The American Bar Association has long recognized the potential of unified family courts as a means of addressing the legal and protection problems of children and families in crisis. The ABA first indicated its support for unified family courts in its 1980 Juvenile Justice Standards Relating to Court Organization and Administration, Standard 1.1, Part 1. In its 1993 publication, America's Children at Risk: A National Agenda for Legal Action, the ABA urged - among other things - the creation of demonstration family courts and the ultimate adoption of unified family courts throughout the country. The ABA Steering Committee on the Unmet Legal Needs of Children, created immediately after the 1993 release of America's Children at Risk, assigned such a high priority to the creation of unified family courts that its first policy recommendation to the ABA House of Delegates was designed to clarify the Association's commitment to this judicial reform. This policy drew a broad outline for justice system reform that would be consistent with the dramatic changes in family structure and function in America. In 1994, the House of Delegates adopted the policy drafted by the Steering Committee supporting unified family courts.

In 2002, ABA President, A.P. Carlton created an ABA Coordinating Council on Unified Family Courts to ensure that there is a central ABA coordinated and active approach, in order to better ensure that those seeking legal and judicial intervention in family matters are provided services in a highly focused, coordinated and collaborative manner.

For further information on ABA Uniform Family Courts efforts, contact Luke Bierman (312) 988-5102 biermanl@staff.abanet.org., or Katy Englehart at (312) 988-5134 kenglehart@staff.abanet.org.