Juvenile Law Commons^™

Family Group Conferences As A Form Of Court Approved Alternative Dispute Resolution In Child Abuse And Neglect Cases, Jolene M. Lowry

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

The problems associated with long-term foster care of children have escalated over the past decade as more abused and neglected children enter the already overworked and underfunded state child protective system& The recent Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 mandates giving preference to placement within the extended family for children who cannot be returned to their parents. Compliance with this law requires substantial changes in the policies and procedures of human services agencies in most states. This Article discusses "family group conferencing,' a new model for working with families within the system. Family Group Conferencing originated in …

Speaking To Tribal Judges On The Matter Of Improving Children's Court Practice In Child Abuse And Neglect Cases In Our Country: A Proposal For A Uniform Children's Code, Julian D. Pinkham

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

Since the 1970 the responsibilities of the tribal children's courts have increased dramatically. In child welfare case tribal courts no longer simply determine whether a child has been abused or neglected. They now also oversee the placement of the child in a shelter, foster care, or a permanent home, as well as determine the parent's treatment or visitation rights The complexity of the cases causes unacceptable delays in placing Indian children in need of care and hinders the placement of Indian children within the tribal community.

Judge Pinkham introduces a proposed solution to the problems of current tribal child welfare …

Crafting An Advocate For A Child: In Support Of Legislation Redefining The Role Of The Guardian Ad Litem In Michigan Child Abuse And Neglect Cases, Albert E. Hartmann

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

Michigan's current statutory system leaves the role of the child's attorney unclear. In this Note, Hartmann advocates the adoption of a legislative proposal that will redefine the role of the child's attorney. The proposal specifies that the child's primary legal representative should be a guardian ad litem who will represent the best interests of the child. Hartmann begins by describing the current system and then analyzes how the proposal will modify the role of the child's attorney. Hartmann argues that the proposed changes would be highly beneficial and identifies specific points of improvement. Hartmann concludes by suggesting several reforms to …

Arkansas' Missed Opportunity For Rehabilitation: Sending Children To Adult Courts, Gerrard F. Glynn

University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law Review

No abstract provided.

Court-Created Boundaries Between A Visible Lesbian Mother And Her Children, Susan J. Becker

Law Faculty Articles and Essays

This essay identifies some of the boundaries and obstacles imposed by the courts on a "visible" lesbian mother striving to maintain a healthy relationship with her children. The term "visible" is used to describe a mother whose lesbian sexuality has been revealed to a court empowered with defining her future contact with her children. The primary focus here is on children who were conceived through a heterosexual relationship, and where a heterosexual parent, grandparent, or other person is challenging the lesbian mother's right to custody of, or visitation with, her own children. Court created boundaries are identified and discussed in …

We Know Better Than We Do: A Policy Framework For Child Welfare Reform, Donald N. Duquette, Sandra K. Danzinger, Joan M. Abbey, Kristin S. Seefeldt

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

The need for comprehensive reform of child welfare policies and systems has long been evident. This Article reports observations from the WK Kellogg Foundation-sponsored Families for Kids Initiative that seeks to expand services and support to families and reduce the time children spend in temporary care. The authors first provide an overview of the need for reforms such as those proposed by this initiative, suggesting that many child welfare studies, critiques, and proposed reforms have had similar objectives. The authors highlight lessons learned from how these reform goals are being developed, implemented, and practiced in ongoing programs across the nation …

Developing A Child Advocacy Law Clinic: A Law School Clinical Legal Education Opportunity, Donald N. Duquette

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

Clinical legal education has become an accepted and integral complement to traditional law school curricula. Professor Duquette argues that clinical education is uniquely able to integrate the teaching of practical skills and legal doctrine, elevating students' understanding of both. Duquette maintains that a child advocacy law clinic can teach a broad range of practical skill benefit the hosting law school by providing an opportunity for interdisciplinary education as well as a public relations benefit, while simultaneously serving an important need in most communities for quality representation of all parties in child abuse and neglect cases. Most importantly, participation in a …

Portable Guides To Investigating Child Abuse: An Overview, Us Department Of Justice

Juvenile Justice Bulletin

No abstract provided.

Keeping Young People In School: Community Programs That Work, Us Department Of Justice

Juvenile Justice Bulletin

No abstract provided.

Domestic Child Abuse Under The U.N. Convention On The Rights Of The Child: Implications For Children's Rights In Four Asian Countries, Paula C. Littlewood

Washington International Law Journal

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is the first binding treaty to endorse children's rights as separate from both adults and the family, and is thus an important step in international law toward recognition of children as rights bearers. An inquiry into the extent to which children enjoy human rights logically begins with Article 19 of the Convention which guarantees a child's right to freedom from abuse and neglect by any party. While most literature in this area concentrates either on the rights guaranteed by the Convention or issues raised by studying child abuse across cultures, …

Recent Developments In Nontraditional Alternatives In Juvenile Justice, Barbara Gilleran Johnson Hon., Daniel Rosman

Loyola University Chicago Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Juvenile Delinquents In The Federal Criminal Justice System, Us Department Of Justice

National Institute of Justice Office of Justice Programs

No abstract provided.

