DOCSLIB.ORG

International Adoption Laws: a Comparative Analysis

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
International Adoption Laws: a Comparative Analysis International Adoption Law: A Comparative Analysis A1NDREW C. BROWN* I. Introduction Over the past decade, the number of international adoptions to the United States has increased, reaching a peak of 22,884 adoptions in 2004.' International adoption has also become increasingly visible over the years due to the trend amongst high-profile celebri- ties of adopting children from Third World countries. 2 Although the coverage of these celebrity adoptions makes the process of international adoption seem relatively quick and easy, this is certainly not the case for either the celebrity or the majority of "regular" families seeking to adopt from other countries. Families who wish to adopt a child from another country face a number of unique legal challenges that are often in a state of flux due to frequent (and often unpredictable) changes in internal governance and relation- ships between nations. Foremost among the challenges faced by prospective adoptive families is navigating the various laws with which they must comply. In order for an American family to adopt a child from another country, that family must comply with three sets of laws: (1) U.S. Federal law, (2) the laws of the child's home country, and (3) the laws of the state in which the family resides. 3 Given the wide range of state adoption laws, this paper will focus solely on U.S. federal law and international law, but it should be kept in mind that the legal status of any international adoption is also dependent upon state law.4 U.S. laws * Andrew C. Brown was selected by the International Law Review Association of the SMU Dedman School of Law as the recipient of the 2008-2009 Quill & Torch Award for outstanding student scholarship in emerging topics in international law. Mr. Brown was born in Macon, Georgia, holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Baylor University, and is a 2010 J.D. candidate at the SMU Dedman School of Law. He would like to thank his cousin and her husband whose experience with international adoption inspired this article. 1. U.S. Dep't of State, Total Adoptions to the United States, http://adoption.state.gov/news/to- tal.chart.htnl (last visited Jan. 3, 2009). 2. Vicki Peterson, InternationalAdoptions: Celebrities vs. Real People, WASH. PosT, Oct. 26, 2006, available at http://www.washingtonpost.comn/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2006/10/26/DI2006102600640.htrnl. 3. U.S. Dep't of State, How to Adopt, http://adoption.state.gov/about/how.htrnl (last visited Dec. 28, 2009). 4. Any individual interested in adopting internationally should first determine whether or not they are eligible to adopt under the laws of the state in which they reside. For example, certain states, like California, 1338 THE INTERNATIONAL LAWYER regarding international adoption are now subject to "The Hague Convention on the Pro- tection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Hague Adop- tion Convention), which entered into force in the United States in April 2008.5 I will begin by examining the provisions of this landmark international agreement and its effects on the laws of international adoptions. Then, by way of illustration, I will compare and contrast the adoption laws of China, a country that is party to The Hague Adoption Con- vention, and Russia, a country that is not party to the Convention.6 Both China and Russia were in the top five for countries U.S. families adopted from during Fiscal Year 2008. 7 This comparison will show that, although the Hague Adoption Convention is a necessary tool by which the international community can provide for the well-being of adopted children and prevent many abuses that have plagued international adoptions, it still has some significant weaknesses that must be worked out if it is to truly be effective. II. The Hague Adoption Convention A. HISTORY OF THE CONVENTION The Hague Adoption Convention was concluded on May 29, 1993. The work on the agreement, however, had been ongoing since it was first proposed by the Sixteenth Ses- sion of the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) in 1988.8 It was at the conclusion of this session of the conference, which meets every four years, when the members recommended that the agenda for the seventeenth session should include "the preparation of a convention on the adoption of children coming from abroad." 9 The Permanent Bureau of the HCCH noted that the "dramatic increase in international adop- tions which [sic] had occurred in many countries since the late 1960s" had resulted in a "worldwide phenomenon" of the extensive migration of children over long distances and between vastly different societies and cultures.'0 This increased migration of children brought to the forefront many different and challenging legal issues that most countries were ill-equipped to handle at the time. Thus, it was recommended that the HCCH make the issue of international adoptions a priority for the seventeenth session in order to en- sure the protection of the children being adopted. In order to address the various issues raised by international adoptions, the HCCH focused on four main requirements. First, the HCCH recognized the "need for the estab- permit adoptions by same-sex couples while others, like Utah, remain resistant to adoptions by same-sex couples. Thus, the legal status of an international adoption by a same-sex couple that resides in a state that forbids such adoptions may be challenged. See, Lambda Legal, In Your State, http://www.lambdalegal.org/ our-work/states (last visited Dec. 28, 2009). 5. U.S. Dep't of State, Hague Convention Overview, http://adoption.state.gov/hague/overview.html (last visited Nov. 16, 2008). 6. U.S. Dep't of State, Convention Countries, http://adoption.state.gov/hague/overview/countries.hnl (last visited Jan. 12, 2009). 