The findings from this study raise the possibility that certain types of representation result in at least one better outcome for children. The data indicates that in the majority of counties, children involved in dependency cases were represented by either the public defender’s office (40 Percent), county-affiliated attorneys or by a panel of court-appointed attorneys (31 percent), that is, by independent types of representation. Further analyses were focused on whether the primary type of representation influenced outcomes with the results indicating that foster children in counties employing county-affiliated types of representation experienced a greater number of placements in the 12-month period compared to children in counties that used independent types of representation. Children involved in the juvenile courts because of abuse or neglect typically must rely on the legal system to adopt a plan for their custody and care. This study concerns types of attorney representation for maltreated children involved in juvenile court actions in the State of California. Data on the types of legal representation implemented in each of the 58 counties in California for the year 2000 were obtained by contacting county-level juvenile court administrators. Tables, references