Daniel Pollack

Adoption is traditionally framed as an act centered on the child's best interests, grounded in permanence and emotional commitment. When litigation appears to be a driving factor, it risks undermining public trust in that institution.

This model does not suggest that behavioral intervention alone is sufficient, nor does it minimize the complexity of serious mental illness. Rather, it highlights the unfortunate consequences of providing psychiatric care without accessible, structured skill-building and supervised implementation.

Being trauma-informed does not mean an attorney can diagnose or treat anything. Instead, being trauma-informed for a lawyer means recognizing that overwhelming past experiences shape how a person remembers events, manages stress, and behaves under pressure.

Minors accused of stalking face serious consequences, but often stem from immaturity or jealousy. Teen stalking includes unwanted messages, following, or tracking, and can cause emotional harm. Prevention involves education on boundaries and digital ethics. Legal responses focus on evidence, protective orders, and juvenile rehab to prevent escalation.

An attorney's job is not to collect more material. It is to shape that mountain of raw information into a record a family law judge can use to rule based on elements required by applicable statutes.

Although domestic violence law often focuses on abuse between intimate partners, the effects of violence in a multigenerational home can reach far beyond the couple.

The Fourth Circuit ruled that a jury could find prison officials violated Tracey Edwards' rights by shackling her during childbirth and abruptly stopping her addiction medication without assessing her individual needs.

No child welfare system can eliminate individual judgment. Indeed, judgment is indispensable. But discretionary power must be tied to evidence, tempered by humility, and subject to real review.

Deaf and hard-of-hearing people in custody are legally entitled to effective communication and equal access to medical care, safety measures, legal proceedings, programs and—for eligible children—education. Correctional facilities must provide appropriate accommodations, not rely on written notes or policies alone. Their confinement does not erase their rights.

Instead of coloring the conclusion by using the term “alienation” in the charge to a court appointed mental health professional, courts should frame narrower, actionable inquiries and resolve them expeditiously.