Digital Commons Network^™

Child Welfare History Of Prison Inmates Would Provide Meaningful Data For Foster Care Policy Research And Planning, Maggie Zehring

Student Scholarship

Child welfare intervention in the United States continues to operate distinctly different in each states and community without a full picture of the overall system’s efficacy. While federal and state agencies collect extensive information on children’s movement in and out of the foster care system and related adjudication, there lacks a nationwide understanding of how kids fare after exiting the system. This note argues that Departments of Correction (DOC) nationwide should collect child‑welfare history from incarcerated individuals as part of existing intake procedures and regularly communicate the data for the federal Children’s Bureau to aggregate for longitudinal analysis of foster …

Cultural Considerations: A Discussion Of Schematic Information Processing In African Plea Bargaining, Emma Joy Mcarthy

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

Plea bargaining is a prominent form of alternative dispute resolution: it is the method of resolution for nearly 98% of criminal convictions in the United States and is growing in popularity worldwide, including across the continent of Africa. In many ways, plea bargaining reflects traditional restorative justice models practiced in Africa prior to the introduction of adversarial and retributive Western practices. This comment discusses schematic information processing, exploring how cultural influences shape the schemas held by members of African nations in contrast to Western ways of thinking. A deep value for community and an emphasis on relationships is at the …

The Normative Status Of States' Obligations To Mitigate The Climate Crisis: Implications For The Right To Adequate Housing, Erna Dyah Kusumawati, Sasmini Sasmini

Padjadjaran Jurnal Ilmu Hukum (Journal of Law)

The convergence of the global climate crisis, pursuant to the UNFCCC Paris Agreement and its implementing protocols as well as the fundamental right to housing has fundamentally disrupted established legal paradigms, necessitating a rigorous re-examination of the normative status of state obligations. This paper examines the scope of governmental responsibility to mitigate climate-induced threats to housing security. Drawing upon international human rights frameworks and contemporary legal discourse, the study interrogates the complex friction emerging at the intersection of environmental mandates and housing protections. Through a systematic analysis of the existing literature and recent developments in the international climate change framework, …

From Contested Rights To Perceived Threats: The Securitization Of Lgbt And Its Human Rights Implications In Indonesia, Melkias Hetharia, Basir Rohrohmana

Indonesia Law Review

Debates on LGBT rights in Indonesia have largely centred on the legal recognition of same-sex relationships and their compatibility with religion, Pancasila, and the constitutional framework. Recent developments, however, require the discussion to move beyond the question of recognition. This article examines the evolving legal and policy treatment of LGBT persons in Indonesia, particularly following Presidential Regulation No. 111 of 2025, which identifies the “spread of LGBTQ culture” as a non-military threat. Using normative legal research and securitization theory, the article analyses Indonesian constitutional principles, marriage and human rights law, relevant Constitutional Court jurisprudence, defence policy, and documented experiences of …

“When I’M Not Heard, I Feel Like I Don’T Matter”: Advancing Equity In Disability Policy Through Critical Participatory Action Research With People With Intellectual Disability, Cris Marchionne

Student Theses

People with intellectual disability deserve a system that offers flexible, timely, and person-centered support — one that is innovative, sustainable, and holistic in enabling them to live fulfilling lives. This qualitative study, grounded in Critical Participatory Action Research (CPAR), examines how people with intellectual disability experience participation in decision-making within New York State's disability service system. By centering lived experience, the study identifies factors that facilitate or hinder participation in decision-making and examines structural, social, and policy-related barriers that limit agency. Through six focus groups and a Photovoice project with self-advocates receiving OPWDD services, participants described systemic barriers that limited …

Intercountry Adoptions In South Africa And Uganda: Do Different Contracting Statuses Relative To The Hague Convention Matter?, Joseph Isanga

Idaho Law Review

No abstract provided.

A Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of Black Students In Criminal Justice Programs And Its Implications On Social Justice, Demetrius C. Dacres

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This study examined the experiences of Black students who graduated with degrees in criminal justice within the last five years, as well as professors serving criminal justice programs. In this study, Black students are defined as those who identify as Black or African American, and the research focused on a criminal justice higher education institution’s educational program in the Northeast. This qualitative phenomenological study drew on Lent’s Social Cognitive Career Theory and Tinto’s Student Integration Model to investigate how Black students experienced criminal justice programs and the resources and strategies they utilized to navigate and adapt. The study addressed a …

Legitimacy, Legality, And Canadian Climate Laws, Adebayo Majekolagbe

Dalhousie Law Journal

In 2021, the Supreme Court of Canada, in the References re Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act, confirmed that global climate change is real, human activities are the main cause, and climate impacts will be especially severe and devastating in Canada. Against this backdrop, the Court upheld the federal government's authority to set a nationwide minimum standard for the stringency of greenhouse gas pricing. Years after the Court endorsed the GGPPA, the legislation and its carbon pricing policy have struggled to gain legitimacy, meaning the acceptance and support of Canadians. In 2025, the carbon charge component of the law was suspended, …

Mediation As A Mechanism For Resolving Family Disputes In Lebanon: An Analytical Study Of Current Practice And Development Prospects, Amer El Masry

BAU Journal - Journal of Legal Studies - مجلة الدراسات القانونية

This study examines the effectiveness of mediation as a mechanism for resolving family disputes in Lebanon, with a particular focus on the gap between the legal framework governing mediation and its practical application. The research addresses the extent to which mediation, in its judicial and consensual forms, can provide effective and fair solutions to family disputes within a legal system characterized by multiple personal status laws, diverse judicial authorities, and the absence of a specialized framework for family mediation. It further explores challenges related to the protection of vulnerable parties, the balance of power between disputants, institutional integration, and public …

Systematic Review Of The Institutionalization Of Service Learning In Higher Education, Wilmer Hernan Cruz Gutierrez

ASEAN Journal of Community Engagement

An increasing number of universities are integrating service-learning (SL) to fulfill their social mission. However, sustainable institutionalization of SL remains a persistent challenge. This study identifies and analyzes the factors, actors, and strategies that drive and inhibit SL institutionalization in higher education. Using the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, a systematic literature review analyzed 52 documents from seven academic databases (including WoS, Scopus, and ERIC). The findings were grouped into three sections: cultural (integration into institutional values/missions), process (articulation within teaching, research, and outreach), and structural dimensions (dedicated support entities). The results obtained reveal a reciprocal relationship where cultural alignment enables processual …

The Role Of Social Emotional Learning In Utah’S Implementation Of Essa, Sharon Walles

Transforming Communities

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), as a policy, offers an additional tool to address the escalating adolescent mental health crisis. By acknowledging the critical link between student well-being, academic success, and evidence-based practices, this policy analysis explores how funding from ESSA can be leveraged to integrate Social Emotional Learning (SEL) within Utah’s schools. Experts, educators, and parents can be voices to combat misinformation surrounding the recent politicization of SEL and its implementation. This analysis connects Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory, which highlights the interconnectedness of the environment, with the importance of prioritizing mental health within schools to help adolescents with issues …

Associative Activists’ Engagement And The Professional Inclusion Of People With Disabilities In Morocco: Challenges And Prospects, Ahmed Belgaid

Revue Marocaine de Droit, d'Economie et de Gestion (Moroccan Journal of Law, Economics and Management)

The professional inclusion of people with disabilities requires the involvement of several stakeholders whose contribution remains underexplored in the Moroccan context. This research highlights the role of non-profit organizations as partners in implementing inclusion policies for people with disabilities. In Morocco, given the lack of professional structures offering support services to companies, candidates and employees with disabilities, working with non-profit organizations appears to be a relevant alternative. Based on an exploratory qualitative methodology, the study examines the contribution of associative actors to the professional inclusion process and the role they play in facilitating recruitment, integration and retention. The results show …