7. Total Adoptions to the United States, supra note 1. 8. Hans Van Loon, Hague Convention of 29 May 1993 on Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption, TuE INTL. J. OF CHILDREN'S RIGHTS 3: 463-468 (1995). 9. Explanatory Report on the Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption 1 57, 1994, available at http://hcch.e-vision.nl/upload/expl33e.pdf [hereinafter Ex- planatory Report]. 10. Id. VOL. 43, NO. 3 INTERNATIONAL ADOPTION LAW 1339 lishment of legally binding standards which [sic] should be observed in connection with intercountry adoption.""i Such a common set of standards would aid countries in answer- ing vital questions such as how to identify situations in which an international adoption is appropriate, and what law should govern the arrangement. 12 The second requirement identified by the HCCH was the need to establish a system of supervision to ensure that the standards of the Convention were followed and that would be able to prevent adop- tions that may not be in the best interest of the child or that were secured through fraud or bribery. 13 This requirement recognizes the ongoing abuse of "child trafficking" in connection with international adoptions. According to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), nearly 1.2 million children are trafficked each year for various pur- poses. 14 In addition to being trafficked for labor or sexual exploitation, many of these children are being "sold" outside of official adoption channels. 15 The third and fourth requirements recognize the need for the establishment of effective channels of communi- cation and the encouragement of cooperation between countries of origin and destination 16 in international adoptions. Under the Hague Adoption Convention, each "Contracting State" (that is, the coun- tries party to an adoption) is required to appoint a "Central Authority" to oversee the process and determine that the provisions of the Convention are followed. 17 In the United States, the Department of State is the Central Authority.ls As such, the State Department is charged with a number of tasks, which include working with U.S. embas- sies and host governments on issues relating to adoptions, providing timely information to prospective adoptive families, and overseeing the international adoption process. 19 Al- though the need for such a supervisory authority is apparent, the effectiveness of the su- pervision is less clear given that the majority of the illicit sales of children occur behind the "faqade of legitimate adoptions." 20 Thus, while the Hague Adoption Convention may cut down on the number of illegal baby sales that occur in Convention countries, such 11. Id. 12. Id. 13. Id. 14. UNICEF, Child Protection from Violence, Exploitation, and Abuse: Child Trafficking, http:// www.unicef.org/protection/index-exploitation.html (last visited Jan. 25, 2008). 15. Greece, which is not a signatory to the Hague Adoption Convention, is becoming increasingly popular as a source of private adoptions for people who are unable to adopt children through official channels. Kit- santonis and Brunwasser explain that the lack of regulations in Greece concerning private adoptions has allowed an illicit adoption network to develop in that country where prospective adoptive parents can simply purchase children from their birth parents. According to Greek authorities, the most desirable babies are fetching prices upwards of $30,000. The sales often occur through brokers who arrange the deals and take a significant cut of the price paid by the adoptive parents. Since these transactions are, by their nature, illegal, the brokers often cheat the birth parents out of their portion of the selling price. Perhaps more disturbing are the reports of mothers who are forced to sell their children in order to satisfy previously owed debts. See Niki Kitsantonis & Matthew Brunwasser, Baby Trafficking is Thriving in Greece, INT'L HERALD TmiBuNE, Dec.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Separated at Adoption: Addressing the Challenges of Maintaining Sibling-Of-Origin Bonds in Post-Adoption Families
    Scholarly Commons @ UNLV Boyd Law Scholarly Works Faculty Scholarship Winter 2015 Separated at Adoption: Addressing the Challenges of Maintaining Sibling-of-Origin Bonds in Post-adoption Families Rebecca L. Scharf University of Nevada, Las Vegas -- William S. Boyd School of Law Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.law.unlv.edu/facpub Part of the Constitutional Law Commons, Family Law Commons, Juvenile Law Commons, and the Law and Psychology Commons Recommended Citation Scharf, Rebecca L., "Separated at Adoption: Addressing the Challenges of Maintaining Sibling-of-Origin Bonds in Post-adoption Families" (2015). Scholarly Works. 928. https://scholars.law.unlv.edu/facpub/928 This Article is brought to you by the Scholarly Commons @ UNLV Boyd Law, an institutional repository administered by the Wiener-Rogers Law Library at the William S. Boyd School of Law. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Separated at Adoption: Addressing the Challenges of Maintaining Sibling-of-Origin Bonds in Post- adoption Families REBECCA L. SCHARF* *Associate Professor of Law, William S. Boyd School of Law, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. B.A., Brandeis University, 1988. J.D., Harvard Law School, 1991. Thank you to Dean Dan Hamilton and the administration of the William S. Boyd School of Law for its tremendous support. Thanks as well to Mary Berkheiser, Jennifer Carr, Nancy Rapoport, and Karen Sneddon. I would also like to thank participants in the Rocky Mountain Junior Scholars Forum for their feedback on early drafts. 84 Winter 2015 SeparatedAt Adoption 85 I. Introduction Throughout the United States, for thousands of children languishing in foster care, adoption can seem like an unattainable fantasy; for the lucky few who are adopted, however, reality sets in when they first learn that their adoption has an unimaginable consequence.
