(877) FLA-PATH 
Call the PATH Project helpline for free legal help.
The Path Project serves as an information and advocacy center for minors facing difficult pregnancy choices. We help teens under the age of 18 navigate the courts so that they can make decisions about their own reproductive health care.
Training and Representation
Beginning in 2008, the Regional Counsel offices have been taking court-referred judicial bypasses, eliminating the court registries that allowed volunteers to be paid for these cases. However, these cases may still be done pro bono and we welcome the opportunity to work with attorneys who are interested in participating.
The ACLU has an approved CLE training, offering 3.5 credits (1.0 ethics). for attorneys who would like to represent minors in judicial bypass cases. We can offer these trainings in any part of the state where there are interested attorneys; please contact us at 1-877-FLA-PATH or 1-877-352-7284 if you would like to schedule a training in your area.
Once an attorney is trained, her introduction to the client varies, depending upon where the court is located. When a teenager calls the PATH Project helpline she is asked, among other things, in what county she lives. Based on her home county, she will be instructed to contact the regional counsel for a direct referral, or she will be told that she will be notified when an attorney is found for her, likely within 48 hours.
Some counties have not yet developed a streamlined referral process through the court. For teens in those counties, the PATH Project notifies trained local attorneys on our list when a case is available. The attorney who volunteers is then given the teenager's contact information and they proceed from that point to the hearing.
Choosing a Court (if necessary)
Your client's location, her time limitations, and her ability to travel will each in part determine which court you choose. You may go to any court anywhere within the same DCA in which the teenager lives.
Teenagers who reside in other states may petition for judicial waiver in any circuit in Florida.
Court Statistics
The state requires an annual report, filed each February, on the number of cases filed and disposed in each county. The report lists the number of petitions and dispositions, but does not include appeals.
(Check later on this site for the report to be posted.)