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Full-Text Articles in Law
The Family Court: An Historical Survey, Merril Sobie
The Family Court: An Historical Survey, Merril Sobie
Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications
The New York Family Court this year celebrates its twenty-fifth anniversary. Hailed as an "experimental" tribunal, designed to resolve society's most intractable problems, including family dissolution, delinquency and child neglect, the court has been perceived as a radical development which altered the then existing legal rules governing family affairs. The Family Court Act indeed incorporates several creative provisions. But the court's foundations were built upon solid jurisprudential underpinnings, principles which had evolved over the course of the preceding century. Establishment of the court was neither radical nor experimental; in reality, Family Court represents the latest increment in the development of …
Unsafe Havens: The Case For Constitutional Protection Of Foster Children From Abuse And Neglect, Michael B. Mushlin
Unsafe Havens: The Case For Constitutional Protection Of Foster Children From Abuse And Neglect, Michael B. Mushlin
Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications
The six sections of this Article present the case for direct federal court involvement in aiding foster children who are at risk of abuse and neglect while in foster care. Section I discusses the extent of abuse and neglect in foster care as well as the structural causes of this maltreatment. It also explains the inevitable failure of the political branches of government to confront the problem. Section II describes the constitutional right to safety and surveys the judicial treatment of that right, including the lack of development of the right for children in foster care. Section III discusses differences …
Surrogacy And Adoption: A Case Of Incompatibility, Barbara L. Atwell
Surrogacy And Adoption: A Case Of Incompatibility, Barbara L. Atwell
Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications
This Article explores the public policy doctrine relating to contracts generally and examines specific public policies set forth in state adoption statutes. The Article concludes that surrogate parenting agreements are 1) incompatible with consent provisions of state adoption statutes, 2) inconsistent with state laws prohibiting baby-selling, and 3) inconsistent with state adoption provisions that provide for a thorough investigation of the adoptive parents in order to ensure that the adoption serves the child's best interests. Accordingly, this Article suggests that as state legislatures debate the best means of addressing the issue of surrogate parenting, they should recognize that surrogate parenting …