Family Law

These 3 organizations are using innovative methods to help older youths in foster care

In our final story of the year for our Children & the Law series, we are focusing on the needs of older foster youths about to transition out of care and what supports and services make a difference in their lives. Here are three ways that organizations around the country are helping with this essential work.

Dec 18, 2023 8:22 AM CST

Supreme Court declines to consider challenge to conversion-therapy ban; 3 justices would have heard case

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to consider a challenge to ban in Washington on conversion therapy for LGBTQ minors, prompting dissents from three justices.

Dec 11, 2023 2:05 PM CST

Private criminal defense lawyers failed to show up for their cases more often than defendants, Philly study finds

Some lawyers are less reliable than defendants when it comes to showing up in court, according to a study of criminal cases in Philadelphia courts during a 10-year span.

Dec 6, 2023 4:12 PM CST

Navigating family law cases requires an abundance of one thing: respect

My 40-plus years litigation practice in the Toronto area consisted of a moderate amount of family, aka matrimonial, cases. In spite of this area being emotionally charged, I think that I was able to maintain a reasonable degree of sanity. Reasonable.

Dec 4, 2023 2:58 PM CST

Does artificial intelligence discriminate in child neglect case assessments?

When Andrew and Lauren Hackney followed their doctor’s advice in caring for their baby, the Pennsylvania parents never dreamed it would lead to losing custody of their 7-month-old daughter—or that their heartbreak would be at the center of a U.S. Department of Justice investigation.

Dec 1, 2023 1:00 AM CST

DePaul University College of Law dean will lead ABA legal education starting next summer

The DePaul University College of Law’s dean will become the managing director for accreditation and legal education at the ABA, replacing Bill Adams, effective June 1.

Nov 29, 2023 12:08 PM CST

Trying to kill ex-husband with hatchet violates separation agreement’s covenant of good faith, state appeals court says

Updated: A husband does not have to make continued payments to his ex-wife under a separation agreement after she tried to kill him with a hatchet, the Massachusetts Appeals Court has ruled.

Nov 27, 2023 8:42 AM CST

Family members who step in to care for children can get extra support with ABA guidance

In late September, the U.S. Administration for Children and Families published a rule urging child welfare agencies to develop different standards for grandparents, aunts and uncles or other kinship caregivers who step in to raise children who can no longer live with their parents. The ABA Center on Children and the Law is now working to assist these states.

Nov 8, 2023 3:10 PM CST

Christian student will receive $150K in suit alleging school meditation program included Hindu ritual

A former public school student who alleged that she was coerced to participate in a school meditation ritual that violated her Christian religious beliefs has accepted a $150,000 offer of judgment from the Chicago Board of Education and the foundation that developed the program.

Nov 7, 2023 9:08 AM CST

Judges ‘do not do double duty as sheriffs,’ 4th Circuit says in denying judicial immunity for home search

A West Virginia judge who led a warrantless search of a divorce litigant’s home is not entitled to judicial immunity because she engaged in a nonjudicial act, a federal appeals court ruled Monday.

Oct 31, 2023 1:29 PM CDT

NCBE extends current bar exam until 2028, NextGen test will include family law

Along with extending the offering of the current exam until February 2028, the National Conference of Bar Examiners announced that family law will be added back to the list of foundational concepts and principles on the NextGen bar exam starting that same year.

Oct 26, 2023 1:31 PM CDT

There’s an ‘urgent need’ to support female lawyers with children, new ABA report shows

Mothers are far more likely than fathers to encounter negative experiences at work, including disparaging comments, lower compensation and fewer advancement opportunities, according to a new ABA report released Wednesday that assesses how the motherhood penalty and other caregiver bias impacts female lawyers.

Oct 25, 2023 9:34 AM CDT

Making It Work for Working Moms (and Dads): How law firms can support new parents

There are few events in life more pivotal and significant than becoming a parent, especially for the first time. Yet even in today’s era of post-COVID-19 extravagant employee wellness initiatives that focus on mental health, many employers fail to recognize the importance of providing their workforce with the one benefit that will enhance both employee retention and job satisfaction: a robust parental leave policy.

Oct 24, 2023 2:30 PM CDT

Bank robber who became Georgetown Law prof faces new criminal charges

Shon Hopwood is well known for the story of how he turned his life around after becoming a skilled jailhouse lawyer while in prison for bank robbery. But he faces new legal troubles after he was charged with two misdemeanor counts of assaulting his wife.

Oct 23, 2023 9:44 AM CDT

Migrant family-separation settlement provides path to asylum, 8-year ban on Trump-era policy

The U.S. government has agreed that for the next eight years, it won't reinstate a Trump administration zero-tolerance policy for illegal immigration that led to the separation of thousands of immigrant children from their families.

Oct 17, 2023 9:32 AM CDT