    [Show full text]
  • Adoption Law in the United States: a Pathfinder
    Child and Family Law Journal Volume 2 | Issue 1 Article 2 2014 Adoption Law In The nitU ed States: A PathFinder Glen-Peter Ahlers Sr. Follow this and additional works at: https://lawpublications.barry.edu/cflj Part of the Family Law Commons Recommended Citation Ahlers, Glen-Peter Sr. (2014) "Adoption Law In The nitU ed States: A PathFinder," Child and Family Law Journal: Vol. 2 : Iss. 1 , Article 2. Available at: https://lawpublications.barry.edu/cflj/vol2/iss1/2 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Commons @ Barry Law. It has been accepted for inclusion in Child and Family Law Journal by an authorized editor of Digital Commons @ Barry Law. ADOPTION LAW IN THE UNITED STATES: A PATHFINDER Glen-Peter Ahlers, Sr.* A pathfinder is a research tool that points the way to information resources on a given topic by exploring research paths to the information.1 They identify appropriate information resources and search strategies and selectively provide and discuss guideposts along the research path.2 Typical guideposts on law-related issues include significant legislation, model statutes, court opinions, regulations, journals, books, web pages, associations, and human experts. Before beginning our research journey, we must be clear on the parameters and scope of our topic, adoption law. What is adoption law? According to Black’s Law Dictionary, adoption is the “statutory process of terminating a child’s legal rights and duties toward the natural parents and substituting similar rights and duties toward adoptive parents.”3 While most adoptions involve children, Article five of the Uniform Adoption Act4 and many states allow adults to be adopted as well.5 According to the U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Stepchildren Adopted by Their Stepparents: Where Do They Fit?
    Stepchildren Adopted by their Stepparents: Where do they fit? Susan D. Stewart Department of Sociology 107 East Hall Iowa State University Ames, IA 50011 515-294-5912 [email protected] This research is supported by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management, and the NSAF Small Research Grants Program funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. I thank Timothy Triplett of the Urban Institute for technical assistance with the NSAF. 1 ABSTRACT According to the National Adoption Information Clearinghouse (NAIC, 2006), stepchild adoption (i.e., stepchildren who are legally adopted by their stepparents), is the most common form of adoption in the United States. Very little is known about the circumstances under which stepchildren are adopted by their stepparents and how they fare relative to other children. This study draws upon the 2002 National Survey of America’s Families and investigates the sociodemographic characteristics and well-being of adopted stepchildren, defined as children residing in married couple households with one biological parent and one adopted parent. Adopted stepchildren are compared to children with two married biological parents, two married adoptive parents, and children with one married biological parent and one (non-adoptive) stepparent. Preliminary descriptive results indicate that about 1% of children in married, two-parent households has an adoptive stepparent. About 5% of children in stepfamilies has been adopted by a stepparent. Adopted stepchildren have an increased risk of negative outcomes in the area of behavior and emotional problems. Results indicating that adopted stepchildren are most similar to children with two adoptive parents as opposed to one biological parent and one stepparent suggest that researchers need to be cautious about treating adopted stepchildren as stepchildren in their research.
