , Please click here.