Annual Adoption Law Institute That Draws Law Students From Across the Country Now Open to Local Attorneys for CLE

July 24, 2008

Capital University Law School and the National Center for Adoption Law & Policy are pleased to offer attorneys the chance to join law students from across the country in the Summer Adoption Law Institute (SALI), an intensive week-long law school course exploring adoption and related child protection issues from both academic and practitioner perspectives. The course runs Aug. 4-8 at Capital University Law School, 303 E. Broad St., Columbus, Ohio. Up to 24.5 CLE credits are available at a cost of $100 per day.

Capital University Law School is the only American law school to regularly offer an entire course dedicated to adoption law. The class will cover a wide variety of topics, including the history of American adoption law, parental rights under the U.S. Constitution, assisted reproductive technology, wrongful adoption, race and cultural issues in adoption, and sexual orientation issues in adoption.

“We are expecting our largest enrollment ever in the class,” said Professor Angela Upchurch, Real Living Academic Director of the National Center for Adoption Law & Policy, and the course instructor. “Currently, more than 60 law students and 5 attorneys are registered; 32 of the 60 law students are from law schools other than Capital. I think this speaks to the growing national interest among law students for specialized courses in family law.”

This introductory course is designed as a general overview of adoption and is not state specific. However, there will be class exercises providing attorneys and law students with an opportunity to explore the law in the jurisdiction of their choice. The class format includes discussion of issues from academic and practitioner perspectives, and guest lecturers on several key topics. Guest lecturers include: Irene Steffas, founder, and Carine Rosalia-Marion, associate attorney, of Steffas & Associates, P.C. (Marietta, GA); Kelly Stoner, Instructor in Law and Director of the Native American Legal Resource Center, Oklahoma City University School of Law; Thomas Taneff, principal of Taneff Law Offices (Columbus, OH); Susan Garner Eisenman, Columbus (OH) attorney and American Academy of Adoption Attorneys member; and Samuel Peppers, former Franklin County Probate Magistrate and current associate at Dinsmore & Shohl (Columbus, OH).

The course runs Monday, Aug. 4, through Thursday, Aug. 7, from 8:30 am - 3:00 pm, allowing 5 CLE credits per day and Friday, Aug. 8, from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm, allowing 4.5 CLE credits. Legal practitioners can choose to attend the entire week-long course or can opt to attend an individual day(s) at a cost of $100 per day.

For more information or to register, contact the National Center for Adoption Law & Policy at Capital University Law School at (614)236-6730, or visit www.law.capital.edu/adoption.