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Vandervort, Frank E.

Clinical Professor of Law
Child Advocacy Law Clinic
Juvenile Justice Law Clinic

3124 South Hall
734.647.3168
E-mail vort@umich.edu

Frank Vandervort is a clinical professor of law whose primary interests include juvenile justice, child welfare, and interdisciplinary practice. He co-founded the Juvenile Justice Clinic with Prof. Kimberly Thomas in 2009. Prof. Vandervort is the president-elect of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children and serves as a consultant to Trauma Informed Child Welfare Systems, a federally funded training and technical assistance program. He received a BA from Michigan State University and a JD from Wayne State University.

Recent Publications

More Publications...

"The Guardian Ad Litem Investigation." In The Guardian Ad Litem Handbook for Divorce Practice. Forthcoming.

State Editor. Juvenile Collateral Consequences in the State of Michigan. J. Seber, lead author. American Bar Association, 2013.
Full Text: WWW

Co-author. "Invited Commentary on 'Issue in Differential Response'." V. Vaughan-Eden, co-author. Res. Soc. Work Prac. 23, no. 5 (2013): 550-3.
Full Text: WWW

Co-author. "What Works in Protecting Child Witnesses." K. C. Faller, co-author. In What Works in Child Welfare, edited by P. A. Curtis and G. Alexander. 2012.

"Child Welfare Cases Involving Mental Illness: Reflections on the Role and Responsibilities of the Lawyer-Guardian Ad Litem." Mich. Child Welfare L. J. 15, no. 2 (2012): 31-43.

Co-author. "Building Resilience in Foster Children: The Role of the Child's Advocate." J. Henry and M. A. Sloane, co-authors. Children's Legal Rights Journal 32, no. 3 (2012): 1-24.
Full Text: HEIN (UMich users) | HEIN

"Child Protection Law and Procedure." In Michigan Family Law. 7th ed., edited by M. J. Kelly, J. A. Curtis, and R. A. Roane. Ann Arbor, Mich.: Institute of Continuing Legal Education, 2011.

"The Indian Child Welfare Act." In Child Welfare Law and Practice: Representing Children, Parents, and State Agencies in Abuse, Neglect, and Dependency Cases. 2nd ed., edited by D. N. Duquette and A. M. Haralmabie, 257-70. Denver: Bradford Pub. Co., 2010.

Co-author. "Special Issues in Transcultural, Transracial, and Gay and Lesbian Parenting and Adoption." R. B. Sanoshy, co-author. In Principles and Practice of Child and Adolescent Forensic Mental Health, edited by E. P. Benedek, P. Ash, and C. L. Scott, 197-216. Arlington,VA: American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc., 2010.
Full Text: WWW

"Shouldering the Shifted Burden: The Defense Attorneys." In Seeking Justice in Child Sexual Abuse: Shifting Burdens and Sharing Responsibilities, edited by K. M. Staller and K. C. Faller, 194-224. New York: Columbia Univ. Press, 2010.

"Professional Practitioners' Views on Videotaping: Capturing and Conveying a Child's Story." K. M. Staller, co-author. In Seeking Justice in Child Sexual Abuse: Shifting Burdens and Sharing Responsibilities, edited by K. M. Staller and K. C. Faller, 113-40. New York: Columbia Univ. Press, 2010.

"Legal Rights of Fetuses and Young Children." In Principles of Addictions and the Law: Applications in Forensic, Mental Health, and Medical Practice, edited by N. S. Miller, 229-51. Amsterdam: Academic Press/Elsevier, 2010.

"Federal Child Welfare Legislation." In Child Welfare Law and Practice: Representing Children, Parents, and State Agencies in Abuse, Neglect, and Dependency Cases. 2nd ed., edited by D. N. Duquette and A. M. Haralmabie, 199-230. Denver: Bradford Pub. Co., 2010.

"Child Sexual Abuse: Legal Burdens and Scientific Methods." K. M. Staller, co-author. In Seeking Justice in Child Sexual Abuse: Shifting Burdens and Sharing Responsibilities, edited by K. M. Staller and K. C. Faller, 1-32. New York: Columbia Univ. Press, 2010.

