Family Law Commons^™

Assimilation, Acculturation, And The Law: Solving A “Problem” Like Shar’Ia, Kristina E. Benson

LUX: A Journal of Transdisciplinary Writing and Research from Claremont Graduate University

An unexpected development in the English legal system involves Muslim women’s use of legally binding Shar’ia councils to protect their autonomy, marital security, and property rights. Although scholars and political commentators alike have voiced concerns that Muslim women will be treated unfairly in these councils, there is some indication that women have become adept at navigating this plural legal landscape and that they have often managed to secure better outcomes from Shar’ia family law than from English courts. Over 80 Shar’ia tribunals have been established to issue legally binding decisions on divorce, child custody, inheritance, and other areas of family …

Proposition 8 Is Unconstitutional, But Not Because The Ninth Circuit Said So: The Equal Protection Clause Does Not Support A Legal Distinction Between Denying The Right To Same-Sex Marriage And Not Providing It In The First Place, Nathan Rouse

Seattle University Law Review

In Perry v. Brown, the Ninth Circuit held that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional. But in doing so, the court stepped back from the breadth of the district court’s decision. The Ninth Circuit did not address whether same-sex marriage is a fundamental constitutional right. Nor did the Ninth Circuit address whether the Equal Protection Clause categorically prevents states from limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples. Instead, the Ninth Circuit reached the narrow conclusion that Proposition 8 violates the Equal Protection Clause because it withdrew a preexisting legal right from a marginalized group without any legitimate purpose. The Ninth Circuit should have held …

Let Me Count The Ways: The Unconstitutionality Of Same-Sex-Marriage Bans, Mark Strasser

Brigham Young University Journal of Public Law

No abstract provided.

“You Have The Right To Remain Silent”: Does The U.S. Constitution Require Public Affirmation Of Same-Sex Marriage?, Robert A. Destro

Brigham Young University Journal of Public Law

No abstract provided.

The Spanish Law On Same-Sex Marriage: Constitutional Arguments, Carmen Garcimartin

Brigham Young University Journal of Public Law

No abstract provided.

Equality Principles As Asserted Justifications For Mandating The Legalization Of Same-Sex Marriage In American And Intercountry-Comparative Constitutional Law, Lynn D. Wardle

Brigham Young University Journal of Public Law

No abstract provided.

How The Battle To Redefine Marriage Affected Family Law In Argentina, Ursula C. Basset

Brigham Young University Journal of Public Law

No abstract provided.

“The Pursuit Of Happiness” Comes Home To Roost? Same-Sex Union, The Summum Bonum, And Equality, Patrick Mckinley Brennan

Brigham Young University Journal of Public Law

No abstract provided.

The Constitutionality Of Same-Sex Marriage In Australia (And Other Related Issues), Augusto Zimmermann

Brigham Young University Journal of Public Law

No abstract provided.

The Forgotten Founding Document: Considering The Ends Of The Law, A. Scott Loveless

Brigham Young University Journal of Public Law

On the difficult moral issues confronting the judiciary today, a long overlooked bit of guidance is provided in the Declaration of Independence, natural law. This paper discusses the moral foundations of the Constitution and their relation to positive law, primarily addressing "same-sex marriage" in the context of Proposition 8 in California, but broadly applicable to other moral/legal conflicts such as abortion and the display of religious texts on public grounds, such as the Ten Commandments. It also challenges the judicial activism evident in many such cases as a judicial violation of the requirements of substantive due process.

To Prevent And To Protect: The Reporting Of Child Abuse By Educators, Jon M. Hogelin

Brigham Young University Education and Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Pulling Back The Curtains: Undetected Child Abuse And The Need For Increased Regulation Of Home Schools In Missouri, Tyler Barnett

Brigham Young University Education and Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Summary Of In The Matter Of Parental Rights As To A.G., 129 Nev. Adv. Op. 13, David H. Rigdon

Nevada Supreme Court Summaries

An appeal from a district court order denying a petition for termination of parental rights.

Whatever Your Thoughts On Marriage, Gay Divorce Is A Concern, Nathan B. Oman

Popular Media

No abstract provided.

So You're Going To Represent A Juvenile!, John R. Heilman

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Changing American Family: Can The Courts Catch Up?, George Thomas

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.

Where For Art Thou Danforth: Bellotti V. Baird , David C. Boatwright

Pepperdine Law Review

The author's focus is upon a Supreme Court opinion dealing with the constitutional parameters of a minor's right to make an independent decision with respect to abortion. The majority, in an attempt to balance the often conflicting interests of the minor, the minor's parents, and the state, sets forth the minimum requirements with which parental consent statutes must comply. The author emphasizes the significance of the high court's plurality split regarding this issue, and cautions the practitioner as to the possibility of inconsistent rulings on such statutes in the future.

