Section Sponsored Reports with Recommendations
- Urges federal, state, territorial, tribal, and local governments to assure that adequate and appropriate services are made readily available to at-risk youth and their caretakers. Presented by the Colorado Bar Association. Co-sponsored by the Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section, General Practice, Solo and Small Firm Division, Commission on Domestic Violence, and the Presidential Advisory Council on Diversity in the Profession. Approved August 2006
- Opposes any government actions and policies that would interfere with patients’ abilities to receive from health care providers all relevant and necessary information they need to make fully informed health care decisions and information with respect to access to medically appropriate care. The resolution is intended to prevent government interference that would undermine longstanding principles of informed consent, and is intended to insure patients receive complete, accurate, unbiased and timely information about their treatment options. The resolution does not require health care providers to offer or endorse any particular medical service; or to offer information about alternative or experimental treatments that do not meet the medical standard of care.
- Supports policies to help assure uninterrupted educational access, special education and related services, and stability for homeless children and youth as well as children and youth placed by public agencies in out-of-home settings. Presented by the Commission on Homelessness and Poverty. Co-sponsored by the Steering Committee on UNMET Legal Needs of Children, the Commission on Domestic Violence, the Commision on Mental and Physical Disability Law, the Section of Family Law, the Young Lawyers Division and the Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities.
Approved August 2004
- Adopts the black letter ABA Standards for the Custody, Placement and Care; Legal Representation; and Adjudication of Unaccompanied Alien Children in the United States, dated August 2004, which address the comprehensive psychological, legal, medical, mental health, educational and other basic needs of unaccompanied immigrant children in federal custody. Presented by the Commission on Immigration Policy, Practice and Pro Bono. Co-sponsored by the Section of Litigation, the Section of Family Law, the Standing Committee on Legal and Indigent Defendants, the Steering Committee on the UNMET Legal Needs of Children, the Beverly Hills Association, the Commission on Domestic Violence, the Young Lawyers Division, the Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities, the Section of Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice, the Judicial Division, and the National Legal Aid and Defender Association.
Approved August 2004 - Encourages federal, state, territorial and local governments to adopt legislation that promotes school violence prevention education instruction, awareness training and programs for children, parents, teachers and school administrators and encourages lawyers to support school violence prevention education in schools and community settings. Presented by the Young Lawyers Division. Co-sponsored by the Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities, the Section of Dispute Resolution, the Section of Family Law, the Section of General Practice, Solo and Small Firms, the Standing Committee on Public Education, the Section of State and Local Government Law, the Commission on Domestic Violence, the Section of Tort Trial and Insurance Practice, and the Steering Committee on the UNMET Legal Needs of Children.
Approved February 2004 - Urges adoption of laws and policies to address the complex problem presented by the large number of adults with mental illness and juveniles with mental or emotional illness or disorders who come into contact with the criminal and juvenile justice systems, and supports increased funding and financing for public mental health systems. Presented by the Criminal Justice Section. Co-sponsored by the Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities, the Young Lawyers Division, the Standing Committee on Substance Abuse, and the Steering Committee on the UNMMET Legal Needs of Children.
Approved as Revised February 2004 - Urges state, local, and territorial bar associations, judges, prosecutors, defenders, and police to address disparate treatment of racial and ethnic minority youths in the justice system, and encourages state and local bar associations and law enforcement to instill public confidence in the fairness of the justice system by ensuring the fair treatment of all youths. Co-sponsored by the Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities.
Approved August 2003 - Supports full implementation of the 1999 Foster Care Independence Act. Co-sponsored by the Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities.
Approved August 2002 - Supports the enactment or amendment of welfare legislation to require constitutional protections in the administration of welfare programs. Co-sponsored by the Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities.
Approved as revised August 2001 - Urges Congress to amend Part E of Title IV of the Social Security Act to provide equitable access to foster care and adoption services for Indian children under tribal court jurisdiction. Co-sponsored by the Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities.
Approved as revised August 2001 - Supports the appointment of counsel at government expense for unaccompanied children at all stages of immigration processes and proceedings. Co-sponsored by the Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities.
Approved February 2001 - Supports U.S. ratification of an optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict. Co-sponsored by the Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities.
