Annual Meeting project
Restatement of the Law,

Children and the Law

This Restatement will deal comprehensively with the legal regulation of children, rather than solely with family law matters. 
  • Status
  • Participants
Lightbox Image
Status Details

At its October 2023 meeting, the Council approved Council Draft No. 9 containing a general Introduction; §§ 2.10, 2.11, 2.20 (Comment l only), 2.21, 2.45, 2.60, and 2.90 of Chapter 2, State Intervention for Abuse and Neglect; § 8.10 (Comments k and only) of Chapter 8, Student Speech Rights; Introduction to Part III; § 13.61 of Chapter 13, Delinquency Proceedings; §§ 15.10-15.12, 15.31, 15.40 of Chapter 15, Juveniles in the Criminal Justice System; Introduction to Part IV; § 16.20 of Chapter 16, Medical Decision-making by Minors; and § 19.10 of Chapter 19, Juvenile Curfews.

This project is expected to conclude at the 2024 Annual Meeting. There will be no additional Preliminary Drafts after PD No. 10 (May 2023).

At the 2023 Annual Meeting, the membership voted to approve Tentative Draft No. 5, which contains material from Chapter 1, Parental Authority and Responsibilities, Chapter 2, State Intervention for Abuse and Neglect, and Chapter 3, Child in Need of Services, of Part I on Children in Families; Chapter 13, Delinquency Proceedings, of Part III on Children in the Justice System; and Chapter 18, Minors’ Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Outside the School Context, and Chapter 20, Minors’ Obligations and Responsibilities, of Part IV on Children in Society.

At the 2022 Annual Meeting, the membership voted to approve Tentative Draft No. 4, which includes § 1.20 from Chapter 1, Parental Authority and Responsibilities; §§ 2.26, 2.30, 2.40 to 2.44 and 2.50 from Chapter 2, State Intervention for Abuse and Neglect, of Part I (Children in Families); § 5.10 from Chapter 5, State Duty to Educate Children, of Part II (Children in Schools); §§ 12.30 to 12.31 of Chapter 12, Pre-Adjudication; §§ 13.10, 13.30 to 13.31, and 13.50 to 13.51, of Chapter 13, Delinquency Proceedings; §§ 14.10 to 14.11, of Chapter 14, Delinquency Dispositions; and § 15.30 of Chapter 15, Juveniles in Criminal Justice System. The draft also contained three new Comments to be added to previously approved Sections in Part II (Children in Schools): Comment k to § 7.10, The Use of Force in Response to Student Behavior; Comment h to § 7.20, Exclusion from School; and Comment j to § 8.10, Student Expression.

At the 2021 Annual Meeting, the membership voted to approve Tentative Draft No. 3, which includes § 2.22 from Chapter 2, State Intervention for Abuse and Neglect; § 8.10 from Chapter 8, Student Speech Rights; §§ 9.10 and 9.20 from Chapter 9, Religion in Public Schools; §§ 10.10 and 10.20 from Chapter 10, School Searches; and §§ 12.10 and 12.11 from Chapter 12, Pre-Adjudication.

Based on the discussion at the 2019 Annual Meeting, the black letter of Section 19.02 has been revised. Members and project participants may view the new text under the Drafts tab. The Comments will be aligned with the black letter.

All draft approvals are subject to the discussion at the meeting and usual editorial prerogative.

For an in-depth description of this project, please visit the Children and the Law page of The ALI Adviser