Reconfiguring Civil Society Organization Governance Models For Social Inclusion And Sustainable Innovation: Practical Contributions Of The Tamuri Programme, Oussama El Hadfi, Mostafa Kharbachi

Revue Marocaine de Droit, d'Economie et de Gestion (Moroccan Journal of Law, Economics and Management)

Today, civil society organizations (CSOs) play a decisive role in promoting social innovation and reducing inequalities, particularly in disadvantaged territories. Aware of their potential, several support and guidance schemes have emerged to strengthen their impact. The Tamuri programme, led by the Moroccan Center for Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship (MCISE) and co-funded by the European Union, is part of this dynamic through structured and personalized support for CSOs from diverse territorial contexts. Despite these efforts, many organizations still face difficulties related to governance, financial structuring and the sustainability of their actions. This article aims to analyze, through an empirical approach and …

Taking The Thumb Off The Scale: Rebalancing Parental And Children’S Rights To Empower Child Protective Services, Sebastian Wagner

Utah Law Review

This Note provides background on the current legal framework of state prevention of child maltreatment in the United States. It discusses parental rights and the Parental Rights Doctrine, child rights in the United States, and how states prevent child maltreatment through child protective service agencies.

This Note also explores the legal landscape surrounding the balance of parental rights and children’s rights in child welfare cases. One of the central issues in the current framework is how the Parental Rights Doctrine can significantly limit the state’s ability to intervene in cases where children are at risk. State intervention, governed by vague …

Aging Alone In Malaysia: Social Challenges And Legal Protections, Jal Zabdi Mohd Yusoff, Zulazhar Tahir, Siti Zaharah Jamaluddin

Hasanuddin Law Review

According to The Japan Times, nearly 28,000 elderly individuals in Japan will die alone in the first half of 2024. This alarming trend is not unique to Japan; many countries, including Malaysia, are facing the challenges of an aging population. As Malaysia approaches becoming an aging nation, issues affecting the elderly, particularly those living alone, demand urgent attention. While not all elderly people face the same circumstances, some enjoy stable finances or live with their family, while others live in isolation due to various factors, such as remaining unmarried, widowhood, or estranged familial ties. Some are simply separated by their …

Perceptions Of Legitimacy In Three Forms Of Probation Supervision For People With Serious Mental Illness, Sophia Sarantakos, Emily Claypool

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"In the context of criminal-legal community supervision, standard and specialized probation officers are often tasked with coordinating services for adults diagnosed with serious mental illness (SMI) on their caseloads. The coordination of services varies across different programs including traditional probation, specialty probation, and mental health court. Given the proliferation of programs focused on mental health in the criminal-legal system, the perspectives of front-line workers or street-level bureaucrats in criminal-legal agencies are a rich source of information about what is happening on the ground and could provide insights into the potential translational barriers of policy to practice. A deeper examination of …

Engaging Immigrant Families Of Children With Disabilities: Recommendations For Practitioners, Robai N. Werunga, John William Mckenna, Rocio Rosales

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Family involvement is essential for positive school outcomes. Yet research suggests that family engagement for students with disabilities may be marked by conflict. Furthermore, creating an environment that promotes active engagement for immigrant families may be challenging. In this paper, we synthesize existing research, legal guidance, and community-engaged insights to present four practice-oriented recommendations for educators and practitioners working with immigrant families of children with disabilities. Grounded in Hans and Love’s stages of immigrant family engagement, these recommendations aim to support meaningful and culturally responsive participation in special education processes.

Home Is Not Always Where The Heart Is: Examining The Inadequacy Of Legal Measures In The Deportation Of American Intercountry Adoptees, Katie X. Kaessinger, Esq.

