By Matthew LaFontaine, CFCC Student Fellow 2014-2015 Collaborative family law is a non-traditional type of dispute resolution that focuses on the unification of the parties in an efficient and therapeutic manner. Unlike the traditional litigation process, collaborative law negotiations occur outside the courtroom and commit to cooperation and honesty. This commitment to transparent communication encourages…
By Sheena Williams, CFCC Student Fellow 2014-2015 There is a profound distaste for the harsh realities that have settled among a number of poor families, children, single parents, delinquent teens, gay and lesbian couples, and abused spouses. Tomorrow a child in Georgia will be placed in the state’s custody and a family in Chicago will…
By Snehal Pulivarti, CFCC Student Fellow 2013-2014 One of my apprehensions in committing to law school was the adversarial process and the impact on families and children in the judicial process. The Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children and the Courts (CFCC) Student Fellows Program has been instrumental in reassuring me that my…
By Melissa White, CFCC Student Fellow 2013-2014 On November 6, 2013, the Center for Families, Children and the Courts Student Fellows and professors visited the Baltimore City Juvenile Justice Center located at 300 North Gay Street, Baltimore, MD 21202. We were fortunate enough to receive a tour of the facility by Rudy Adams, the Center’s…
By Russell Rasziak, CFCC Student Fellow 2013-2014 I became a Student Fellow with the University of Baltimore School of Law Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children, and the Courts (“CFCC”) in the middle of August. All the Student Fellows have been participating steadily and importantly in class discussions and projects. A major focus…
By Ashley Phillips, CFCC Student Fellow 2013-2014 On October 23, 2013 the CFCC Student Fellows visited the Baltimore City Drug Treatment Court. As we entered the court room, the first thing I noticed was a chalkboard with “The A Team” written on it. I soon found out what that meant. When a participant remained drug-free…
By Lauren Vint, CFCC Student Fellow 2013-2014 With a weekly local bus ridership of 241,071, the MTA public bus system plays an oversized role in the daily lives of many Baltimore citizens. It’s no exaggeration to say that our students’ success is dependent on the smooth running of the MTA local bus system. Without a…
By Corinne Kirkland-Mercedes, CFCC Student Fellow 2013-2014 The United States has the highest incarceration rates of any country in the world. According to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (“NAACP”), 1 in every 31 adults or 3.2 percent of the population is under some form of correctional control. To me these numbers…
By Gauri Khanna, CFCC Student Fellow 2013-2014 Only two sessions into the Truancy Court Program (“TCP”), I have already noticed a dramatic change in students’ attendance. While it is still early in the year, the students seem as though they want to make a genuine effort to attend school, be on time, and do well…