It's a fitting end to Brewer's 13-year career as the first and only director of the state office that represents children in abuse and neglect cases, says Anne Freimuth, executive director of Prevent Child Abuse Utah, which is honoring Brewer next week.

"It's always difficult to lose somebody that has just clear vision," Freimuth said. "There's no waffling. When she thinks something is going to be best for a child, she's going to fight for it."

Brewer's last day as director of the Utah Guardian ad Litem's Office is May 11. She is moving to Olympia, Wash., and leaving child welfare behind. She will represent that state in professional licensing matters.

"Anyone that works in the child welfare arena, you see a lot of turnover and burnout just because it's a stressful subject matter," said Brewer, who grew up in Utah and earned her law degree at the University of Utah.

Even though she built the office from the bottom up - she now oversees 33 attorneys plus 30 more support staff who work throughout the state - Brewer doesn't fear for the fate of the office.

She noted that her attorneys have been trained on various aspects of neglect, from substance abuse to domestic violence.

"Historically, representation of children often falls to, I'd call it, the last-rung-on-the-ladder attorneys. What we've created here is an office of top-notch attorneys. These are people who choose to represent children."

Brewer has personally worked on high-profile cases, including representing the children of Heidi Mattingly Foster and polygamist John Daniel Kingston.

She's battled the Legislature over legislation such as an early version of an anti-Ritalin bill, which would have restricted teachers' conversations with parents about the drug. She defended her office after it was criticized by a 2005 legislative audit, which led to an unsuccessful attempt by lawmakers to limit the office's power.

The office was created as the result of a 1993 landmark lawsuit that has overhauled child welfare in Utah.

A Guardian ad Litem oversight panel will help pick a new director.

hmay@sltrib.com