Melissa Co-Authors annual International Family Law review

The American Bar Association International Law Section and the SMU Dedman School of Law publish an annual journal issue titled the Year-in-Review. It provides international legal updates on a wide range of disciplines for the past calendar year. Melissa has co-authored the article on International Family Law for over a decade. The article providing the 2023 international family law legal updates was recently released and can be found here.

Melissa authors article on the potential for a new soft law instrument on judicial interviews in Hague Abduction cases

On Friday, June 9, 2023, Melissa's article, titled "The U.S. Experience in Drafting Guidelines for Judicial Interviews of Children and Its Translation to Hague Abduction Convention Return Proceedings Globally" was published in an international peer review journal. This article comes approximately four months in advance of the Hague Conference's 8th Special Commission meeting where the topic of hearing children in these complex cases will be discussed.

Melissa Co-Authors Annual International Family Law Legal Update

Melissa has co-authored the Year-in-Review in International Family Law as part of a legal journal edited by the SMU Dedman School of Law since 2013. This annual publication summarizes the most salient and important legal updates in the field of international family law over the past calendar year. You can read the most recent article, which summarizes 2021's updates here.

Melissa quoted by the Associated Press

On April 22, 2022, Melissa was quoted by the Associated Press about the recent case of a California father who is seeking the return of his child from Ukraine. The child and mother relocated from Ukraine to Russia, further complicating legal remedies. You can read the article here.

Melissa co-authors comprehensive text on International Family Law

On July 16, 2021, West Academic released its newest text, Kucinski, Hale, & Coffee's Family Law Across Borders. This casebook provides a comprehensive, accessible, and up-to-date analysis of family law from comparative and private international law perspectives. The casebook addresses some of the most intimate and legally complicated situations in which cross-border families find themselves, including the validity of foreign marriages, simultaneous divorce proceedings in multiple countries, the changing law in creating families using adoption and assisted reproductive technology, and how to remedy an international parental child abduction. In addition, the book dives into the importance of judicial assistance treaties and laws when understanding the legal issues, including the necessity to have proper service in a foreign country, obtaining evidence overseas, and authenticating foreign public documents.

Melissa co-authors journal article on child abduction during the COVID pandemic

The Family Law Quarterly, an academic journal published by the ABA Family Law Section and New York Law School, will release an upcoming issue this spring on the impact of COVID on the field of family law. Melissa was honored to co-author an article with Professor Robert Spector on the pandemic's impact on international parental child abduction cases, particularly those falling under the Hague Child Abduction Convention.

Melissa authors article for the ABA Family Advocate

Melissa authored an article in the American Bar Association - Family Law Section's Spring 2021 Family Advocate. In the article, she explores "Why and How to Account for the Child's Views in Custody Cases." Every U.S. state provides for a court to consider a mature child's preferences and wishes when resolving custody of that child. But, the means by which a child's voice is heard is varied.

Melissa authors article for the ABA Family Law Section

Melissa authored an article titled, "Mediating International Child Abductions" for the American Bar Association's Family Advocate Fall 2020 issue where she explores the promise, and potential traps, in mediating these highly intricate cross-border family cases.

Melissa co-authors international family law update

Melissa again co-authored the International Family Law Year-in-Review article, published by SMU Dedman School of Law. She has co-authored this article with Professor Robert Spector since 2013. The article provides an update on the past year's most important international family law updates.

Melissa authors chapter on mediation in international treatise

Melissa is honored to have authored a chapter on the work of the Hague Conference on Private International Law in the field of international family mediation for a treatise published by Edward Elgar Publishing, Ltd. The Elgar Companion to the Hague Conference on Private International Law is edited by Thomas John, Rishi Gulati and Ben Koehler and includes chapters written by some the most experienced international lawyers on a variety of topics that comprise the work of this international organization. The treaty was published in late 2020.