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Hennepin
County Bar Association Honors
George Williams, Volunteer Guardian ad Litem,
with Advancement of Justice Award
Minneapolis (5-20-04): --
The Hennepin County Bar Association (HCBA) is pleased to
announce George Williams as the 2004 recipient of the
Advancement of Justice Award. Presentation of the award
was made May 20 at the HCBA Annual Meeting.
The Advancement of Justice Award is the only award
given by the HCBA to recognize the work of a non-lawyer.
The award is given to an individual or agency in
recognition of contributions toward improving the
administration of justice, achieving freedom through
law, or increasing the public’s understanding of the
legal profession and justice system.
The award was given to Mr. Williams in recognition of
his work as a volunteer for the Hennepin County Guardian
ad Litem office. Guardian ad Litems work on behalf of
children who are wards of the state to represent their
best interests in court. Volunteers learn about how the
legal system places children who have been removed from
their homes, and monitor how the children respond to
their new settings. The volunteers then report these
findings to the court and advocate on each child's
behalf.
Mr. Williams became a Guardian ad Litem volunteer in
March 1997 and has since represented 24 children,
working closely with attorneys and county staff. Without
volunteers such as Mr. Williams, these abandoned
children might not achieve the access to justice and
fair representation they deserve.
Mr. Williams, however, goes well beyond the regular
responsibilities of a Guardian ad Litem. He devotes
countless hours to making sure these children are
properly cared for, and that they have a clear
understanding of how
the legal system is working on their behalf. Mr.
Williams has taken children to medical and therapy
appointments, attended teacher conferences, and court
and social worker meetings. Williams also devotes
additional time to the children to make sure they feel
encouraged and supported.
Sonia Miller-Van Oort, an attorney at Flynn Gaskins
& Bennett, says that she has never seen "a
Guardian ad Litem so devoted, so thorough, and so about
conscientious of his role. George [Williams] is the
ideal role model for any Guardian ad Litem. Thanks to
George, the abandoned children he represents understand
and believe that the legal system has at least one kind
face that cares about their interests and is fighting
for an appropriate placement or outcome on their
behalf."
Mr. Williams is a Twin Cities native and graduate of
the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry in 1954.
He served as a Dental Officer in the Air Force and then
returned to Minneapolis and practiced dentistry,
eventually establishing his own office in Bloomington.
He retired from Dentistry after 40 years of practice.
Mr. Williams currently resides in Bloomington with his
wife of 23 years, Patricia.
While many retirees may decide that retirement is a
time for relaxation, Mr. Williams is instead actively
volunteering on behalf of Hennepin County children,
aiding with the advancement of justice in our community.
The Hennepin County Bar Association, the largest of
Minnesota's 21 county bar associations and representing
almost half of Minnesota's attorneys, is a private,
non-profit organization which provides or supports many
free or low-cost services to the public including:
Volunteer Lawyers Network which provide free legal
advice for low income people; TEL-LAW, a legal
information message system available at no charge in
local calling areas; Lawyer Referral and Information
Services; public education programming; and financial
grants through the Bar Foundation.
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Hcba:jds:040520
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