UNIFIED FAMILY COURTS |
| |
| Authors: | Anne H. Geraghty Wallace J. Mlyniec |
| |
| Affiliation: | Anne H. Geraghty is currently a third-year student at Georgetown University Law Center and a member of the Georgetown Juvenile Justice Clinic. Prior to attending law school, she worked as a consultant to the American Bar Association Juvenile Justice Center.;Wallace J. Mlyniec is the Lupo-Ricci Professor of Clinical Legal Studies, associate dean, and director of the Juvenile Justice Clinic at Georgetown University Law Center. |
| |
| Abstract: | Much has been written about the potential success of unified family courts. Unified family court proponents share great optimism and enthusiasm for what they see as a solution to several of the problems facing court systems today. This enthusiasm should be applauded. As with any reform, however, unified family court advocates must stop to consider the possible drawbacks to the system that they propose; otherwise, they might end up with a system that is the same or worse than the one that they were attempting to fix. This article highlights several of the potential problems with unified family courts. It is not a condemnation of unified family courts per se; it is simply a suggestion that reformers proceed with their eyes open, taking time to consider the potential drawbacks of the unified family court system before using valuable resources for its implementation. |
| |
| Keywords: | |
|
|