The Best Of Both Worlds: Financing Software Filters For The Classroom And Avoiding First Amendment Liability, 16 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 659 (1998), Peter G. Drever Iii

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

As the Internet expands, educational institutions have become interested in the medium for the purpose of expanding learning opportunities. Information that may be objectionable to some members of the community, however, would then be available to children in schools with Internet access. Attempts to regulate the content of the Internet have yet to pass a First Amendment challenge. Concern over what children will be exposed to when the Internet is introduced in the classroom is currently being addressed by educators and legislators alike. The Communications Decency Act was the first to attempt to address the issue of Internet access in …

Writing Wrongs In Welfare: Why Legislating Morality Will Not Solve The Crisis Of Poverty, Daniela Kraiem

Articles in Law Reviews & Other Academic Journals

No abstract provided.

An Interdisciplinary Seminar In Child Abuse And Neglect With A Focus On Child Protection Practice, Suellyn Scarnecchia

Articles

Given the myriad of professionals involved in protecting children from abuse and neglect, legal practice in the field of child protection requires an understanding of the various disciplines these professionals represent. Professor Scarnecchia argues that such an understanding is necessary in order for the attorney to serve as a zealous advocate for her client. In hopes of creating this understanding in students at the University of Michigan, an interdisciplinary seminar in child abuse and neglect has been created. Professor Scarnecchia details the substantive content of the seminar, discussing specific issues that arise in protecting children. She explains that by using …

Unlocking The Closet Door: Protecting Children From Involuntary Civil Commitment Because Of Their Sexual Orientation, Miye Goishi

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

The Use Of Facilitated Communication In Child Abuse Prosecutions, James Frederick Watson

University of Richmond Law Review

Before allowing a child who has alleged that he or she has been abused to testify at trial, a judge must be satisfied that the child is competent. In other words, the judge must find that the child has the ability to "observe, record, recollect and recount as well as an understanding of the duty to tell the truth." Determining whether children with certain developmental disorders are competent to testify has recently presented the courts with some difficult issues, as evidenced by a recent case in which the Supreme Court of Kansas upheld a conviction based primarily on the apparent …

The Hague Convention On The Civil Aspects Of International Child Abduction: Commencing A Proceeding In New York For The Return Of A Child Abducted From A Foreign Nation, Custody, Background And Purpose Of The Hague Convention,, Stephanie Vullo

Touro Law Review

No abstract provided.

Austin Owen Lecture: Reassessment Should Not Lead To Wholesale Rejection Of The Juvenile Justice System, Lawrence L. Koontz Jr.

University of Richmond Law Review

While coming into the twenty-first century will be a new experience for all of us, we should be conscious of the intersections of the past, present, and future as we near the year 2000.

From The Mouths Of Babes: Dealing With The Child Witness, Susan J. Becker

Law Faculty Articles and Essays

This article addresses the challenges of child witnesses and the use of expert testimony in child abuse cases. The author offers tips for litigators on what not to do when working with children as witnesses.

The Evolution Of Adolescence: A Developmental Perspective On Juvenile Justice Reform, Elizabeth S. Scott, Thomas Grisso

Faculty Scholarship

The legal response to juvenile crime is undergoing revolutionary change, and its ultimate shape is uncertain. The traditional juvenile court, grounded in optimism about the potential for rehabilitation of young offenders, has long been the target of criticism, and even its defenders have been forced to acknowledge that it has failed to meet its objectives. Beginning in the late 1960s, when the Supreme Court introduced procedural regularity to delinquency proceedings in In re Gault, courts and legislatures began to slowly chip away at the foundations of the juvenile justice system. Recent developments have accelerated and intensified that process, as …

Desegregating The Adoptive Family: In Support Of The Adoption Antidiscrimination Act Of 1955, 30 J. Marshall L. Rev. 593 (1997), Rebecca Varan

UIC Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Sixth Amendment: Protecting Defendants' Rights At The Expense Of Child Victims, 30 J. Marshall L. Rev. 767 (1997), Julie A. Anderson

UIC Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Child's Right To An Open Future: Yoder And Beyond, Dena S. Davis

Law Faculty Articles and Essays

Every time I teach a class on church and state, I am reminded again of how much we owe to the religious minorities in our midst. If it were not for Amish, Quakers, Jews, Santerians and especially Jehovah's Witnesses, what an impoverished understanding we would have, not only of the religion clauses of the First Amendment, but also of the Free Speech Clause. The original parents in Wisconsin v. Yoder are now grandparents, and their children, with or without the benefit of a high school education, have grown to adulthood and probably have children of their own. But 25 years …

Second Hand Smoke And Child Custody Determinations--A Relevant Factor Or A Smoke Screen?, Merril Sobie

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

The thesis of this brief article is simply that the tobacco habits of a parent are relevant and worthy of consideration when a child is asthmatic, or suffers from some other definable medical condition which would be exacerbated by passive smoke. However, when the child is healthy and there exists no definitive short-term medical risk, the issue should be irrelevant. In other words, the court should consider those factors, and only those factors, which are of significant importance to the child, such as stability, caretaker skills, home environment and the child's wishes. Concededly, second-hand smoke is harmful even to a …

Civil Rights During The 1990'S: New Treaty Law Could Help Immensely, Connie De La Vega

Connie de la Vega

This article argues that ratification by the United States of two major international human rights treaties (the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD)) should have an impact on civil rights issues in this country. It contends that although many of the rights enumerated in the treaties are similar to those provided for in state and federal constitutions and statutes, there are many areas where the treaty clauses are more protective of individuals' rights. It also asserts that even though the United States ratified both treaties …