The composition and
structure of the American family has changed significantly in the last 65
years. From the decline of marriage and fertility to the increase in blended
families, interracial relationships, and single parenthood, the face of the
family is visibly different. The legalization of same sex marriage, the rise in
the number of working women and fathers who share in household and childcare
responsibilities, and the growing number of aging family members who need daily
care has also impacted how families function. In some ways federal and state
family laws precipitated these changes and opened the door for the new trends,
but in other ways the law has been mired down in tradition, making it more
difficult for the modern family to operate. This panel explores the ways in
which family law and other related laws lie behind the curve in areas such as
reproduction, custody, companionship, and caretaking. Panelists will also
examine the various consequences of this gap between law and the realities of
families today, as well as consider ideas and current efforts being made to
close the divide. The program will consist of two panels:
9 am - 10:20 am - Panel #1: New Family Frameworks & Legal
Dilemmas
10:35 am - 12 pm - Panel #2: Family Separations and Breakdown in the Trump
Era
Papers from this
program will be published in Family Law Quarterly.
Business
meeting at program conclusion.