Reporter
Elizabeth S. Scott Columbia Law School
New York, NY
Associate Reporters
Richard J. Bonnie University of Virginia School of Law (Retired)
Charlottesville, VA
Emily Buss University of Chicago Law School
Chicago, IL
Clare Huntington Columbia Law School
New York, NY
Solangel Maldonado Seton Hall University School of Law
Newark, NJ
Advisers
Kerry Abrams Duke University School of Law
Durham, NC
Susan Frelich Appleton Washington University School of Law
Saint Louis, MO
Barbara A. Atwood University of Arizona Rogers College of Law
Tucson, AZ
Katharine T. Bartlett Duke University School of Law (Retired)
Durham, NC
Andrew K. Block University of Virginia School of Law
Charlottesville, VA
Sanford L. Bohrer Holland & Knight LLP (Retired)
Miami, FL
Bonnie Brier Philadelphia, PA
Naomi R. Cahn University of Virginia School of Law
Charlottesville, VA
Anne C. Dailey University of Connecticut School of Law
Hartford, CT
Andre M. Davis Baltimore City Law Department
Baltimore, MD
Christine M. Durham Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
Salt Lake City, UT
Maxine Eichner University of North Carolina School of Law
Chapel Hill, NC
Allison H. Eid U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit
Denver, CO
Ira Mark Ellman Arizona State University, Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law (Retired)
Berkeley, CA
Anthony C. Epstein Superior Court of the District of Columbia
Washington, DC
Barry C. Feld University of Minnesota Law School
Effie, MN
James Forman, Jr. Yale Law School
New Haven, CT
Deborah Fowler Texas Appleseed
Austin, TX
Vernon L. Francis Dechert LLP
Philadelphia, PA
Holly J. Fujie Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA
Martin Guggenheim New York University School of Law
New York, NY
Josh Gupta-Kagan Columbia Law School
New York, NY
Kristin Nicole Henning Georgetown University Law Center
Washington, DC
Richard B. Katskee Duke University School of Law
Durham, NC
Judith L. Kreeger State of Florida, 11th Judicial Circuit (Retired)
Coral Gables, FL
Debra H. Lehrmann Supreme Court of Texas
Austin, TX
Goodwin Liu Supreme Court of California
San Francisco, CA
Petra Jimenez Maes New Mexico Supreme Court (Retired)
Santa Fe, NM
Amie C. Martinez Anderson, Creager & Wittstruck, P.C., LLO
Lincoln, NE
David D. Meyer Brooklyn Law School
Brooklyn, NY
Dorothy E. Roberts University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School
Philadelphia, PA
John B. Roe, IV Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Court of Illinois, Ogle County
Oregon, IL
Laura A. Rosenbury Barnard College
New York, NY
Robert G. Schwartz Philadelphia, PA
Katharine B. Silbaugh Boston University School of Law
Boston, MA
Jana B. Singer University of Maryland, Francis King Carey School of Law (Retired)
Baltimore, MD
Catherine W. Smith Smith Goodfriend, P.S.
Seattle, WA
Avani Mehta Sood New York University School of Law
New York, NY
Jane M. Spinak Columbia University School of Law
New York, NY
Elizabeth G. Taylor National Health Law Program
Washington, DC
Cindy G. Thyer Arkansas Court of Appeals
Little Rock, AR
Amy Totenberg U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia
Atlanta, GA
Michael S. Wald Stanford Law School (Retired)
Stanford, CA
David N. Wecht Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, PA
Lois Weithorn University of California College of the Law, San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
Barbara Bennett Woodhouse Emory University School of Law
Atlanta, GA
Social Science Advisory Panel
BJ Casey Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology
New York, NY
Jeffrey Fagan Columbia Law School
New York, NY
Thomas Grisso University of Massachusetts Medical School, Department of Psychiatry
Worcester, MA
Sara McLanahan Princeton University, Office of Population Research
Princeton, NJ
Edward P. Mulvey University of Pittsburgh Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic
Pittsburgh, PA
N. Dickon Reppucci University of Virginia, Department of Psychology
Charlottesville, VA
Laurence Steinberg Temple University, Department of Psychology
Philadelphia, PA
Liaison
Marsha Levick Juvenile Law Center
Philadelphia, PA
Members Consultative Group
Raheemah F. Abdulaleem Executive Office of the President, Office of Administration
Washington, DC
Raquel E. Aldana University of California, Davis School of Law