Half Faith And Credit?: The Fifth Circuit Upholds Louisiana's Refusal To Issue A Revised Birth Certificate, Thomas M. Joraanstad

William & Mary Journal of Race, Gender, and Social Justice

No abstract provided.

Expatriate Domestic Relations Law In Mexican California , David J. Langum

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.

Joint Custody As A Parenting Alternative, Billy G. Mills, Steven P. Belzer

Pepperdine Law Review

Joint custody of children has been a recently accepted alternative to the traditional child custody/visitation orders that usually follow dissolution proceedings. In 1980, California became one of the first states to provide, by statute, a presumption in favor of an award of joint custody to the parents. The authors present the legislative history of this joint custody statute and synthesize the various views that have been expressed on the subject of joint custody. Also presented is a discussion of the legislative intent behind the statute and whether the current law is the most effective means of protecting the best interests …

Illegitimate Harm: Law, Stigma, And Discrimination Against Nonmarital Children, Solangel Maldonado

Florida Law Review

No one would dispute that for most of U.S. history, nonmarital children suffered significant legal and societal discrimination. Although many individuals believe that the legal disadvantages attached to “illegitimate” status have disappeared in the last forty years, this Article demonstrates that the law continues to discriminate against nonmarital children in a number of areas, including intestate succession, citizenship, and child support. Societal biases against nonmarital children also remain. A majority of Americans believe that the increase in nonmarital births is a significant societal problem and almost 50% believe that unmarried women should not have children. Some courts are aware of …

Mediating The Religious Upbringing Issue In Divorce Cases, Katheryn M. Dutenhaver

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

The article presents information on the family dispute resolution based on divorce cases based on religion. The judicial orders in different jurisdictions related to custodial parent are considered. The difficulty facing the judges while deciding the remedies and the need of designing stand-alone dispute resolution system is discussed. The techniques utilized by the mediators in solving such disputes are also discussed.

How To Give The Dog A Home: Using Mediation To Solve Companion Animal Custody Disputes, Emily Franklin

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

The article presents information on the domestication of dogs with respect to the resolution of the custody disputes of the animals and the method of mediation for the solving the disputes of companion animals in the U.S. Companion animals are considered as the essential part of the family in the country. Information on the requirement of mediation with respect to the animal law and the family law of the U.S. is also presented.

Doe V. Ministry Of Health, Elyakim Rubinstein, Isaac Amit, Daphne Barak-Erez

Translated Opinions

[This abstract is not part of the Court's opinion and is provided for the reader's convenience. It has been translated from a Hebrew version prepared by Nevo Press Ltd. and is used with its kind permission.]

This is a petition against the First and Second Respondents’ decision not to permit the Petitioner (a single woman, born in 1974) to use sperm donations by an anonymous donor (the Third Respondent), which were preserved for her (for a fee). The Petitioner had her first daughter from the Third Respondent’s donation. She is now interested in undergoing an additional insemination process with that …

Reimbursement Of Community Contributions To A Spouse's Education Upon Divorce: California Civil Code Section 4800.3, Suzanne E. Rand

Pepperdine Law Review

When the California Legislature passed California Civil Code section 4800.3, it attempted to create a remedy for the circumstances posed by the highly publicized case of In re Marriage of Sullivan. The legislature created a new cause of action for "reimbursement" of funds contributed to the education or training of a spouse. The question remains whether reimbursement is an equitable and workable remedy for the Sullivan type situation. This comment analyzes the section and suggests possible approaches to litigation of a section 4800.3 claim.

The Use Of In Vitro Fertilization: Is There A Right To Bear Or Beget A Child By Any Available Medical Means?, Matthew R. Eccles

Pepperdine Law Review

The prodigious advancements of biomedical science in human reproduction have brought both blessing and cursing in recent years. Many join with childless couples and hail the opportunity to bear a child, while others fearfully contemplate the moral and ethical consequences that accompany the birth of that child. In view of those consequences, laws limiting access to the new methods of reproduction are bound to be drawn and couples are bound to challenge them as unconstitutionally limiting their right to privacy. This comment examines the arguments of both sides in determining whether the right of privacy protects the use of the …

The Deconstruction Of The Marital Privilege, Barbara Gregg Glenn

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.

Dissolution Of Marriage: California Spousal Support, Sarah J. Hoover

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.

Why We Should Raise The Marriage Age, Vivian E. Hamilton

Popular Media

No abstract provided.

The Supreme Court Refused To Expand The Right Of Privacy To Include Homosexual Sodomy In Bowers V. Hardwick, Richard J. Wittbrodt

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.