2019 Articles

Burned out? Overwhelmed? Meet Dr. Diana Uchiyama and the Illinois Lawyers’ Assistance Program By Mary F. Petruchius May 2019 An interview with Dr. Diana Uchiyama, the executive director of the Illinois Lawyers’ Assistance Program.

Case law update By Susan Brazas Goldberg April 2019 Highlights of important appellate court decisions issued over the past few months in the area of child law.

Case note: In re N.B. By Judge Robert J. Anderson April 2019 A summary of In re N.B.

Child Inclusive Mediation By Linda Sheehan August 2019 Pursuant to the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act, parents are required to attend mediation if they are unable to resolve issues pertaining to allocation of parental responsibilities by agreement.

A Conversation With Mari Christopherson, Executive Director of Illinois CASA By Missy Greathouse August 2019 An interview with Mari Christopherson.

Foreword By Matthew Kaplan February 2019 Matthew Kaplan remembers Mark Simmons, former vice chair and Child Law Section Council member, who passed away in December.

The Germanic system of justice: Learning about an approach focused on human dignity By Elizabeth Clarke April 2019 An overview of Germany's approach to juvenile justice and how it compares to Illinois'.

How Applicable Is the Decision of In re Marriage of Salvatore? Only Time and Future Appeals Will Tell By Amy Silberstein August 2019 The appellate court recently decided in In re Marriage of Salvatore that the full-time employment of your formerly unemployed ex-spouse does not constitute a substantial change in circumstances for purposes of modifying child support.

ISBA Child Law Section Council to Present Child Representative/GAL Continuing Legal Education Program By Josette Allen August 2019 The Child Law Section Council will be offering a CLE course for family law and domestic relations guardians ad litem/child representatives in October.

The Juvenile Defender Pilot Program By Elizabeth Clarke & Mark Hassakis February 2019 An overview of the Juvenile Defender Pilot Program.

Legal memorandum regarding a non-parent’s petition for allocation of parental responsibilities By Athina Pentsou February 2019 A look at whether a third party may file a petition for allocation of parental responsibilities under the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act.

A Note From the Editor By Amanda G. Highlander August 2019 A note from the editor, Amanda G. Highlander.

Note from the editor By Marc A. Bangser April 2019 An introduction to the issue from the editor, Marc A. Bangser.

Note from the editor By Marc A. Bangser February 2019 A note from the editor, Marc A. Bangser.

An Overview of the Illinois’ Gestational Surrogacy Act By Jared Guiffre August 2019 Illinois is one of the few states in the country that have a Surrogacy Act, under which intended parents and surrogates enter into an agreement that results in intended parents being the child’s legal parents without an adoption needing to be filed and approved.

Preserving Immunity for GALs in Juvenile Abuse Cases By Judge Martin Mengarelli August 2019 In Nichols v. Fahrenkamp, the Illinois Supreme Court addressed the issue of quasi-judicial immunity for guardians ad litem.

Raising ‘free-range children’: The role of substitute care By Leah Douglas April 2019 This article uses "free-range parenting" as a backdrop for a critique on how families get tangled in a system often unresponsive to the needs of children despite its mission of protecting them.

The rebuttable presumption of depravity in the Adoption Act: A closer look By Judge Martin Mengarelli April 2019 There is a great deal of confusion around the concept of the rebuttable presumption of depravity as it relates to unfitness under the Adoption Act.

Special Immigrant Juvenile Status: Protecting abused, abandoned, or neglected immigrant children By Hillary Richardson May 2019 In light of recent increased immigration raids and enforcement, it is more important than ever for immigrant families to have competent legal screenings to assess for relief from deportation.

Spotlight on Amanda Highlander By Missy Greathouse April 2019 An interview with Child Law Section Council Member Amanda Highlander.

Spotlight on Hon. Martin J. Mengarelli By Amanda G. Highlander February 2019 A spotlight on Judge Martin Mengarelli, a career-long member of the Illinois State Bar Association.

Two New Bills Affecting Immigrant Children Signed Into Law By Rebehak Rashidfarokhi August 2019 Summaries of two bills affecting the rights of immigrant children in Illinois that were recently signed into law.

VAPs and you By Jared Giuffre May 2019 An overview of voluntary acknowledgement of paternity.

Why working in child law really matters (and how I got my start) By Judge Robert J. Anderson April 2019 Judge Robert Anderson reflects on his work in child law.