From Therapeutic Jurisprudence to Roper: When Social Science Serves as Authority in Law

By Andrew Siske, CFCC Student Fellow (2016-2017) Early on as a CFCC Student Fellow, I learned about therapeutic jurisprudence (TJ), which can be defined as “the study of the role of law as a therapeutic agent.”[1]  TJ represents a normative understanding of law which aims to identify the beneficial and harmful consequences of law, with…

PTSD in Children

By Ashley Sewell, CFCC Student Fellow 2014-2015 Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, most commonly known as PTSD, is usually associated with combat veterans. Many people are not aware that PTSD can affect children and teens, as well. Children and teens could develop PTSD if they have lived through an event that could have caused them or…

What is Therapeutic Jurisprudence (TJ)?

By Barbara A. Babb, University of Baltimore School of Law, Associate Professor of Law, and Director, CFCC I founded the Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children and the Courts (CFCC) in August, 2000, with Therapeutic Jurisprudence (TJ) as one of its two underlying theoretical constructs. Indeed, TJ informs and frames all of CFCC’s…

Field Trip to the Baltimore City Juvenile Justice Center

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…

Maryland’s Juvenile Justice System: Year in Review

CFCC’s 2012 Urban Child Symposium (UCS), entitled “The Urban Child in the Juvenile Justice System: The Beginning or the End?,” focused on the  juvenile justice system. Symposium panelists identified several priorities for juvenile justice system reform (more information is in the Unified Family Court Connection Winter 2013 Issue, which featured articles from several UCS presenters):…

Investing in Children’s Mental Health As a Preventive Law Approach to Juvenile Delinquency

By Catherine Villareale, CFCC Student Fellow 2012-2013 Courts struggle with effective ways to deal with individuals whose mental health issues lead to criminal behavior. This is especially true for courts responsible for adjudicating juvenile delinquency. Childhood exposure to violence can impact children’s social and emotional development. It has been linked to poor social functioning and…

Juvenile Justice Reform: CFCC’s Urban Child Symposium, The Beginning or the End? The Urban Child’s Experience in the Juvenile Justice System

Professor Bernardine Dohrn opened CFCC’s fourth annual Urban Child Symposium with a powerful presentation on the Supreme Court’s recent consideration of juvenile justice cases.    Over 200 people attended “The Beginning or the End? The Urban Child’s Experience in the Juvenile Justice System,” which included interdisciplinary panel discussions of issues such as the psychological, social, and…