Family Law

Lesbian moms’ rights not violated by birth-certificate law, Arkansas Supreme Court rules

Arkansas laws that require the mother and father to be listed on birth certificates don’t violate the constitutional rights of lesbian spouses, the Arkansas Supreme Court has ruled. The court on Thursday ruled against three lesbian married couples who used anonymous sperm donors to conceive, report the Wall Street Journal…

Dec 9, 2016 11:12 AM CST

Letters: Criticism of article on Indian child

“Children of the Tribe”, October, sadly reports without question the Pages’ version of Lexi’s transfer to a kinship placement supported by her own attorney, the state of California and the Choctaw Nation. Worse, the article uncritically highlights the media event created by the foster parents and their counsel (and disappointingly…

Dec 1, 2016 4:30 AM CST

Trump says gay marriage is settled law, but he still wants ‘pro-life’ justices

Donald Trump told 60 Minutes on Sunday that he will quickly nominate a Supreme Court justice, and his court nominees will be “pro-life” and “very pro-Second Amendment.” But he told Lesley Stahl in the interview that the issue of marriage equality is “irrelevant because it was already settled. It’s law.…

Nov 14, 2016 10:05 AM CST

Jones Day and ABA develop VetLex legal referral network to provide pro bono help to veterans

Jones Day is hosting programs at 18 of its offices on Friday to introduce lawyers and executives to a referral program being developed with the ABA that will link veterans to pro bono and low-cost lawyers. The program, expected to launch in the spring, is called VetLex, report Bloomberg Big…

Nov 11, 2016 8:38 AM CST

Hillary Clinton’s dogged approach to litigation mirrors her political style

Hillary Clinton’s approach to cases as an Arkansas litigator in the 1970s wasn’t all that different from the way she handles challenges as a politician today. That’s the appraisal of the New York Times, which took a look at some of Clinton’s cases, including her representation of an accused rapist…

Nov 3, 2016 1:40 PM CDT

Lawyer creates heartbreak museum

A tube of toothpaste might not seem like an item worthy of an exhibit. But it’s exactly the kind of artifact that the Museum of Broken Relationships wants to showcase.

Nov 1, 2016 3:40 AM CDT

Federal legislation aims to help students who are homeless or living in foster care

In the past, legislative efforts to improve the quality of elementary and secondary education generally overlooked the unique needs of children who are homeless or living in foster care.

Nov 1, 2016 12:40 AM CDT

Exonerated inmate’s $20M settlement is marital property in divorce, appeals court says

An exonerated inmate who married his wife while he was in prison can’t exclude his $20 million wrongful-conviction settlement from marital property, an Illinois appeals court has ruled. The Illinois Court of Appeals ruled in the case of Juan Rivera and Melissa Sanders-Rivera, the Chicago Tribune reports. Rivera had been…

Oct 6, 2016 2:43 PM CDT

Lawsuits dispute whether the Indian Child Welfare Act is in the best interests of children

Alexandria P.’s short life has been full of harsh goodbyes. At 17 months, she was taken from her parents after accusations of neglect. Los Angeles County authorities placed her in a foster home—but within months, she suffered a black eye and a scrape and was removed again.

Oct 1, 2016 5:00 AM CDT

Law firm helps social workers stay up to date with continuing education classes

Untangling bad legal advice, especially when it’s given by someone who isn’t a lawyer, is a difficult task, particularly if the faulty information comes from a person the client trusts, such as a social worker.

Oct 1, 2016 2:20 AM CDT

Alabama chief justice is blocked from office for a second time

Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore has once again been blocked from his post for ethics violations stemming from his refusal to comply with court rulings on social issues. In a judgment (PDF) on Friday, the Alabama Court of the Judiciary suspended Moore without pay for the rest of his term…

Sep 30, 2016 11:38 AM CDT

Senate adjourns without passing child welfare bill; ABA had warned of funds cut

The U.S. Senate adjourned on Thursday without passing a child welfare bill that had the backing of the ABA. According to reporting by the Chronicle of Social Change, the adjournment “ended any chance for the Family First Prevention Services Act of 2016.” The ABA had issued a press release on…

Sep 30, 2016 11:09 AM CDT

Judge denies media request to unseal Trump’s divorce records

A judge in New York has denied a media request to unseal records of Donald Trump’s 1990 divorce from Ivana Trump. Judge Frank Nervo ruled on the request by the New York Times and the Gannett newspaper group in a decision released on Thursday, report Politico and Law.com. Nervo cited…

Sep 23, 2016 11:57 AM CDT

Family court judge says gay relationships are ‘just entertainment’

A family court judge in Lexington, Kentucky, told a religious group earlier this month he loves gays, but their relationships are “sterile” and “just entertainment.” Judge Tim Philpot criticized the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision finding a right to gay marriage as “pretty close to insane” and said gay marriage is…

Sep 22, 2016 2:53 PM CDT

Can mentally incompetent man obtain a divorce? Kentucky Supreme Court to decide

The Kentucky Supreme Court on Friday considered whether any elderly man who has been declared incompetent can divorce the woman who is serving as his guardian. The lawyer for Elmer Riehle is asking the state supreme court to overturn a 1943 decision finding that state law did not authorize a…

Aug 22, 2016 8:45 AM CDT