Asian Centennial
[PAST EVENT] Government 2022 Baxter-Ward Fellow: Vivek S. Sankaran
Access & Features
- Open to the public
Vivek S. Sankaran is a W&M Government alum and currently works as the Clinical Professor of Law, Director of the Child Advocacy Law Clinic, and is the Director of the Child Welfare Appellate Clinic at the University of Michigan Law School. He will present his talk "The Future Of Juvenile Courts: What Can We Learn from the Pandemic about Dispensing Justice To Families?" on April 25, 2022, in Tucker 127A from 5:00 pm-6:30 pm. Open to W&M and the wider community.
In March 2020, the pandemic forced juvenile courts across the country - which adjudicate the fate of children in foster care - to use remote platforms like Zoom because in-person proceedings were no longer possible. While these courts didn't ask for this change, in many ways it was long overdue. For years, advocates had argued that courts were not accessible to families, who often feared coming to court, weren't able to effectively participate in hearings, and lacked the financial means to engage in the process. In many ways, using remote technology made juvenile courts more accessible than they had ever been.
As we start exiting the pandemic, questions have arisen about how these courts should operate moving forward. Should hearings remain virtual? Would doing so jeopardize the fundamental rights of children and parents? How can courts weigh the protection of these rights with the convenience and efficiency that modern technologies provide? These are some of the issues that Prof. Sankaran will address.