Professor Lucy Johnston-Walsh's article being published by South Carolina Law Review

CARLISLE, PA—"Unseen Disruption: School Instability and the Best Interests of Youth in Foster Care," written by Professor Lucy Johnston-Walsh, has been accepted for publication by the South Carolina Law Review. The article explores the legal and social issues that youth involved in the foster care experience when their education is disrupted by frequent moves.

Johnston-Walsh, who directs the Children's Advocacy Clinic, works directly with clients who are involved in the juvenile court system. When children are removed from their parents' homes, they often experience multiple placement changes. Stability in the school setting can provide significant benefits during these periods of disruption. While federal law provides directives for children to remain in their home school district, too many children are uprooted and moved to a new school with each placement change. The article examines the impact of school disruptions, reviews the decision-making process, and raises the need for a child's voice.

The Children's Advocacy Clinic receives court appointments to represent children in juvenile court. Law students provide representation under Johnston-Walsh's supervision. She writes on the various legal topics impacting foster youth and also teaches “Juvenile Law” and related courses. This article complements Johnston-Walsh’s other work on foster youth rights, including "Taking from the Most Vulnerable: Legal Implications of Seizing Federal Benefits from Foster Kids," published in Seton Hall Law Review; "College for Free—but at What Cost?," published in Oregon Law Review; and "Fend for Yourself: Lifetime Consequences of Sending Kids to Municipal Courts Without Legal Representation," published in Fordham Urban Journal.

Lucy Johnston-Walsh is an associate professor of law and founding director of the Dickinson Law Children’s Advocacy Clinic. She is also the associate dean for experiential education. Professor Johnston-Walsh’s research, teaching, and service focus on juvenile law, specifically the legal challenges for 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 Seton Hall Law Review, Fordham Urban Law Review and University of Pennsylvania Journal of Law and Public Affairs.