Approved July 2000 - Supports U.S. ratification of an optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution, and Child Pornography. Co-sponsored by the Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities.
Approved July 2000 - Supports the enactment of legislation and the implementation of public policy providing that adoption shall not be denied on the basis of sexual orientation when it is determined to be in the best interest of the child. Jointly presented with the Section of Family Law, the Steering Committee on the Unmet Legal Needs of Children, and the National Lesbian and Gay Law Association.
Approved February 1999 - Encourages states and territories to establish guidelines for courts, child welfare service agencies and participating attorneys to follow in the kinship care placement of abused, neglected and/or abandoned children. Presented by the Young Lawyers Division. Cosponsored by the Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities.
Approved February 1999 - Encourages courts to ensure the needs of child victims of abuse. Jointly presented with the Hawaii State Bar Association and the Young Lawyers Division. Cosponsored by the Law Student Division, Maine State Bar Association, and the Cleveland Bar Association.
Approved August 1996 - Supports legislation and public policies that do not deny or restrict child custody or visitation on the basis of sexual orientation. Jointly presented with the Section of Family Law and the Steering Committee on Unmet Legal Needs of Children. Cosponsored by the National Lesbian and Gay Law Association, the Commission on Women in the Profession, and the Section of Litigation.
Approved August 1995 - Opposes legislation denying public benefits or increases in public benefits that would otherwise be entitled to a family upon the birth of a child based on the family’s receipt of public assistance, the mother’s age or marital status at the time of birth or the fact the child’s paternity has not been established. Cosponsored by the Steering Committee on Unmet Legal Needs of Children, the Section of Family Law, and the Chicago Council of Lawyers. Related recommendations sponsored by the Section Approved (2/90).
Approved February 1995 - Urges the protection of the rights of children and opposes legislation that denies children access to public education, health care, foster care or social services based on their or their parents’ citizenship or immigration status. Presented jointly with the Hispanic National Bar Association, Steering Committee on Unmet Legal Needs of Children, National Asian Pacific Bar Association, National Association of Women Lawyers, Coordinating Committee on Immigration Law, Commission on Opportunities for Minorities in the Profession, Section of Litigation, and the Section of International Law and Practice. Cosponsored by the Chicago Council of Lawyers. Related recommendation sponsored by the Section Approved (2/90).
Approved February 1995 - Reaffirms commitment to and pledges support of unified family courts Approved in 1980 and set forth in Standard 1.1 of the ABA Standards Relating to Court Organization and Administration. Jointly presented with the Steering Committee on Unmet Legal Needs of Children and their Families, the Government and Public Section Lawyers Division, the Young Lawyers Division, the Section of Litigation, the Hawaii State Bar Association, the National Conference of Women’s Bar Association. Cosponsored by the Commission on Women in the Profession and the Criminal Justice Section.
Approved as Amended August 1994 - Suggests that the ABA include an accompanying list of reservations, understandings, and declarations in efforts to promote its previous endorsement of the ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Jointly presented with the Criminal Justice Section, the Law Student Division, the Young Lawyers Division and the National Association of Womens Lawyers/ Related recommendation sponsored by the Section Approved (2/91).
Approved February 1994 - Supports Senate ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Jointly presented with the Young Lawyers Division, the Section of Family Law and the Section of International Law and Practice. Related recommendation sponsored by the Section Approved (2/94).
Approved February 1991 - Supports the right of children to safe foster care. Jointly presented with the Young Lawyers Division and the Section of Family Law.
Approved August 1990 - Supports expansion of the Medicaid program to provide coverage for all children and all pregnant women with the family incomes less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level. Jointly presented with the Section of Family Law and the Young Lawyers Division.
Approved February 1990 - Opposes the use of corporal punishment in institutions where children are cared for or educated. Jointly presented with the Section of Family Law.
Approved August 1985 - Recommends that federal and state policies regarding youth alcohol and drug problems include prevention, education, treatment, law reforms and strategies for raising the necessary financial resources to support these activities.
Approved as Amended August 1985 - Urges establishment of a national center for family planning and population.
Referred to the Section of Family Law August 1970
Rights of Children
Approved February 2005
For more information, please visit the Committee on the Rights of Children Homepage.