San Diego International Law Journal

Despite entering the United States legally as children through intercountry adoption, thousands of American adoptees face deportation as adults because their parents failed to finalize their citizenship. Many of these adoptees have no meaningful linguistic, cultural, or familiar ties to their birth countries, and most have lived in the United States practically their entire lives. This Article explores the legal implications regarding the deportation of intercountry adoptees. More specifically, this Article argues that the deportation of intercountry adoptees reflects a grave systemic failure that violates international human rights law, rather than a mere shortcoming of domestic immigration policy.

Consulting various …

Regulating Psychological Wellness Grifters, Jennifer D. Oliva

Georgia State University Law Review

The rapid expansion of social media has transformed the delivery of psychological wellness advice, shifting mental health guidance from licensed professionals to digital influencers operating outside of traditional regulatory frameworks. As the global wellness industry surpasses $2 trillion, millions of Americans—particularly adolescents and young adults—consume mental health content from uncredentialed creators who often monetize psychological distress without professional oversight. Documented harms include misinformation about psychiatric medications, improper management of suicidality, unqualified diagnostic claims, and the migration of disciplined clinicians into unregulated “life coaching” roles.

This Article argues that state professional licensing regimes—governing psychologists, clinical social workers, professional counselors, and marriage …

Policing Sex Trafficking: 'They’Re Never Taught, You Know', Anila S. Duro

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Research shows that victims of sex trafficking are most likely to first come in contact with the police (Baldwin et al, 2011; Twigg, 2017) and at times police have not been able to categorize cases of prostitution as trafficking even when trafficking elements were very clear (Dank et al, 2017; Dempsey, 2017; Farrell & Cronin, 2015). Despite the legal definition of trafficking, the terms prostitution, sex work, and sex trafficking are sometimes used interchangeably by law enforcement, whereas at other times, these words refer to different sets of circumstances and have different criminalization outcomes.  Research in this area is limited …

Rehabilitation Or Retribution? A Socio-Legal Comparison Of Criminal Sanctions And Social Reintegration In Indonesia And Spain, Ridwan Arifin, Izan Mateo Cassandro

The Indonesian Journal of Socio-Legal Studies

This study examines the legal, institutional, and socio-cultural mechanisms influencing the social reintegration of ex-offenders in Indonesia and Spain. Despite a global trend toward rehabilitative approaches, practical implementation reveals significant divergence due to structural, cultural, and economic factors. Indonesia’s penal system, guided by Law No. 22 of 2022 and the new Criminal Code (KUHP), emphasizes statutory rehabilitation and vocational and spiritual programs. However, challenges such as prison overcrowding, limited post-release support, and societal stigma constrain effectiveness. Judicial decisions indicate cautious application of restorative provisions, reflecting both public expectations and institutional limitations. In Spain, rehabilitation is constitutionally entrenched under Article 25(2) …

Reforming Funding To Better Defend Families: Holistic Preventive Legal Advocacy That Checks Cps Agency Power, Joshua Gupta-Kagan

Faculty Scholarship

The federal government has provided funds to support legal representation of parents facing allegations of child neglect or abuse since 2019, across administrations of both parties. That funding illustrates the field’s recognition of parent defense’s importance to improving outcomes and reducing harms from the family regulation system, especially once CPS agencies file petitions against parents. Federal Title IV-E funding supports parent representation in those family court cases and for parents at risk of facing such cases. That funding has been an essential boon to parent representation and the benefits that flow from it. It is nonetheless time to take a …

Dementia, Advance Directives, And Second-Order Volitions, Rand Hirmiz

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

This paper contributes to the ongoing debate over the authority of advance directives in cases where patients with dementia express desires that conflict with their earlier wishes. Drawing on Harry Frankfurt’s concept of second-order volitions, I argue that the preferences of the pre-dementia self (the “then-self”) should, in most cases, take precedence over those of the post-dementia self (the “now-self”) –  particularly in instances where the now-self has lost the capacity to form second-order volitions and is no longer able to meaningfully repudiate prior values and commitments.

