PROFESSOR LUCY JOHNSTON-WALSH’S ARTICLE ACCEPTED FOR PUBLICATION BY OREGON LAW REVIEW

Lucy Johnston-WalshMay 2024 — Professor Lucy Johnston-Walsh’s article, “College for Free — but at What Cost?” was accepted for publication in Volume 103 of the Oregon Law Review.

Professor Johnston-Walsh is the founding director of the Penn State Dickinson Law’s Children’s Advocacy Clinic. The Children’s Advocacy Clinic receives court appointments to represent youth who are involved in the juvenile court system. Prof. Johnston-Walsh supervises law students within the clinic program. As part of this work, she has directly observed clients who are struggling not only to complete their high school degree, but also the transition to higher education. The article examines the tuition waiver programs that have developed in many states, which provide financial assistance to foster youth who wish to pursue a college degree. The article identifies the strengths and weaknesses of these waiver programs. Too often the tuition waiver is insufficient in providing adequate assistance to foster youth to be able to complete their college degree. The article examines the legal obstacles facing foster youth in college enrollment and makes recommendations for change. The article will be published in Oregon Law Review in early 2025.


Lucy Johnston-Walsh is an assistant professor of law and founding director of the Dickinson Law Children’s Advocacy Clinic. Professor Johnston-Walsh’s research, teaching and service focus on juvenile law, specifically legal challenges of youth involved in the foster care system. She supervises law students in the legal representation of youth involved in the dependency system and her scholarship directly relates to systemic issues presented through the clinic cases, as well as interdisciplinary collaboration in the field of child advocacy. Her recent scholarship has been published in both medical journals and law reviews including articles in Family Court Review, Akron Law Review and Seattle Journal for Social Justice.