Lance J. Johnson Children and the Law Workshop
In 2007, Lance J. Johnson (UMLS '65) provided a gift to the Law School to support a biennial workshop to explore a current topic related to the jurisprudence of children and the law. The jurisprudence regarding children, particularly of children in families, is under-developed and under-theorized. Mr. Johnson's vision is that focused scholarship and teaching could advance the entire field of children and the law with an objective, well-balanced and interdisciplinary perspective that would benefit most children most of the time. The University of Michigan Law School is well situated to meet this challenge.
The field of children's rights is under-theorized. The theories that are being developed are not sufficiently connected to the real world of politics and policy reform. The ongoing Children and the Law Workshop draws on emerging legal theory, the work of practical lawyers and policymakers to educate ourselves, our students and others to be informed and insightful child advocates and policymakers. This exploration and dissemination of our results broadly will bring a renewed focus and stronger underpinnings to the jurisprudence regarding children and families.
The Johnson Children and the Law Workshop, offered one semester every other year, explores a current topic related to the jurisprudence of children and the law. Each workshop invites scholars and policymakers in the field. Faculty from other UM units participate as do scholars and policymakers from outside the University. Both law students and non-law graduate students register for the workshop as a seminar and receive credit for their participation in it. Collaborative and interdisciplinary experiences are encouraged.
The workshop is publicized throughout the campus, has an interdisciplinary emphasis and generally includes faculty from other departments as co-leaders of the seminar. A particular theme is highlighted each semester and the workshop will have a range of questions confronting the field. The workshop faculty chooses topics for current importance, relevance, and "ripeness" for major policy reform in the near future.
Students and faculty study each subject from theory to policy to practice as they hear from a diverse array of speakers. The talks are open to the entire university. Each workshop develops position papers including analyses and recommendation. Position papers and other materials are posted on this website as they are developed.
The Michigan Child Welfare Law Journal (Summer 2009), published five papers written by students in the Winter 2009 Johnson Workshop on Children and the Law. You can access them here. The articles are as follows:
- Comment on the Committee's Model Act Governing Representation of Children in Abuse and Neglect Proceedings by John Anzelc, Melissa Cohen, and Sarah Taylor
- Evaluating a Child's Decision-Making Competence in a Best Interests World: Infusing an Attorney's Intuition with Developmental Science by Sheba Rogers, William Wall, and Samuel Zun
- Remaining vs. Removal: Preventing Premature Removal when Poverty is Confused with Neglect by Erica Turcios
- Decision-Making Rights of Teen Parents by John Calvin, Manouchka Colon, and Kacey Houston
- Juvenile Life Without Parole: A Review of Relevant Scientific Evidence, Penological Theories, and Policy Interests by Daniel E. Choe, Liz Reynolds, and Jessica Stoll