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Full-Text Articles in Law
Children Of Assisted Reproduction, Kristine S. Knaplund
Children Of Assisted Reproduction, Kristine S. Knaplund
University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform
More than three decades after the birth of the first child conceived through in vitro fertilization, few states have comprehensive statutes to establish the parentage of children born using assisted reproduction techniques (ART). While thousands of such children are born each year courts struggle to apply outdated laws. For example, does a statute terminating paternity for a man who donates sperm to a married woman apply if the woman is unmarried? In 2008, the Uniform Probate Code (UPC) added two much-needed sections on the complicated parentage and inheritance issues that arise in the field of assisted reproduction. Yet it is …
Measuring The Next 30 Years, Beth Locker, Andrew Barclay
Measuring The Next 30 Years, Beth Locker, Andrew Barclay
University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform
The last thirty years have seen many changes in the field of child protection, as child welfare law and policy have been undergoing nearly constant change. Those changes, however, have rarely been supported by data or scientific research; rather, they seem to have been largely driven by individual perception of events and gut instincts resulting in what has become essentially a folklore-based system. By focusing on data and scientific research, we hope for better outcomes, but short of that, we at least hope to know whether, and why, outcomes change. The move towards data collection and analysis has begun, but …
Behavioral Genetics And The Best Interests Of The Child Decision Rule, David J. Herring
Behavioral Genetics And The Best Interests Of The Child Decision Rule, David J. Herring
University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform
This Article proposes that modern child custody law should be reassessed in light of recent scientific findings. Judicial determinations of custody use the "best interests of the child" rule. The rule is justified to a large extent by the goal of maximizing child developmental outcomes. The assumption is that a child whose "best interests" are protected stands a better chance of becoming a socially well-adjusted, productive and prosperous citizen.
Recent child development studies have shown that so-called "shared environment, "or home environment factors have little effect on child development so long as the shared environment is minimally adequate. Genetics and …
Before It's Too Late: Neuropsychological Consequences Of Child Neglect And Their Implications For Law And Social Policy, Janet Weinstein, Ricardo Weinstein
Before It's Too Late: Neuropsychological Consequences Of Child Neglect And Their Implications For Law And Social Policy, Janet Weinstein, Ricardo Weinstein
University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform
Recent developments in the neurosciences have led to dramatic breakthroughs in the area of brain development and the understanding of consequences of neglect. Because this process was heretofore not understood, legislators have been wary of drafting child protection statutes that afforded the possibility for arbitrary interference with families. Strict statutory standards have been adopted that allow coercive intervention only in cases where the child is at substantial risk of imminent physical harm, or after some of the most severe consequences of neglect have been identified. These laws do not consider developmental harm because it does not present an imminent danger …
Fda Approved? A Critique Of The Artificial Insemination Industry In The United States, Karen M. Ginsberg
Fda Approved? A Critique Of The Artificial Insemination Industry In The United States, Karen M. Ginsberg
University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform
Artificial insemination by donor is becoming an increasingly popular means to achieving parenthood. While the majority of couples use artificial insemination to overcome fertility problems, many recipients use artificial insemination to avoid passing a genetic disease to their children. However, case studies reveal the inherent dangers of artificial insemination, namely the lack of proper screening methods to avoid passing genetic diseases to children born by artificial insemination. State-by-state regulation, federal guidelines, and private adjudication have all proven to be inadequate methods of regulating the artificial insemination industry. Ginsberg proposes federal regulation as the only means of achieving a safe artificial …
Designating Male Parents At Birth, Jeffrey A. Parness
Designating Male Parents At Birth, Jeffrey A. Parness
University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform
In focusing on legal designations of male parentage as of the time of birth, this Essay first reviews the methods by which such designations currently are made. The difficulties raised by contemporary methods then will be explored, together with suggested reforms involving laws that could promote earlier, more complete, and more accurate designations of male parentage as of the time of a child's birth.
From Coitus To Commerce: Legal And Social Consequences Of Noncoital Reproduction, Joan Heifetz Hollinger
From Coitus To Commerce: Legal And Social Consequences Of Noncoital Reproduction, Joan Heifetz Hollinger
University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform
This paper argues that there is an urgent need for the creation and clarification of a legal framework within which contemporary efforts to produce or procure children can take place. State legislatures should act now in order to avoid the kind of crisis that confronts Great Britain, where an infant girl, the product of a breached surrogacy contract, has been impounded by a British court. While the court ponders how to determine the legal parentage of this particular child, Parliament considers criminal penalties for those who arrange surrogacy contracts and general regulations to constrain IVF and ET research and practice. …