2026 Commencement Exercises, Benjamin N. Cardozo School Of Law

Commencement Programs

Order of Exercises

Processional:

Felix Wu, JD, PhD, Vice Dean, Professor of Law, Herald

Presiding: 

Selma Botman, PhD, Provost and Vice President for  Academic Affairs, Yeshiva University, Chief Marshal

Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman, President, Yeshiva University

National Anthem: 

Cantor Ira W. Heller, JD, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Class of 2008

Remarks: 

Melanie Leslie, JD, Dean, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Class of 1991

Commencement Address: 

Hon. Rowan D. Wilson, Chief Judge of the State of New York and the New York Court of Appeals

Student Remarks: 

Quentin Decurnes, LL.M. Class Speaker, Class of 2026

Basya Bates, …

“I Have A Voice”: Bridging The Communication And Sensemaking Gap Between Restorative Justice Practice And Program Implementation, Stefan Cocorelis

Dissertations

Restorative justice (RJ), a philosophy, practice, and movement inspired by local, largely Indigenous traditions, has increasingly been introduced in modern criminal justice systems as an alternative process to more comprehensively address harmful incidents, heal harms, and meet victim’s needs. While RJ implementation growth is encouraging for its advocates, there remain significant questions around formalized RJ practice. Specifically, little is known about the decision-making process in implementing and administering RJ programming within criminal justice. This dissertation aimed to contribute to the understanding of RJ practice and implementation efforts within criminal justice systems by putting emphasis on practitioners already working directly in …

A Qualitative Study Into The Impact Of Sweeps On Homeless-Serving Mutual Aid Groups In Portland, Or, Clover Javurek-Humig

Dissertations and Theses

Sweeps and land use enforcement are among the most persistent issues impacting unhoused communities. Mutual aid groups in Portland network with unhoused people regularly to mitigate the impacts of sweeps, provide direct aid, and build social capital among encampments. This study aims to understand the impact of policing and sweeps on mutual aid groups working with unhoused communities in Portland, OR. I conducted 18 interviews with mutual aid organizers and 8 months of fieldwork with mutual aid groups in Portland, OR in the years of 2025–2026. Transcripts were analyzed using a general inductive approach. This study finds that 1) Mutual …

Incorporating Principles And Wisdom From Hospital Chaplaincy And Pastoral Ministry To Create A Ministry Model To Address Social Isolation And Loneliness In Black Churches, Albert A. Kemp

Doctor of Ministry Projects and Theses

To address the growing and widespread epidemic of social isolation and loneliness, with special focus on Black churches, this dissertation developed a program with the following areas of application: 1) how healthcare trained chaplains can coordinate with churches to positively impact individuals identified as lonely and socially isolated with better social and physical health, 2) how principles of chaplaincy and pastoral care can mitigate and intervene competently when such people are identified, and 3) how the project’s model can be organized, taught, and incorporated into existing arenas of church ministry.

The purpose of the project was to create a ministry …

The Conceptual Architecture Of America First—Ideological Transactionalism And The Case Of Cuba, Larry Catá Backer

Penn State Journal of Law & International Affairs (2012 - Present)

No abstract provided.

Rehabilitation In Name Only: Structural And Procedural Failures In Tennessee’S Parole System, Laney Quickel, Ashia Davis, Kresha Patel, Michelle, Camillia, Sherra

Vanderbilt Social Justice Reporter

No abstract provided.

The Lived Experiences Of African American Youth With The Juvenile Justice System, Marion D. Rogers

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This qualitative case study examined the lived experiences of African American youth in the juvenile justice system using Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory and Intersectionality Theory as guiding frameworks. Three participants engaged in three rounds of in-depth interviews, and the data were analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding, with findings presented at the within-case and cross-case levels. Results revealed how family dynamics, school exclusion, community survival strategies, and systemic surveillance shaped participants’ pathways through the justice system, while experiences of resilience coexisted with mistrust, invisibility, and ambivalence toward counselors and authority figures. The study highlights the importance of culturally responsive …