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

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

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

Lawyer said to have BigLaw connection arrested after young children found alone at beach

A Tampa, Florida, lawyer who identified her employer as White & Case has been arrested after she was accused of leaving two children, ages 3 and 7, unattended for at least a half-hour at Upham Beach in St. Pete Beach, Florida.

Oct 12, 2023 1:01 PM CDT

Former Cohen Milstein partner pleads guilty to child-porn possession

A former partner at Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll has pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography after his arrest as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Oct 5, 2023 10:45 AM CDT

For 30 years, ABA Children’s Rights Litigation Committee has trained and supported kids’ lawyers

The Children’s Rights Litigation Committee “has just been a fantastic banger of the drum that kids need true representation, just like anyone else who’s inside a system that is making incredibly impactful decisions about their lives,” says Angela Vigil, the longest-serving member of the committee.

Sep 21, 2023 8:50 AM CDT

State can’t rely on ‘gossamers of speculation’ to justify ban on gun marketing to minors, 9th Circuit says

A law that bans truthful firearms advertising that appeals to minors should be blocked, a federal appeals court has ruled.

Sep 14, 2023 1:29 PM CDT

Ex-BigLaw partner shown in tirade videos sues influencer for allegedly destroying his career

A former Greenberg Traurig partner has sued a social media influencer for allegedly posting “false, defamatory and misleading videos” that sought to depict him as an abusive father and spouse.

Sep 7, 2023 12:08 PM CDT

Family First: A group of Washington lawyers works to keep infants with their mothers

While family separations have long been the norm when treating babies born dependent on substances, recent research suggests allowing a mother to stay with and care for her infant significantly improves their health outcomes.

Sep 7, 2023 11:06 AM CDT

Alabama can enforce ban on transition treatment for transgender minors, 11th Circuit says

A federal appeals court on Monday ruled that Alabama can enforce a ban on puberty blockers and hormone treatments for transgender youths.

Aug 22, 2023 8:57 AM CDT

Was slap that left mark child abuse? Suspended judge who sought to hide son’s act didn’t think so

A judge in Wayne County, Michigan, has been censured and suspended for six months without pay for hiding evidence that her son had physically abused one of her grandsons.

Aug 4, 2023 9:04 AM CDT

Shadow Foster Care

In formal foster care, child protective services agencies annually separate more than 250,000 children from their parents and place them in their state’s legal custody under the oversight of a family court judge. By some estimates, agencies separate the same number of children through hidden foster care but do so by suggesting parents transfer physical custody to a kinship caregiver, such as a grandparent or aunt.

Aug 1, 2023 3:30 AM CDT