    [Show full text]
  • The New Oklahoma Adoption Code: a Quest to Accommodate Diverse Interests
    Tulsa Law Review Volume 33 Issue 1 Dedicated to the U.S. Supreme Court Fall 1997 The New Oklahoma Adoption Code: A Quest to Accommodate Diverse Interests D. Marianne Brower Blair [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.law.utulsa.edu/tlr Part of the Law Commons Recommended Citation D. M. Blair, The New Oklahoma Adoption Code: A Quest to Accommodate Diverse Interests, 33 Tulsa L. J. 177 (2013). Available at: https://digitalcommons.law.utulsa.edu/tlr/vol33/iss1/12 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by TU Law Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Tulsa Law Review by an authorized editor of TU Law Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Blair: The New Oklahoma Adoption Code: A Quest to Accommodate Diverse In TULSA LAW JOURNAL Volume 33 Fall 1997 Number 1 ARTICLES THE NEW OKLAHOMA ADOPTION CODE: A QUEST TO ACCOMMODATE DIVERSE INTERESTS* D. Marianne Brower Blairt I. INTRODUCTION ..................................... 178 II. JURISDICTION, CHOICE OF LAW, AND RECOGNMON ............ 183 A. Subject Matter Jurisdiction .......................... 183 1. Rationale ................................... 183 2. Bases for Jurisdiction .......................... 186 3. Pending Action in Another State ................... 191 4. Effect of Prior Custody Order ..................... 192 5. Relationship of § 7502-1.1 to Other Requirements of the Adop- tion Code, ICWA, and the PKPA .................. 195 B. PersonalJurisdiction and Venue ...................... 197 C. Choice of Law ................................... 198 * OKLA. STAT. tit. 10, § 7501-1.1 to 7511-1.5. t Associate Professor of Law, University of Tulsa College of Law. B.A. 1974, DePauw University; J.D.
    [Show full text]
  • Adoption Law: Congratulations for Now--Current Law, the Revised Uniform Adoption Act, and Final Adoptions
    Oklahoma Law Review Volume 49 Number 2 1-1-1996 Adoption Law: Congratulations for Now--Current Law, the Revised Uniform Adoption Act, and Final Adoptions Eric C. Czerwinski Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.law.ou.edu/olr Part of the Family Law Commons Recommended Citation Eric C. Czerwinski, Adoption Law: Congratulations for Now--Current Law, the Revised Uniform Adoption Act, and Final Adoptions, 49 OKLA. L. REV. 323 (1996), https://digitalcommons.law.ou.edu/olr/vol49/iss2/5 This Comment is brought to you for free and open access by University of Oklahoma College of Law Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Oklahoma Law Review by an authorized editor of University of Oklahoma College of Law Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Adoption Law: Congratulations! For Now - Current Law, the Revised Uniform Adoption Act, and Final Adoptions L Introduction In 1993, Jim and Colette Rost wanted to expand their family but were unable to conceive any more children.' The Rosts opted for an open adoption, where the adoptive parents and birth parents could meet before the adoption and the birth parents would not be completely excluded from the child's life. The State of Ohio, where the Rosts lived, discourages open adoptions; therefore, the Rosts contacted an attorney in California.2 The attorney introduced the Rosts to a young, unmarried couple, Cindy Ruiz and Richard Adams, who were expecting twin girls. The two couples agreed to the adoption with the Rosts giving Ruiz $10,000 in a trust fund to cover expenses? Both Cindy Ruiz and Richard Adams signed papers consenting to the adoptions.
    [Show full text]
  • A Study of the Pre-Adoption Functioning and Post-Adoption
    Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2007 A Study of the Pre-Adoption Functioning and Post-Adoption Adjustment of Children Who Have Been Prenatally Exposed to Alcohol, Tobacco and/or Other Drugs Geraldine DeLong Goldman Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF SOCIAL WORK A STUDY OF THE PRE-ADOPTION FUNCTIONING AND POST-ADOPTION ADJUSTMENT OF CHILDREN WHO HAVE BEEN PRENATALLY EXPOSED TO ALCOHOL, TOBACCO AND/OR OTHER DRUGS BY GERALDINE DELONG GOLDMAN A Dissertation submitted to the College of Social Work in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Degree Awarded: Fall Semester, 2007 Copyright © 2007 Geraldine DeLong Goldman All Rights Reserved The members of the Committee approve the dissertation of Geraldine DeLong Goldman defended on September 19, 2007. _____________________________________________ Scott D. Ryan Professor Directing Dissertation _____________________________________________ Akihito Kamata Outside Committee Member _____________________________________________ Darcy Siebert Committee Member Approved: _____________________________________ Darcy Siebert, Director, Doctoral Program _____________________________________ C. Aaron McNeece, Dean, College of Social Work The Office of Graduate Studies has verified and approved the above named committee members. ii To my husband, Tom, for loving me. To my daughter, Megan, for teaching me to live courageously. To my grandmother, Frances Lucile Hodges DeLong, for inspiring my love of learning. And to my brother, Barry, who I will miss every day of my life. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My decision to return to school to pursue my doctorate was the fulfillment of a life-long dream.