"A Search for the Truth or Trial by Ordeal: When Prosecutors Cross-Examine Adolescents How Should Courts Respond?" Widener L. Rev. 16, no. 2 (2010): 335-67.
Full Text: HEIN (UMich users) | HEIN | Westlaw

Co-author. "Child Welfare Workers Go to Court: The Impact of Race, Gender, and Education on the Comfort with Legal Issues." K. C. Faller and M. Grabarek, co-authors. Child. & Youth Services Rev. 31, no. 9 (2009): 972-7.
Full Text: ScienceDirect (UMich users) | ScienceDirect

Recently Taught Courses

Activities

Co-presented "The Impact of Trauma on Brain Development and How to Interpret Evaluations" (with James Henry, PhD, and Mark A. Sloane, DO) at the 15th National Conference on Children & The Law: Lawyers as Partners for Family Well-Being, Washington, D.C., July 12, 2013.

Co-presented "Research Presentation: Understanding Child Abuse Reporting" (with Dr. Vincent Palusci) at the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children's 21st Annual Colloquium, Las Vegas, June 26, 2013.

Organized and co-presented "Interdisciplinary Advocacy for Children's Lawyers," a full-day, pre-conference training session for children's lawyers at the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children's 21st Annual Colloquium, Las Vegas, June 25, 2013.

Co-presented "The Need for Early and Comprehensive Child and Family Assessment for Adequate Case Planning" (with Kathleen Coulborn Faller, PhD) at the 2013 One Child, Many Hands conference, University of Pennsylvania, June 14, 2013.

Co-presented "Resilient Testimony: Reflection, Regulation, and Response" (with Lisa Velez, MSW, ACSW, and Pam Schuen, MA) at the Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health 2013 Biannual Conference, Lansing, May 19, 2013.

Presented "The Need for Early Evaluation in Juvenile Proceedings" at the Michigan Association for Family Court Administration Annual Meeting, Spring Lake, Mich., May 17, 2013.

Co-presented "Trauma Informed Practice for Advocates and Decision-Makers” (with James Henry, PhD, and Mark A. Sloane, DO) at the 11th Annual Child Welfare Law Conference: Transforming Child Welfare Through Representation, Bellaire, Mich., May 16, 2013.

Co-presented "Building Resilience in Traumatized Children: What Children's Lawyers Can Do" (with James Henry, PhD, and Mark A. Sloane, DO) at the 35th Annual Child Welfare, Juvenile, and Family Law Conference, Chicago, Aug. 15, 2012.

Co-presented "Special Session: Introduction to the Child Welfare Mediation Guidelines" (with Kelly Browe Olsen) at the 35th Annual Child Welfare, Juvenile, and Family Law Conference, Chicago, Aug. 15, 2012.

Co-presented "Protecting Child Witnesses in Court: Mental Health Issues and Legal Provisions and Precedents" (with Kathleen Coulborn Faller) at the 28th National Symposium on Child Abuse, Huntsville, Alabama, March 20, 2012.

Presented "Best Practice Model of Child Representation" at the National Quality Improvement Center on the Representation of Children in the Child Welfare System, Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia, February and March 2012.

Presented "Proving Child Sexual Abuse Cases in Court: Mental Health/Legal Collaboration" (with Kathleen Coulborn Faller, PhD), One Child, Many Hands conference, University of Pennsylvania Field Center for Children's Policy, Practice & Research, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, June 9, 2011.

Presented "Advancing Trauma-Informed Court Systems," panel discussion, National Child Traumatic Stress Network All-Network Conference, Baltimore, Maryland, March 2, 2011.

Presented "The Juvenile's Right to be Cross-Examined in a Developmentally Appropriate Fashion: The Role of Defense Counsel and the Court," NACC 33rd Annual Child Welfare, Juvenile, and Family Law Conference, Austin, Texas, Oct. 22, 2010.

Co-presented "Trauma Informed Legal Systems: A New Paradigm for Understanding and Reaching Children's Troubling Behavior" (with Jim Henry, PhD and Mark Sloane, DO) at the NACC 33rd Annual Child Welfare, Juvenile, and Family Law Conference, Austin, Texas, Oct. 21, 2010.

Adviser to the National Child Protection Mediation Standards group.

Consultant to the National Quality Improvement Center for Child Representation.

Consultant to the federally funded project, Trauma Informed Child Welfare Systems.

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