Davis, CA
Diane Marie Amann University of Georgia School of Law
Atlanta, GA
José F. Anderson University of Baltimore School of Law
Baltimore, MD
Christopher Edward Appel Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP
Washington, DC
David J. Aronofsky The University of Montana School of Law (Retired)
Missoula, MT
Joseph R. Bankoff Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA
Jennifer S. Bard University of Cincinnati College of Law
Cincinnati, OH
Debra Lyn Bassett Southwestern Law School
Sacramento, CA
Scott Bernstein State of Florida, 11th Judicial Circuit
Miami, FL
Brian Bix University of Minnesota Law School
Minneapolis, MN
Kristine Bowman Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
Steven M. Bradford HNI Corporation
Muscatine, IA
Tonya L. Brito University of Wisconsin Law School
Madison, WI
Bryan T. Camp Texas Tech University School of Law
Lubbock, TX
Elena A. Cappella Philadelphia, PA
W. Jonathan Cardi Wake Forest University School of Law
Winston-Salem, NC
Gilbert Paul Carrasco Willamette University College of Law
Huntington Beach, CA
Jenny E. Carroll University of Alabama School of Law
Tuscaloosa, AL
Frank P. Cervone Support Center for Child Advocates (Retired)
Philadelphia, PA
Stephen Yee Chow Stephen Y. Chow, PC
Boston, MA
Michael S. Coffee Washington, DC
John J. Connolly Zuckerman Spaeder LLP
Baltimore, MD
Kelsi B. Corkran Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection, Georgetown Law
Washington, DC
Michelle Williams Court Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA
Mary A. Crossley University of Pittsburgh School of Law
Pittsburgh, PA
F. T. Davis, Jr. Dentons US LLP
Atlanta, GA
Nora V. Demleitner St. John's College
Annapolis, MD
Nina Maria Dethloff University of Bonn, Institute for German, European and International Family Law
Bonn, Germany
Charles W. Dortch, Jr. Superior Court, Family Division, Camden County
Camden, NJ
Kevin J. Doyle U.S. District Court, District of Vermont
Burlington, VT
Jennifer Ann Drobac Indiana University, Robert H. McKinney School of Law
Indianapolis, IN
Alice Beck Dubow Superior Court of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
David M. English University of Missouri School of Law
Columbia, MO
Ann L. Estin University of Iowa College of Law
Iowa City, IA
Katie R. Eyer Rutgers Law School
Camden, NJ
April L. Farris Texas Court of Appeals, First District
Houston, TX
Boris Feldman Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer US LLP
Redwood City, CA
John F. Fischer Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals
Tulsa, OK
Judith K. Fitzgerald Tucker Arensberg, P.C.
Pittsburgh, PA
Joseph Z. Fleming Joseph Z. Fleming P.A.
Miami, FL
Matthew L.M. Fletcher University of Michigan Law School
Ann Arbor, MI
Kem Thompson Frost Texas Court of Appeals, 14th District
Houston, TX
Kenneth S. Gallant University of Arkansas at Little Rock, William H. Bowen School of Law (Retired)
Sequim, WA
Edward M. Ginsburg West Newton, MA
Michael Greenwald Philadelphia, PA
Charles E. Griffin Butler Snow LLP
Ridgeland, MS
Joanna L. Grossman Southern Methodist University, Dedman School of Law
Dallas, TX
Catherine M. Grosso Michigan State University College of Law
East Lansing, MI
Patricia Guerrero Supreme Court of California
San Francisco, CA
Vivian Eulalia Hamilton William & Mary Law School
Williamsburg, VA
Emily Hammond George Washington University Law School
Washington, DC
David A. Hardy Second Judicial Court, Washoe County
Reno, NV
Michael A. Harring Chicago, IL
Leslie Joan Harris University of Oregon School of Law (Retired)
Eugene, OR
Ronald K. Henry Arnold & Porter (Retired)
Washington, DC
Luz E. Herrera Texas A&M University School of Law
Fort Worth, TX
Courtney G. Joslin University of California, Davis School of Law
Davis, CA
Maha Jweied Responsible Business Initiative for Justice
Washington, DC
Evelyn V. Keyes Texas Court of Appeals, 1st District (Retired)
Houston, TX
Mark R. Killenbeck University of Arkansas School of Law, Leflar Law Center (Retired)
Fayetteville, AR
Rufus G. King, III Superior Court of the District of Columbia
Washington, DC
Deborah Gordon Klehr Education Law Center
Philadelphia, PA
Michael J. Kramer Noble Circuit Court
Albion, IN
Cheryl A. Krause U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
Philadelphia, PA
