New Course for Graduate Social Work and Law School Students:
Interdisciplinary Child Welfare Institute

In the increasingly complex world of child welfare, quality collaboration among legal and social work professionals is critical to keeping children safe and strengthening families. Next month, Capital University Law School and the National Center for Adoption Law & Policy will introduce a new intensive week-long course that will provide law and graduate level social work students with a mutual understanding of the legal and sociological principles central to child welfare practice.

The Interdisciplinary Child Welfare Institute (ICWI) is a two-credit course that will take place May 18 – 22 at Capital University Law School in Columbus, Ohio. Continuing education units for licensed social workers will also be offered.

Angela Upchurch, NCALP Academic Director and Associate Professor of Law

Reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of the course, ICWI will be co-taught by: Angela Upchurch, Academic Director of the National Center for Adoption Law & Policy and Associate Professor of Law at Capital University, and Carla Carpenter, MSSW and Associate Director of the National Center for Adoption Law & Policy. “Few service systems rely on the successful interaction of such a broad variety of professional stakeholders as the child welfare system,” says NCALP Associate Director Carla Carpenter. “Yet, there are few opportunities for collaborative training for professionals, let alone students. We are thrilled to provide this unique learning opportunity to students interested in pursuing a career in the child welfare field.”

Carla Carpenter, NCALP Associate Director

Students enrolled in this class will learn about critical topics such as: • Constitutional rights of parents and children • Ethical and professional considerations for interdisciplinary practice • Preparing for trials and providing expert testimony • Key federal policies and statutes and state child welfare structures In addition to learning about these topics, students will have the opportunity to hone real world practice skills through dynamic exercises and gain insight from panelists and guest lecturers. Learn more about the course and how to register here.

The Interdisciplinary Child Welfare Institute becomes NCALP’s second summer intensive course, joining our already popular Summer Adoption Law Institute.

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Northern Kentucky Salmon P. Chase College of Law Wins Moot Court
Competition for Second Straight Year

Law students from across the country came to demonstrate their oral advocacy skills in the fourth annual National Moot Court Competition in Child Welfare & Adoption Law, held in Columbus, Ohio on March 13 and 14. Twenty-two teams from 16 law schools competed on the topic of Interstate Placement: Challenges to Timely Permanency. Seven oral argument rounds took place at the Ohio Statehouse and the Supreme Court of Ohio. In the final round, Northern Kentucky Salmon P. Chase College of Law defeated Loyola University Chicago School of Law to become the Competition’s first school to win twice – and in consecutive years. Since the Competition’s beginning, both schools have had exceptional records. Loyola University Chicago won the Competition in its inaugural year, 2005, and Northern Kentucky had advanced to the final round every year. We are grateful to the 130 judges, magistrates, attorneys, law professors, students, and community members who volunteered as judges and bailiffs for this event. This event would not have been possible without their time and talent. We would also like to recognize our national partners: the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys (AAAA), the National Association of Counsel for Children (NACC), the ABA Center on Children & the Law, and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges.  For the third year in a row, AAAA and NACC have donated cash awards for the winning teams.  AAAA also generously supports the event with a $2,500 annual, three-year pledge that began with the 2007 competition, as well as donating plaques for the winning team and school and a perpetual plaque of winning teams that is displayed at Capital University Law School. In total, 33 law schools in 20 states have participated in the National Moot Court Competition in Child Welfare & Adoption Law. Our 2009 schools included: University of Colorado School of Law, Brigham Young University – J. Reuben Clark Law School, Capital University Law School, University of Illinois School of Law, University of Michigan School of Law, and Whittier Law School. See photo highlights of Top Honors, Day One and Day Two of the Competition.

Pictured above from left to right: (1) winning team members from Northern Kentucky, Christen Steimle and Danielle Ravencraft (who also received the Best Oralist Award); not pictured team member is Brad Gibson; (2) the marble halls of the Ohio Judicial Center, home of the Supreme Court of Ohio; (3) Lauren Rafferty of Second Place Team Loyola University Chicago; Final round judges: Karen Greenberg, President of AAAA (Boston, MA); Jack Guttenberg, Dean of Capital University Law School (Columbus, OH); and LaShanda Taylor, representing the ABA Center on Children and the Law (Washington, D.C.); not pictured final round judges: Ohio Supreme Court Justice Maureen O’Connor (Columbus, OH) and Professor Gerard Glynn, representing the National Association of Counsel for Children and Director Clinical Programs at Barry University Dwayne O’ Andreas School of Law (Orlando, FL); Clay Rehrig of Second Place Team Loyola University Chicago.

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News Briefs

Images from Center-sponsored programs. From left to right: Adoption Academy panelist with her adoptive son; National Adoption Day 2007 Volunteer Attorneys and NCALP Capital Law alumni; Second place best brief winners, University of San Diego School of Law, at the 2009 Moot Court Competition in Child Welfare & Adoption Law; Participants from Forever Home Adoption Celebration 2008; Newest class of Adoption Law Fellows at Capital University Law School.

Every Donation Matters
At NCALP, we depend on donors like you to ensure that we can continue advocating for and improving the lives of families and children touched by the child welfare system. On the eve of our tenth anniversary, we initiated the Maestro Anniversary Society to recognize contributors who donate every year.

It doesn’t matter the size of your gift; only your participation matters.

Whether you participated in a fundraising event or gave a year-end contribution between December 2007 and now, you have been honored as a society member (view current members). Membership is maintained by simply donating every year.

Learn about other ways to help the Center and how to join the Maestro Anniversary Society.

New Adoption & Child Welfare Jobsite coming this month
Look for the updated Adoption & Child Welfare JobSite at www.adoptionchildwelfarejobsite.org in the near future. After a year-long hiatus to redevelop the website, we are excited to introduce this updated service to adoption and child welfare employers and prospective interns and jobseekers.

New features to the site will include:

• Year-round employment opportunities, rather than only summer employment
• Self-serve employer/employee posts and account updates
• Addition of full-time positions for all child-welfare related professionals, including attorneys and social workers, rather than only student employment
• Key word and mile-radius search capability
• Ability to send application information directly to a potential employer

The Adoption & Child Welfare JobSite is a free service for child welfare employers and employment seekers. Postings and applications are restricted to adoption and child welfare-focused employment. Please contact the Center if you have any questions.

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NCALP STAFF

Denise St. Clair
Executive Director
dstclair@law.capital.edu

Jenifer Thompson
Staff Attorney
jthompson2@law.capital.edu

Angela Upchurch
Real Living™ Academic Director
aupchurch@law.capital.edu

Dawn Viggiano
Staff Attorney
dviggiano@law.capital.edu

Christine Morris
Assistant Director of Information Services
cmorris@law.capital.edu

Carla Carpenter
Associate Director
ccarpenter@law.capital.edu

Fawn Gadel
Staff Attorney
fgadel@law.capital.edu

Jackie Martin
Administrative Coordinator
jmartin@law.capital.edu

Maureen McCann
Administrative Assistant
mmccann@law.capital.edu