Child Law

The newsletter of the ISBA’s Section on Child Law

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2013 Articles

The ABA Model Act on the representation of children in abuse, neglect and dependency cases—An overview By Joanna Wells May 2013 The Model Act provides a framework for a sea change in the way child lawyers in juvenile neglect and abuse cases function in Illinois.
Assessing children’s forensic interview statements By Amy Russell March 2013 A discussion of several elements that might assist in assessing the internal reliability of a child’s interview statements.
CASA: Specialized advocates for medically at-risk kids By Stefanie L. Cooley May 2013 Children who are medically fragile or those having special, medical needs are provided an advocate able to comprehend the medical diagnoses and convey to the courts the meaning behind medical terminology.
Casenote: In re A.P. and J.P. , 2012 IL 113875 By Kimberly L. Dahlen March 2013 The Illinois Supreme Court unanimously affirmed the appellate court’s decision to reverse the circuit court's finding.
Changes to the Adoption Act intended to reduce time to termination By Anne Bartolo December 2013 Late last summer, the Illinois Legislature passed SB 1686, amending the Adoption Act by changing the measuring time frame for parents to make reasonable progress toward their Court-ordered services in order to avoid termination of their parental rights.
Extended juvenile jurisdiction: The carrot/stick option for redirecting a delinquent minor By Harry E. Clem May 2013 In any case where a minor is at least age 13 and is charged with a felony, the State may ask the court to designate the case as an extended juvenile jurisdiction (EJJ) prosecution pursuant to 705 ILCS 405/5-810.
Girls’ empowerment groups: Shaping the next generation of female leaders By Mary F. Petruchius August 2013 Girls who are empowered with the information taught in groups such as the ones listed in this article are equipped with tools and information to make positive choices and educated decisions regarding their lives.
Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice—What’s happening in our state juvenile prisons? By Elizabeth Clarke December 2013 A look at the system since it was implemented more than six years ago.
Navigating Juvenile Court By Bridget L. Schott March 2013 An overview of juvenile law, for those attorneys who may be unfamiliar.
Post-majority support for education in Illinois By Jennifer Wood August 2013 While support for college expenses is regularly included in a Judgment for Dissolution, Illinois case law is inconsistent regarding the correct measure of a parent’s financial obligations.
Raising the age of adult criminal prosecutions By Betsy Clarke May 2013 The Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission has recommended raising the misdemeanor age to include 17-year-old youth charged with felony offenses (but not violent felonies subject to automatic transfer to adult court).
Redeploy Illinois program comes to several counties in the First Judicial Circuit By Kimberly L. Dahlen December 2013 The Redeploy Illinois Program for juveniles will begin January 2014, in the First Judicial Circuit counties of Jackson, Johnson, Massac, Pope, Saline, and Union.
Retroactivity of child support By Jon D. McLaughlin August 2013 A look at a few situations where retroactive child support would be allowed.
Thoughts from the Chair By Carol Casey August 2013 A message from Section Chair Carol Casey.
VAP—Standing to challenge By David House December 2013 The Illinois Supreme Court will decide this term whether the State has standing to file a motion to declare the nonexistence of a parent child relationship.