Miriam A. Krinsky Fair and Just Prosecution
Los Angeles, CA
Erin C. Lagesen Oregon Court of Appeals
Salem, OR
Sybil H. Landau New York, NY
Máximo Langer University of California, Los Angeles School of Law
Los Angeles, CA
Peter F. Langrock Langrock Sperry & Wool, LLP
Middlebury, VT
Jaynee LaVecchia McCarter & English, LLP
Newark, NJ
George W. Liebmann Liebmann & Shively, P.A.
Baltimore, MD
William Parker Lightfoot Lightfoot Law
Washington, DC
Meghan H. Magruder King & Spalding LLP (Retired)
Atlanta, GA
Linda A. Malone William & Mary Law School
Williamsburg, VA
C. Scott Maravilla U.S. Federal Aviation Administration
Washington, DC
Fatma Essam Marouf Texas A&M University School of Law
Fort Worth, TX
Linda C. McClain Boston University School of Law
Boston, MA
F. Scott McCown University of Texas School of Law
Austin, TX
Anne K. McKeig Minnesota Supreme Court
Saint Paul, MN
James A. McKenna State of Maine Office of the Attorney General
Hallowell, ME
M. Isabel Medina Loyola University New Orleans College of Law
New Orleans, LA
Stephanie A. Middleton The American Law Institute (Retired)
Greenbrae, CA
Thomas C. Montoya Atkinson & Kelsey, P.A.
Albuquerque, NM
Steven J. Mulroy Shelby County District Attorney's Office
Memphis, TN
J. Thomas Oldham University of Houston Law Center
Houston, TX
Jeffrey A. Parness Northern Illinois University College of Law
DeKalb, IL
LeRoy Pernell Florida A & M University College of Law
Orlando, FL
Mary Kelly Persyn Persyn Law & Policy
San Francisco, CA
Steven N. Peskind Peskind Law Firm
Saint Charles, IL
Cheryl B. Preston Brigham Young University, J. Reuben Clark Law School
Provo, UT
Bernard D. Reams, Jr. St. Mary's University School of Law
San Antonio, TX
Kimberly J. Robinson University of Virginia School of Law
Charlottesville, VA
Reginald L. Robinson Howard University School of Law
Washington, DC
Fernando Rodriguez, Jr. U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas
Brownsville, TX
Howard Ruda Hahn & Hessen LLP (Retired)
New York, NY
Margaret M. Russell Santa Clara University School of Law
Santa Clara, CA
Rosemary C. Salomone St. John's University School of Law
Jamaica, NY
Joshua D. Sanders Superior Court of New Jersey
Newark, NJ
Andrew Ike Schepard Hofstra University School of Law
Hempstead, NY
Colleen F. Shanahan Columbia Law School
New York, NY
Marsha E. Simms Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP (Retired)
New York, NY
Kenneth W. Simons University of California, Irvine School of Law
Irvine, CA
Deirdre M. Smith University of Maine School of Law
Pownal, ME
Jonathan M. Smith Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs
Washington, DC
Steven R. Smith California Western School of Law
San Diego, CA
Carl A. Solano Superior Court of Pennsylvania (Retired)
Philadelphia, PA
Robert G. Spector University of Oklahoma College of Law
Norman, OK
H. Mark Stichel RKW Law Group
Baltimore, MD
Mark P. Strasser Capital University Law School
Columbus, OH
Guy Miller Struve Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP (Retired)
New York, NY
Mary Ellen Tabor Iowa Court of Appeals
Des Moines, IA
Anne Minnette Tamar-Mattis International Academy of Collaborative Professionals
Cotati, CA
Louise Ellen Teitz Roger Williams University School of Law
Bristol, RI
David B. Thronson Michigan State University College of Law
East Lansing, MI
Samuel A. Thumma Arizona Court of Appeals, Division One
Phoenix, AZ
Bea Verschraegen University of Vienna, Faculty of Law
Vienna, Austria
Emily Gold Waldman Pace University, Elisabeth Haub School of Law
White Plains, NY
Robin Walker Sterling Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law
Chicago, IL
Lynn Dennis Wardle Brigham Young University, J. Reuben Clark Law School (Retired)
Provo, UT
Manning Gilbert Warren, III University of Louisville, Brandeis School of Law
Louisville, KY
Michael Evan Waterstone University of California, Los Angeles School of Law
Los Angeles, CA
Merle Weiner University of Oregon School of Law
Eugene, OR
Steven O. Weise Proskauer Rose LLP
Los Angeles, CA
Robin Fretwell Wilson University of Illinois College of Law
Champaign, IL
Charles W. Wolfram Portland, ME
Richard W. Wright IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law
Evanston, IL
Mark G. Yudof University of California, Berkeley School of Law (Retired)
Berkeley, CA