Many years ago, I attended a lecture in which the speaker attempted to distinguish what “authority” means to a lawyer as opposed to a psychologist. According to the speaker, greater weight is given to legal opinions based on who issued them. For example, a decision of an appellate court carries more weight than that of a trial court. In contrast, psychologists make decisions based the “what” of … [Read more...] about Adopting? The Best Question Isn’t Who or What, But Why?
Fascinating Solutions Inspire the Ranks at ART Law Conference
This past week, I attended a conference on the state of Assisted Reproductive Technology – “A Global Approach to Family Formation” brought together nearly 1000 of my colleagues for an intense three days and made me realize that, no matter where in the world we practice ART law, we are all addressing the same issues, and all looking for creative ways to find legal solutions for our … [Read more...] about Fascinating Solutions Inspire the Ranks at ART Law Conference
Media Coverage Increases, But Good Placement Remains The Goal This November
November is National Adoption Month! If you have not noticed, the media is alight with articles about adoption issues these days. These range from the Portraits of an Adoption series sponsored by adoption.net to local news coverage about adoption issues. My current favorite is the very well-reasoned response of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute to the recent Reuters series on … [Read more...] about Media Coverage Increases, But Good Placement Remains The Goal This November
Oklahoma Supreme Court Allows Baby Veronica To Go Home With Adoptive Parents
The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Monday lifted a stay placed on an adoption dispute involving a Cherokee girl that was keeping her with her father and blocking an Order recognizing the adoption by her adoptive parents. After a two-year legal battle, Baby Veronica is reunited with her adoptive family. However, the battle may not be over. To recap, in 2009, a couple from South Carolina began adoption … [Read more...] about Oklahoma Supreme Court Allows Baby Veronica To Go Home With Adoptive Parents
Til Death Do U.S. Part: DOMA No Longer Impedes Same-sex Couples from Living in the U.S. Together
While the Supreme Court’s rejection of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, “DOMA” does little to expand the rights of same-sex couples residing in Pennsylvania, as it relates to immigration, same-sex couples may now share the same benefits as their heterosexual counterparts. In defining “marriage” to be between one man and one woman and “spouse” as a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or … [Read more...] about Til Death Do U.S. Part: DOMA No Longer Impedes Same-sex Couples from Living in the U.S. Together
….But Where is the Child?
Yesterday, the Supreme Court of the United States determined that certain provisions of the Indian Child Welfare Act do not apply when Native American birth parents have never had custody of the child. Following the Supreme Court’s decision, the state court must review the case again. Thus, the child’s legal status is still not resolved. The facts of the Supreme Court case are well known and not … [Read more...] about ….But Where is the Child?
