T
he Civitas ChildLaw Center has received a $1 million grant
from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation for
its work on a juvenile justice reform initiative, and continues its
innovative curriculum with a new online master of jurisprudence
(MJ) degree in children’s law and policy for non-lawyers.
Grant boosts reform efforts
The MacArthur Foundation’s two-year grant will enable the ChildLaw
Center to continue to oversee all aspects of its juvenile justice reform
work in Illinois. For the last five years, the ChildLaw Center has served as
Illinois’ lead entity for the foundation’s Models for Change initiative, which
focuses on efforts in select states to create replicable models for reform that
effectively hold young people accountable for their actions, provide for
their rehabilitation, protect them from harm, increase their life chances, and
manage the risk they pose to themselves and to public safety.
“During the first five years of our participation in Models for Change,
Illinois has made significant improvements to its juvenile justice system,
including creation of a separate Department of Juvenile Justice, enhancing the
availability of federal funding for youth services, and reducing the number of
youth who are automatically transferred to adult court for trial and sentencing,”
says Diane Geraghty, center director and the A. Kathleen Beazley Chair in
ChildLaw. “The goal of these changes has been to improve community safety
while at the same time promoting positive outcomes for youth. We’re very
pleased to receive this additional grant to continue the progress we’ve made
with our partners and with the support of the foundation.”
Online program for non-lawyers
fills educational need
Building on the success of the former on-campus program in child law,
which has been phased out, and Loyola’s established online MJ in health law,
the new online MJ program in children’s law and policy puts Loyola ahead of
the curve again. The 24 credit-hour program is designed to be completed part-
time in two calendar years.
Online child law MJ students include social workers, educators,
psychologists, health care providers, nonprofit and foundation executives,
law enforcement personnel, journalists, court-appointed special advocates,
and government policymakers. The first cohort includes 12 students,
with approximately the same number expected in the second incoming
group, says Mary Burns, academic program coordinator.
Burns says the progress made over the last couple of decades in child and
family law means that many of the current generation of agency and program
leaders are heading toward retirement, which will open a number of leadership
positions. “These pioneers had to learn as they went; there were no programs
like this,” she explains. “So we’re grooming the new generation for leadership,
and have structured the program accordingly.”
Students complete four required courses, including a thesis/capstone
project, and six electives. Early in the program, students take a course that helps
them pinpoint and develop their own styles of leadership. Subsequent courses,
which target aspects of child and family law, include elements of policy, “keeping
the focus on leadership development throughout the curriculum,” Burns
explains. The thesis/capstone project requires students to examine a
specific area of child law and policy in depth, integrating subject matter and
leadership skills.
In addition to the required curriculum, students travel to the School of
Law at least once during the program for an Education Immersion Weekend,
at which they participate in workshops, discuss their ongoing thesis/capstone
work with other students and faculty, and, if they’re nearing graduation,
present their final projects.
The immersion weekend is only one way the program seeks to build
connections and resources among a group of students scattered across the
country. “Many of the classes are live online, and students are encouraged to
participate in the discussion. We also offer live chats, and online forums and
discussions,” says Burns. “The online program builds a learning community
of faculty and students in which students take charge of their learning, and
teachers facilitate and provide guidance.”
Other Civitas happenings
Besides the MacArthur grant and the new online program, the ChildLaw
Center has several other notable recent accomplishments.
For her work on international children’s rights, including consulting
with UNICEF in Africa and Asia, Geraghty received the 2012 Women of
Concern Leadership Award from Concern Worldwide, a nongovernmental,
international humanitarian
organization dedicated to the
reduction of suffering and
working toward the elimination
of extreme poverty.
For the seventh year in a row,
Geraghty led a student group
abroad over spring break as part
of her work with the International
Children’s Rights Initiative. This
year’s group traveled to Turkey
(also see page 22).
The center also hosted two
important conferences this
year on cutting-edge topics in child law. The
Children’s Legal Rights Journal
presented “LGBT and Children,” building on last year’s conference theme of
cyberbullying, and the ChildLaw and Education Institute hosted “Special
Education in Charter Schools: Challenges and Opportunities.” As it does
every year, Loyola cohosted a national conference at the law school with the
Association of Family and Conciliation Courts. This year’s conference topics
were “Managing Personality-Disordered Parents” and “Advanced Parenting
Coordination Practice.” This spring, Brigette DeLay (JD ’07), child protective
specialist with UNICEF, was a distinguished visitor at the center.
The continuing success of Loyola’s ChildLaw Center has spurred
increases in its human resources. Civitas is currently hiring a postgraduate
fellow, a policy fellow, and an associate director for the ChildLaw and
Education Institute.
■
Hazel Or, a student in the new online MJ program (left), consults with Mary Burns,
academic program coordinator.
BUILDING ON ACCOMPLISHMENTS
For more information on the Civitas ChildLaw Center, visit
LUC.edu/law.
ChildLaw
marks more
milestones
A major grant and a new
online MJ program keep
the center moving forward
“Our students take charge
of their learning, and
teachers facilitate and
provide guidance.”
—MARY BURNS,
CIVITAS CHILDLAW CENTER
SPRING 2012
15
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LOYOLA LAW
