ISBA CLE

Attorney Education in Child Custody and Visitation Matters—VIDEO REPLAY

Presented by the ISBA Bench and Bar Section
Co-Sponsored by the ISBA Family Law Section

Macomb
Thursday – Friday, July 23-24, 2009
Western Illinois University
1 University Circle (map and directions)
Thursday—8:45 a.m. – 4:45 p.m.
Friday—8:45 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

10.0 MCLE credit hours, including 1.0 approved Professional Responsibility MCLE credit hours

This two-day program is designed to help attorneys who represent children. Topics for this seminar include child custody laws; the roles of attorneys in cases involving children; recognizing and respecting the social, cultural, and economic barriers facing children; the work of the Department of Children and Family Services; handling abuse, neglect, and dependency issues in and out of the courtroom, when and how children should be interviewed; factoring a child’s development into custody and visitation; and drafting effective visitation schedules.

Program Coordinator:
Hon. Michael J. Chmiel, Circuit Court of McHenry County, Woodstock

Program Moderators:
Heidi A. Benson, Flack, McRaven & Stephens, Macomb
Hon. Patricia A. Walton, Associate Judge, Circuit Court, 9th Judicial Circuit, Macomb

Thursday, July 23, 2009

8:45 – 9:00 a.m. Welcome and Introductions
Heidi A. Benson
Hon. Patricia A. Walton

9:00 – 10:00 a.m. Review of the Law on Child Custody in Illinois: The Rules of the Supreme Court of Illinois
Hon. Jorge L. Ortiz, Nineteenth Judicial Circuit, Waukegan

10:00 – 10:15 a.m. Break

10:15 – 11:15 a.m. Review of the Law on Child Custody in Illinois: The Statutory Provisions Which Govern
Hon. Robert A. Wilbrandt, Twenty-Second Judicial Circuit, Woodstock

11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Review of the Law on Child Custody in Illinois: The Case Law Which Controls
Andrea M. Schleifer, Andrea M. Schleifer & Associates, P.C., Chicago

12:15 – 1:30 p.m. Lunch (on your own)

1:30 – 2:30 p.m. Assessing the Role of Attorneys in Cases Involving Children
H. Joseph Gitlin, Gitlin, Busche & Stetler, Woodstock

2:30 – 3:30 p.m. Neighborhood Contexts: Recognizing and Respecting the Social, Cultural, and Economic Barriers Facing Children*
Dr. Juana M. Reyes, Chicago

3:30 – 3:45 p.m. Break

3:45 – 4:45 p.m. Roundtable Discussion on the Utility of Attorneys for Children, Child Representatives, and Guardians Ad Litem
H. Joseph Gitlin
Paulette M. Gray, The Gitlin Law Firm, P.C., Woodstock
Hon. Jorge L. Ortiz
Dr. Juana M. Reyes
Andrea M. Schleifer
Hon. Robert A. Wilbrandt

Friday, July 24, 2009

8:45 – 9:00 a.m. Welcome and Introductions
Heidi A. Benson
Hon. Patricia A. Walton

9:00 – 10:00 a.m. The Work of the Department of Children and Family Services in Addressing Family Dynamics, Including Substance Abuse, Domestic Abuse, and Mental Health Issues
Erwin McEwen, Director, Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Chicago

10:00 – 10:15 a.m. Break

10:15 – 11:00 a.m. Handling Abuse, Neglect, and Dependency Issues In and Out of the Courtroom
Kelley A. Thornton, Office of the Cook County Public Guardian, Chicago

11:00 – 11:45 a.m. When and How Children Should Be Interviewed
Hon. Brian R. McKillip, Eighteenth Judicial Circuit, Wheaton

11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Lunch (on your own)

1:00 – 1:45 p.m. Factoring a Child’s Development into Custody and Visitation
Dr. Louis Kraus, Northbrook

1:45 – 2:30 p.m. Drafting Effective Visitation Schedules
Matthew A. Kirsh, Colky and Kirsh, Ltd., Chicago