The Family Law News Blog

Alec Baldwin Was Right

I don't know the rights and wrongs of the Baldwin family's private life, but Alec Baldwin's explosion sounded like several dedicated, self-sacrificing long-suffering clients I've represented over the years, who continue to do their damndest to be there for their kids as a parent even when the children go years on end without letting the parent have a normal visit or conversation with them. These are parents who aren't even accused of any kind of abuse; their only crime is leaving, or being left by, their ex.

Hank Stuever in the Washington Post Magazine has the best remarks I've seen about Baldwin:

You can't yell at them anymore? Even if it's the only way to get them to look up from what their petulant little thumbs are texting? With language that, although intemperate, is still cleaner than most of what they've heard on YouTube? Well, this explains a lot.
...
I don't know about your childhood, but in mine, you could get away with about two minutes of primadonnitis before getting screamed at ...

[Here's the rest of his article]

How social science is used and abused

The January, 2007 Family Court Review, Vol 45, Issue 1 has some very good articles about how social science is used and misused in the courts and in policymaking:

INTRODUCING PERSPECTIVES IN FAMILY LAW AND SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH Janet R. Johnston pages 15–21

 

ASSESSING AND COMMUNICATING SOCIAL SCIENCE INFORMATION IN FAMILY AND CHILD JUDICIAL SETTINGS: STANDARDS FOR JUDGES AND ALLIED PROFESSIONALS -- Robert F. Kelly and Sarah H. Ramsey pages 22–41     *

 

THE POLITICS OF RESEARCH: THE USE, ABUSE, AND MISUSE OF SOCIAL SCIENCE DATA—THE CASES OF INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE -- Richard J. Gelles pages 42–51

 

SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH AND SOCIAL POLICY: BRIDGING THE GAP -- Kyle D. Pruett pages 52–57

IACP official response to Colorado ethics attack

The International Academy of Collaborative Professionals has issued their official response to the recent Colorado informal ethics opinion that said it was unethical to practice collaborative dispute resolution using a "four-way" agreement signed by clients and lawyers.

[NOTE: IACP Director Talia Katz explained a few days later that this was only and  "abbreviated portion of a longer and more definitive memorandum on
the ethics of collaborative practice. This initial piece was made available for
the convenience of collaborative practitioners and intended only to answer
some of the more pressing questions regarding the implications of the
Colorado opinion. However, it is just the beginning of our response. Stay tuned -
much more to follow..."