    [Show full text]
  • Center for Adoption Policy the European Union and International
    Center for Adoption Policy The European Union and International Adoption Maarten Pereboom, Salisbury University Adoption – legally taking an individual born to others as one’s own child – dates back to ancient times, though the practice has changed significantly over time and is not common to all cultures. In recent times adoption has become an international phenomenon that tests both precepts about universal human rights and the interface of different legal customs and systems. In Europe, where traditions also vary from country to country, intercountry adoption has become entangled in the complicated process by which countries accede to the European Union, the supranational organization of states forming the world’s largest single market. While Europe explicitly proclaims the rights of children among its extensive list of human rights, the welfare of abandoned children remains caught between the imperatives of, on the one hand, helping as many children as possible, and, on the other, ensuring that best practices are followed, protecting the child and respecting the laws of all states involved – making the process lengthy, cumbersome and expensive. In 2004, under pressure from the European Union to which it hopes to accede in 2007, Romania banned adoption by foreigners of Romanian children. The law, which took effect in 2005, aimed to crack down on the corruption that existed in a highly flawed system, but in doing so it consigned thousands of children to years of institutional life. For families hoping to adopt one or more of these children, the situation reveals a terrible void between European human rights declarations and enforceable national laws that actually ensure the welfare of children.
    [Show full text]
  • Oklahoma's New Adoption Code & (And) Disclosure of Identifying Information
    Tulsa Law Review Volume 34 Issue 1 Conference on the Rehnquist Court Fall 1998 Oklahoma's New Adoption Code & (and) Disclosure of Identifying Information Mary L. Saenz Gutierrez Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.law.utulsa.edu/tlr Part of the Law Commons Recommended Citation Mary L. Saenz Gutierrez, Oklahoma's New Adoption Code & (and) Disclosure of Identifying Information, 34 Tulsa L. J. 133 (2013). Available at: https://digitalcommons.law.utulsa.edu/tlr/vol34/iss1/7 This Casenote/Comment is brought to you for free and open access by TU Law Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Tulsa Law Review by an authorized editor of TU Law Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Saenz Gutierrez: Oklahoma's New Adoption Code & (and) Disclosure of Identifying In OKLAHOMA'S NEW ADOPTION CODE & DISCLOSURE OF IDENTIFYING INFORMATION "In the weeks following, I anguished over what was one of the most difficult decisions I have ever had to face in my life."' "Following the news of the sudden appearance of a child whom I had long ago thought dead, I went into a deep state of severe emotional distress and experienced shock, depression, guilt and despair over whether to comply with this request and permit the release of any identifying information to this individual."2 "Had we known at the time we adopted our most recent child that information about our identity and details of our personal lives could be discovered by Zackary's birth parents, siblings, or legal representatives, we would have reconsidered our decision to accept this."3 Birth parents who, have furnished this information to SMALL WORLD have done so pursuant to a signed agreement assuring them that all such details of their personal and private backgrounds will be accorded the strictest degree of confidentiality...
    [Show full text]
  • Introductory/At Home Module #1: Adoption History, Law and Process
    Introductory/At Home Module #1: Adoption History, Law and Process Introductory/At Home Module #1: Adoption History, Law and Process This at home introductory module is to be completed before the first class. It is one of the 13 modules that must be successfully completed to gain the TAC (Training for Adoption Competency) certification of completion. You must successfully pass an examination after studying this Module. Please anticipate that this module will take between 5 and 6 hours to complete. Overview of Module This Module will provide you with: ¾ Knowledge on adoption history and law and on the different ways that children are placed with adoptive families; ¾ Opportunities to explore their own personal beliefs about adoption and the myths about adoption that they are likely to encounter in their clinical work with children, youth and families; ¾ Information on the clinical issues related to the adoption process itself, including the court process; and ¾ Information on the legal mandates regarding confidentiality and mandatory reporting of child maltreatment within the context of adoption. Learning Objectives: Upon completing this material, you will be able to: 1. Describe at least three key developments in the history of adoption in the United States. 2. Identify one law that governs international adoption and one law that governs the adoption of children in foster care. 3. List the steps in the adoption process. 4. Identify three common myths about adoption and describe the reality associated with each myth. 5. Describe ways that you can help clients re‐frame their own beliefs and understanding about adoption. 6. Describe ways that you can assist clients in understanding the impact of the adoption process on the therapeutic process.
