Attorney Leslie Stewart's law practice is child-centered because helping children is her passion.  She is intimately familiar with children's issues not only as an attorney, but as a result of her experiences as a foster parent, adoptive parent, and concerned family member.  While she has extensive experience litigating employment and civil rights matters, she has always been involved in child welfare issues, and for the past decade, has devoted herself solely to child welfare issues.  She views child welfare as an important aspect of civil rights.

Years ago, when Ms. Stewart sought to retain an attorney who was familiar with juvenile court procedures, she discovered that very few attorneys had any expertise in this area.  This realization led to a dramatic shift in the nature of her practice. 

Since that time, Ms. Stewart has worked as a child advocate attorney, a guardian ad litem attorney in both juvenile and superior courts, an attorney intermediary representing adoptive parents seeking critical information from birth parents, and as an attorney for prospective guardians who seek to register abandoned children for school.  She is particularly delighted to assist prospective adoptive parents in creating forever families.

Ms. Stewart joined the Georgia Bar in 1990.  Her maturity and life experiences have influenced her practice of law.  While everyone recognizes that the overburdened child welfare system is imperfect, Ms. Stewart has adopted a collaborative working style with agency personnel and opposing counsel whenever possible.  As a result, she has formed relationships with her colleagues, DFCS personnel, and service providers which can allow speedier resolution of conflicts.

Ms. Stewart has frequently functioned as a "guardian ad litem" (GAL), an "officer of the court" appointed to represent the child's interests without being bound by the child's expressed preferences.  She provides a legally-trained voice for the child, and can enter the litigation arena with the license and skills to subpoena and examine witnesses, present evidence, formulate legal arguments, and explain to the child client the legal consequences of the court's actions.  Through ample experience, Ms. Stewart has become well-versed in child development and skilled in communicating with children at various stages of their lives.

Regardless of whether Ms. Stewart's actual client is a child, she is committed to serving the best interests of the child at the center of a controversy.

EDUCATION

J.D.     Georgia State University College of Law             1990

             American Jurisprudence Award, Constitutional Law

B.A.    Georgia State University, Magna cum Laude    1987

Ms. Stewart was recently named as a Fellow for the Supreme Court of Georgia's Committee for Justice for Children Cold Case Project.  This research project seeks to identify why some children languish in Georgia's foster care system with an eye to developing best practices for the future. 

Contact Us

Contact the Law Office of Leslie Stewart to talk with us about child welfare and juvenile law issues. We can be reached at 678 592 8592.  Initial phone consultations are free.

Who We Are

Attorney Leslie Stewart has been an active volunteer in her community in Decatur for decades.  As both a mother and grandmother, she recognizes how important family ties are, and attempts to work for  family reunification whenever feasible.  When this is not feasible, she works for the best possible alternative.  She is a fierce advocate for the rights of children, but is always guided by a thoughtful consideration of the best interests of the child.

Attorney Stewart welcomes the opportunity to collaborate with other attorneys.  She is ably assisted by clerical and paralegal staff.