Child Law

The newsletter of the ISBA’s Section on Child Law

ISBA Members, please login to join this section

2026 Articles

2025 Joint Midyear Meeting Photos February 2026 The Illinois State Bar Association and the Illinois Judges Association proudly co-hosted the 2025 Joint Midyear Meeting on December 11–12 at the JW Marriott Chicago, bringing members of the legal community together for two days of connection and collaboration.
Become an Illinois Bar Foundation Champion By Jessica R. Durkin February 2026 At least twice a year at ISBA Annual and Midyear Meetings, we are pitched by colleagues and the Illinois Bar Foundation to become a “Champion.” But what is a Champion really, and what’s in it for us?
Family vs. Fosters: When Competing Adoption Petitions Create Court Conundrums By Sean McCumber February 2026 In a situation where the child has been under the care of the Department of Children and Family Services for over two years, with loving foster parents, what happens when the foster parents file an adoption petition and a family member immediately, but subsequently, files their own adoption petition? This query causes problems and raises many questions over what the court should do.
Lessons From Child First Approach in Northern Ireland By Kelly Cassidy March 2026 The juvenile justice system of the United States could take cues from other countries to better align with the United Nations Compact on the Rights of the Child. This article offers a reflection of society after an exploration of Northern Ireland's approach to children in conflict with the law. 
The Limits of Parental Liability: Key Insights for Illinois Family Law Practitioners By Melisa Quinones February 2026 A case summary and analysis of Dicks v. Kuntz, a recent 4th District Appellate Court case that examines the boundaries of parental liability in negligent entrustment claims. 
Meet Hon. Kathryn Maloney Vahey, the New Deputy Presiding in the Juvenile Justice Division in Cook County By Elizabeth Clarke March 2026 The goal of the new Deputy Presiding Judge in the Juvenile Justice Division of Cook County is to create a model system with a culture rooted in positive outcomes, change policies and practices in the JTDC, speed up the processing and release of children in short-term detention stays, and address the need for new leadership. 
New Juvenile Detention Reform Law Will Gradually Increase the Minimum Age for Detention From 10 to 13, and Create a Child First Reform Task Force By Elizabeth Clarke March 2026 A quick look at Public Act 104-0449, which will gradually end the practice of detaining young children by raising the minimum age from 10 to 13 by 2027. This reform gives communities the opportunity to realign programs and services to replace detention with services and change the trajectory of these young lives for the better.
New Report Concludes Adult Prosecution and Sentencing of Juveniles Is a Failed Policy By Elizabeth Clarke March 2026 The Juvenile Justice Initiative’s Report concludes that adult prosecution of juveniles is a failed policy that endangers public safety and violates international standards.
The “Scarlet-I”: When Indication Becomes a Mark By Amanda Vesely February 2026 An analysis of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services’ Allegation #60: Branding parents or caregivers for what might have happened rather than what did. Child protection and due process can coexist, but only if risk is measured with restraint, evidence, and fairness.
Still Burdened for Life: The Ongoing Need for Enhanced Confidentiality Protections of Juvenile Records and Expanded Access to Juvenile Expungement By Ari Seckler March 2026 An arrest or adjudication of delinquency carries a number of collateral consequences for a young person. Despite the promise of the juvenile court since its founding in 1899 that mistakes of one’s youth should not brand them for life, true confidentiality of records and far-reaching access to records relief remain lacking.