Faculty and Administration Profiles

Anita Weinberg

About

Anita Weinberg has worked on behalf of underserved and underrepresented children and families for over 40 years as an attorney and as a social worker. While at the Law School, she founded the ChildLaw Policy Institute and established the Legislation and Policy Clinic, both of which she currently leads. She was the founding director of the Law School’s Curt and Linda Rodin Center for Social Justice. Prior to teaching at Loyola, Professor Weinberg served as director of Policy and Planning for the Department of Children and Family Services Office of Inspector General. Previously she was an Assistant Cook County Public Guardian representing abused and neglected children and supervising staff attorneys. She also was a staff attorney with the Legal Assistance Foundation of Chicago where she represented parents and children in the juvenile court, in class action litigation, and in legislative advocacy. Professor Weinberg was adjunct faculty at the University of Chicago School of Social Services Administration for nine years, where she created and taught a class on social work and the law. As a social worker she directed the Resources for Permanence Project at the Child Welfare League of America in New York City.

Professor Weinberg involves students in interdisciplinary projects in the areas of child welfare, juvenile justice and health. She is the recipient of grants from the Chicago Community Trust, Telligen, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for work on lead poisoning prevention. She serves on numerous committees and councils devoted to children's rights. She has co-authored amendments to the Illinois Juvenile Court Act and the Illinois Lead Poisoning Prevention Act. Professor Weinberg has testified before congressional and state legislative committees on child welfare, education, juvenile justice and health related issues.

Professor Weinberg was the recipient of the University’s inaugural St. Ignatius Loyola Award for Excellence in Teaching. The award recognizes a faculty member whose teaching involves a commitment to excellence, raises global awareness, promotes social justice and educates the whole student. She also has been recognized by the Family Defense Center with its Family Defender award, the Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) with the Distinguished Alumni Award, the Edith Spurlock Sampson Juvenile Justice Pioneer Award, the Metropolitan Tenants Organization with its Housing Champion award, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Children’s Environmental Health Excellence Award.

Degrees

BA, University of Michigan
MSSW, Columbia University School of Social Work
JD, Loyola University Chicago School of Law

Research Interests

Child welfare and related issues
Juvenile justice
Legislative process
Children’s health and lead poisoning prevention

Professional & Community Affiliations

Chapin Hall at University of Chicago, Institutional Review Board (2010-present)

YWCA/North Shore, Chair (2012-present), Vice-President (2009-2012); Chair, Advocacy Committee (2007-2009); Member, Racial Justice Committee (2008-present); Board Member (2005-present);

Family Defense Center, Advisory Council Member (2008- present); Founding Board Member (2005-2007

Clarence Darrow Commemorative Committee, Co-Chair, 1989 – present)

Cook County Lead Poisoning Advisory Council, Member( 2001 – present)

Illinois Lead Safe Housing Advisory Council, Co-chair (January 2005-present)

Illinois Lead Safe Housing Task Force, Chair(1999 –present)

Courses Taught

Legislation and Policy Clinic
Comparative Domestic Violence Law Seminar (LAW 234)
Children's Summer Institute
Fellows Capstone Seminar
Interdisciplinary Seminar on Domestic Violence

Awards

2014 St. Ignatius Loyola Award for Excellence in Teaching

2014 Housing Champion, Metropolitan Tenants Organization

2013 Family Defender,Family Defense Center

Children’s Environmental Health Excellence Award, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2006

Distinguished Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) Alumni Award, 2003

Edith Spurlock Sampson Juvenile Justice Pioneer Award, 2000

Loyola University Chicago School of Law, in recognition of service to the legal profession through service to the underprivileged, 1993.

