Center on Children and the Law

The Center promotes access to justice for children and families. Our team of attorneys and core staff work on a diverse portfolio of national, regional and local projects in the children’s law field throughout the country. Center projects are unified by two complementary goals: improving legal representation and improving the legal systems that impact children and families.

Center News

ABE Opportunity Grants

The American Bar Endowment (ABE) is accepting applications for its 2020 Opportunity Grant Program cycle. ABE awards grants to new programs that: (1) enhance access to justice through innovative legal services delivery; (2) promote the rule of law and improve the justice system; and (3) increase public understanding of the law and the legal system to foster greater civic engagement.

New Toolkit: Using Adolescent Brain Research to Engage Youth

This new toolkit shares the latest adolescent brain science and explains how to use it to engage youth in their court hearings and case planning.

Legal Community Roles Implementing the Family First Prevention Services Act

The Center has drafted a short summary of different legal audiences whose engagement will be critical to ensuring successful implementation of the federal Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) across the country.

Grandfamilies Brief

This new brief highlights the role of grandfamilies in caring for children. It explains grandfamilies' strengths, challenges, needs, and trending issues.

Senior Attorney Position

The Center is currently hiring for a senior attorney. Please review the job description and application requirements.

ABA Family Integrity & Family Unity Policy

This new ABA policy recognizes that children and parents have rights to family integrity and family unity. Its provisions emphasize the role of the legal system in efforts to preserve families and maintain family connectedness during child welfare system involvement.

New Case Summary

Read Nicole Johnson's summary of the recent Montana Supreme Court decision overturning a termination of parental rights decision, holding: (1) the child welfare agency failed to make reasonable efforts to reunite the mother with her child; and (2) the agency did not establish by clear and convincing evidence that the mother’s substance use disorder was unlikely to change within a reasonable time.

New Parent Representation Study

A recent study of parent representation models in New York City found providing parents multidisciplinary representation reduced the time children spend in foster care. Check Martin Guggenheim's and Susan Jacobs's CLP Today article on the practical significance of the study.