The first article identifies some issues regarding the legal rights of children in custody and placement hearings and summarizes the articles presented in this special issue on these matters. The next article presents empirical evidence on the success of children's rights claims in the U.S. Supreme Court between 1953 and 1992. Two articles propose two alternative models of representation for children. One author argues that in an abuse or neglect proceeding, children should be represented by a lay volunteer guardian ad litem who is a trained advocate of the child's best interest. The other author contends that children should be represented by independent counsel who advocate the child's expressed preferences. Another article reviews the legal implications of the "Gregory K." case, which involved a young boy successfully filing suit for the termination of the parental rights of his biological parents. The author supports the court's granting of the boy's request and the right of children to initiate court proceedings in which they can seek legal actions they believe to be in their best interests. The three remaining articles discuss reform of the Nation's foster care systems, a comprehensive approach to the representation of children, and a report on a national agenda for legal action to assist America's children at risk. Article footnotes