    [Show full text]
  • Taking Matters Into Their Own Hands: Social Workers and Adoption Practices in United States Maternity Homes
    Taking Matters Into Their Own Hands: Social Workers and Adoption Practices in United States Maternity Homes By: Cecilia E. Donovan University of Colorado Boulder Department of History Defense Date: April 3, 2019 Primary Advisor: Thomas Andrews, History Honors Council Representative: Sungyun Lim, History Committee Member: Kent Willmann, Education Donovan 1 Table of Contents Introduction…………………………………………………………………………….....2 Maternity Homes……………………………………………………………………….....8 Gender Norms and Social Stigmas……………………………………………………....13 Changing Practices…………………………………………………………………….....19 Law……………………………………………………………………………………….35 Survivors……………………………………………………………………………….....39 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………..51 Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………...53 Donovan 2 Introduction The country was changing fast. from music to morality. The sexual revolution was coming. but it was a time before oral contraceptives were widely available, before legalized abortion. the baby boom wasn’t just built on married couples. That led to maternity homes. packed with unwed young mothers. all over the United States. The common refrain from the mothers we interviewed was this: they say they were forced to give up their newborns for adoption. with no alternatives.1 United States’ society and culture witnessed significant changes during the twentieth century. Throughout the 1900s, the Americans transitioned to a more liberal construction of certain issues like gender norms, sexuality, and race, than previous centuries. During this period, minority groups, particularly
    [Show full text]
  • June 2021 Philadelphiabar.Org
    JEN COATSWORTH FOR VICE CHANCELLOR communication using social media and other community centers to attract high school a large firm, I recognize that the needs and relevant platforms. students into the program and partner them concerns of our thousands of members who I also recently learned from a more with committees and sections within the practice as solo or small firms are different seasoned lawyer about a program that existed Association to increase their exposure to the and I will be reaching out to get your insights decades ago called Law Explorers Post. This profession. The best way to increase diversity as well. I want your input as to what our program originated and was sponsored by in our profession is by reaching out to young Association is doing well and how we can the Boy Scouts of America. Business and people to attract them to the profession. better serve you and your practice. However, professional groups throughout the country, These are just a few of the ideas that I please also don’t hesitate to reach out to such as bar associations, would sponsor have been developing, but I would like to me with your ideas and opinions. I can be a local “Explorers Post” for high school hear from you about what you’d like to see reached at jcoatsworth@margolisedelstein. students. The Post would have periodic from our Association. Over the course of com. meetings, provide opportunities for the Post this summer, I will be conducting a “listening If I have the privilege to serve as your 97th to network with people in the profession tour.” I will be reaching out to various leaders Chancellor, I promise to build on the rich or business, and take trips, among other in the large firms and to the executive traditions of our Association, and incorporate activities.
    [Show full text]
  • State Recognition of Intercountry Adoptions Finalized Abroad: State
    STATE STATUTES Current Through April 2018 WHAT’S INSIDE State Recognition of Full effect and Intercountry Adoptions recognition of intercountry adoption Finalized Abroad decrees Intercountry adoption refers to the adoption of children who are citizens of one country by parents who are citizens of a Readoption or validation after an intercountry different country. Intercountry adoptions may be finalized adoption abroad or domestically in accordance with the laws of the child’s country of origin. The adopting individual or couple Application for a U.S. must comply with the foreign sending country’s laws, U.S. birth certificate immigration law, and the law of the adoptive parents’ State of residence. Summaries of State laws Completing an adoption abroad does not, in and of itself, entitle the adopted child to enter the United States or obtain U.S. citizenship. Prospective adoptive parents should refer To fnd statute to the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Citizenship and infor ation for a Immigration Services (USCIS) websites for more information particular State, on the intercountry adoption immigration process as well go to as age, eligibility, and citizenship requirements before https://www.childwelfare. 1 completing an adoption abroad. Please also note that as gov/topics/systemwide/ of July 14, 2014, unless an exception applies, U.S. citizen laws-policies/state/. adoptive parents must work with a U.S. accredited or approved primary adoption service provider if they wish to immigrate a child through the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Hague Adoption Convention or Hague) process or the non-Convention (or orphan) process.
    [Show full text]