Selected Publications

Books

Karen Blumenthal and Anita Weinberg (eds.), Establishing Parent Involvement in Foster Care Agencies, New York: Child Welfare League of America (1984)

Chapters in Books

Seeing the Forest through the Trees: Rethinking the Meaning of “Child Welfare,” in Reflections
on Child Welfare Areas of Practice, Issues, and Service Populations - Volume II, New York: Child Welfare League of America (2021)

A Case Study of a Partnership in Chicago to Prevent Childhood Lead Poisoning, in Garbarino and Sigman (eds.) A Child's Right to a Healthy Environment, New York: Springer Publishing Company (2011)

Involving Parents: Administrative Responsibility, in Establishing Parent Involvement in Foster Care Agencies, New York: Child Welfare League of America (1984) (with Karen Blumenthal)

Issues Concerning Parental Visiting of Children in Foster Care, in Hardin, Mark (ed.) Foster Children in the Courts, Boston: Butterworth Legal Publishers (1983) (with Karen Blumenthal)

Selected Articles:

Finding Our Way: Teaching Legislative Advocacy Clinics, 31 Clinical Law Review 41 (Fall 2024) (with Elizabeth B. Cooper)

Child Welfare, Reasonable Efforts, and COVID-19, 41 Children’s Legal Rights. J. 162 (2021) (with Lilia Valdez)

Childhood Lead Poisoning: An Evolving Challenge, essay in Child Health Matters, Illinois
Kids Count Report 2014 (with Deanna Durica)

Taking the Lead in Ending Lead Poisoning, Loyola Magazine (essay) (Spring 2013)

An Introduction to the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997, 24 Children’s Legal Rights Journal 1 (Spring 2004)

Interdisciplinary Teaching and Collaboration in Higher Education: A Concept Whose Time Has Come, 14 Washington University Journal of Law & Policy (2004) (with Carol Harding)

Lead Poisoning Threatens Children’s Health, Legal System Responds, 7:1 Public Interest Law Reporter (Spring 2002)

The Question of Best Interest in Failed Adoptions: A Case Study, 4:4 Adoption Quarterly (2001)

Law and Social Work in Partnership for Permanency: The Adoption and Safe Families Act and the Role of Concurrent Planning, 18:4 Children’s Legal Rights Journal (Fall 1998) (with Linda Katz)

Other Publications - Reports/Professional/Educational Materials

Neglected, Abused and Dependent Children - Dispositions and Permanency, in Illinois Juvenile Law and Practice (IICLE 2007, update 2009, 2013 (with Bruce Boyer); 2017, 2021) (with Boyer and Kathryn Huber Kenyon); 2024 (with Boyer and Emma McMullen)

Improving Illinois’ Response to Sexual Offenses Committed by Youth: Considerations for Law, Policy, and Practice (Principal Investigator), Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission (2014) (with Legislation and Policy Clinic students and faculty)

Incapable of Criminal Intent: The Case for Setting a Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility in Illinois, Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Civitas ChildLaw Center (ed. 2021) (prepared with Legislation and Policy Clinic students and faculty)

Frequently Asked Questions, Prepared for the Youth Advisory Board to the Department of Children and Family Services (with Legislation and Policy Clinic students and faculty) (2018,
updated 2021)

Planning for Your Children in Case of Detention or Deportation: A Guide for Parents in Illinois who are Undocumented (Fall 2017) (with Legislation and Policy Clinic students and faculty)
available in Spanish and English

Pregnant and Parenting Teens: A Curriculum on Childhood Lead Poisoning”(three-part audio/video presentation) (2014) (with Mary Burns and Pam Witmer)

Childhood Lead Poisoning: A Historical Perspective (produced 8-minute video) (2008)

Report to the Illinois General Assembly and Governor on Recommendations of the Illinois Lead Safe Housing Advisory Council (2007)

Lead Safe Chicago: A Strategic Plan to Eliminate Childhood Lead Poisoning in Chicago by 2010 (2004) (with Anne Evens)

Benchbook for Housing Court Judges (2004, updated 2008 and 2010) (with student researchers)

Parent’s Guide to the Juvenile Court Abuse and Neglect Proceedings, Illinois State Bar Association (2000)

Intimate Partner Violence and the Law in Illinois, in Training and Resource Manual, Loyola University Medical Center (November 1999) (with Stacey Platt)