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You are here: Home / Take Action! / Private: Previous Forums & Events / Alameda Family Law Forum

Alameda Family Law Forum

Family Court Crisis:
A closer look at problems & solutions

Presented in Partnership with Alameda County Supervisor Gail Steele

Alameda County Supervisor Gail Steele and the Center for Judicial Excellence convened a daylong public forum on June 11, 2009 to explore the systemic failure of the Family Law system to protect vulnerable children in California – and nationwide – from judicial decisions that are placing thousands of kids in harm’s way as their parents divorce.

The morning session included two dynamic panels of experts and the East Bay film premiere of the Center for Judicial Excellence’s award-winning, 12-minute documentary Family Court Crisis: Our Children At Risk.

A noon press conference featured a statement by Nancy Lee Grahn, and an announcement by Supervisor Gail Steele regarding Alameda County’s new commitment to better protect vulnerable children in the family courts. The full-length, 42-minute version of Family Court Crisis: Our Children At Risk was also screened at noon.

The afternoon session featured public testimony from family court litigants, child advocates and the general public about ongoing problems in the California Family Courts. The hearing closed with a panel of legal experts and attorneys sharing general, non-specific legal advice for family court litigants about how to best protect themselves in family court.

Panelists included:

  • Nancy Lee Grahn, Protective Parent & Star of TV’s General Hospital
  • Nancy Lemon, Professor of Law, Berkeley Law, UC Berkeley (Boalt)
  • Connie Valentine, President of the California Protective Parents Association
  • Tara Flanagan, Supervising Attorney, Family Violence Law Center
  • Ken Theisen, Advocate, Bay Area Legal Aid
  • Meera Fox, Executive Director of Child Abuse Solutions, Inc.
  • Barbara Kauffman and Robin Yeamans, Family law attorneys
  • Sarah, “Courageous Kid” who survived court-ordered child abuse

Forum co-sponsors include Berkeley Law, UC Berkeley (Boalt), California Protective Parents Association, Justice for Children, California Safe Child Coalition, Child Abuse Solutions Inc., and the Incest Survivors Speakers Bureau.

Please click the links below to learn more about CJE’s Alameda County Family Law Hearing:
Forum Program
Forum Flyer

Media outlets across California & the nation picked up the Bay Area News Group story about this successful event:
Bay Area News Group – June 14, 2009
Huffington Post – June 14, 2009
CA Progress Report – June 15, 2009
USA Today – June 12, 2009
Oakland Tribune – June 12, 2009

 

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CJE’s Mission

CJE is a nonprofit organization based in San Rafael, California. Our mission is to protect child abuse and domestic violence survivors in the U.S. family court system and to foster accountability throughout the judicial branch.

For nearly two decades, the Center has been a voice for vulnerable children and a catalyst for child safety as we work tirelessly to expose the systemic failures in U.S. family courts that are harming countless children. We accomplish this by educating the media, lawmakers, and the public about the need for significant reforms while we spearhead legislation focused on keeping children safe and alive through their parent’s divorce or separation.

Contact Us

P.O. Box 150793
San Rafael, California 94915
Phone: 415-444-6556
Email:
info@centerforjudicialexcellence.org

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CJE DOES NOT GIVE LEGAL ADVICE. We want to hear your story, however, please be advised, if you choose to share information with us, we can not guarantee your privacy.
The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice. All information, content, and materials available on this site are for general informational purposes only. Information on this website may not constitute the most up-to-date legal or other information. This website contains links to other third-party websites. Such links are only for the convenience of the reader, user or browser; CJE and its members do not recommend or endorse the contents of the third-party sites. Readers of this website should contact their attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular legal matter. No reader, user, or browser of this site should act or refrain from acting on the basis of information on this site without first seeking legal advice from counsel in the appropriate jurisdiction. Only your individual attorney can provide assurances whether the information contained herein applies to your particular situation.

 

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