Author: ccarns

Incoming President’s Message: Resolutions, the First Amendment, and You by Hon. Robert L. Jackson and Logan Graham

 2025 has come to a close and I am sitting at home on a cold afternoon contemplating the new year. I have an article to write, so what better topic than New Year’s Resolutions? First, before even writing about New…

Read Full Article

Program Report: Idaho Volunteer Lawyers Program Fall 2025 Recap by Jennifer M. Schindele

According to a 2025 Report done by the American Bar Association, more than 75 percent of attorneys in the U.S. have provided pro bono service during their careers.[1] Despite that impressive statistic, the need for civil legal services for people…

Read Full Article

Idaho Law Foundation President’s Message: Reflecting on Achievements & Looking Ahead by Kimberlee S. Bratcher

Happy New Year to all!  In July 2025, I began my term as President of the Idaho Law Foundation, taking over from Sunrise Ayers. We owe her a tremendous debt of gratitude for her service. Sunrise has been a driving…

Read Full Article

AI in the Courts: Balancing Tradition and Innovation by Chief Justice G. Richard Bevan

Nearly a decade ago, as a district judge in Twin Falls, I was the first of our judges to start using electronic court records. At the time, I felt a little like a pioneer with a new map hand—excited about…

Read Full Article

Putting Kids Through Their PaCEs: How Positive Childhood Experiences Can Support Resilience Practices in Overcoming Trauma by Janice Beller

When Jenny Easley, Program Manager for CASA of Southwest Idaho,[1] reflects on her six and a half years of work as a guardian ad litem in child welfare cases, she will tell you that she has seen some amazingly resilient…

Read Full Article

SIJS—Protecting Vulnerable Foreign National Children—A Path to Stability by A. Denise Penton and Betsaida Chavez-Hermes

On Friday, October 3, 2025, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) launched an operation referred to as “Freaky Friday,” targeting a limited group of unaccompanied minors. Unaccompanied minors are foreign national children who have traveled from their home country to the…

Read Full Article

Recent Changes to the Child Protective Act and Its Impact on Permanency by Jason Chandler

Introduction When children come into foster care, their lives are turned upside down. Children often change schools, communities, friends, and homes. Little children miss out on crucial bonding time with their parents and teenagers struggle with the lack of a…

Read Full Article

Five Impactful Changes to Child Protection Law from the 2025 Legislative Session by Hon. Andrew N.J. Ellis

The 2025 Idaho Legislative Session generated at least six bills affecting Idaho’s child welfare system. The following are five statutory additions or amendments that every Child Protection practitioner and judge should be aware of. Additional Review Hearings and Accelerated Timelines…

Read Full Article