Category: Digital Advocate
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 ArticleFive 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 ArticleOutgoing President’s Message: From the Roadshow, Connections That Sustain Our Profession by Kristin Bjorkman
From the Roadshow: Connections That Sustain Our Profession As I sit down to write this message, the sights and conversations of the Resolution Roadshow are still vivid in my mind. Only a week has passed since I concluded three weeks…
Read Full ArticleThe Idaho State Bar & Idaho Law Foundation Anniversary: The 2000s to Now Maureen Ryan Braley
The first quarter of the 21st century has been a time of transformation for the Idaho State Bar (“ISB”) and the Idaho Law Foundation (“ILF”). It is impossible to cover every important, historical, or noteworthy event in a 25-year period.…
Read Full ArticleCommissioner’s Column : A Tale of Two Courthouses in Nez Perce County by Patricia E.O. Weeks
Left: Nez Perce County Courthouse 1889. Photo courtesy of Nez Perce County. Right: Illustration of the new Nez Perce County Courthouse. Image courtesy of Lombard/Conrad Architects. In 1889, the Nez Perce County Courthouse opened its doors in Lewiston, Idaho, with…
Read Full ArticleIdaho’s Medical Ethics Defense Act (“HB 59”): Expanded Conscience Protections and Emerging Legal Tensions by Nick Healey and Kristina Abdalla
Effective July 1, 2025, Idaho House Bill 59 (“HB 59”), also known as the Medical Ethics Defense Act (the “Act”), establishes sweeping legal protections for the conscience rights of health care providers, institutions, and payers across Idaho. With its passage,…
Read Full ArticleEnsuring Due Process in Healthcare Professional Licensure Adjudications by Bryan A. Nickels
Administrative contested case proceedings in Idaho have evolved rapidly over the last few years through the creation of the Office of Administrative Hearings ("OAH”), the rollout of the new Idaho Rules of Administrative Procedure (“IRAP”), and the new updates to…
Read Full ArticleNavigating the Idaho Patient Act and Medical Liens: Protecting Patients and Supporting Providers by Thomas J. Mortell and Jean E. Schroeder
Healthcare providers in Idaho save lives every day, yet securing payment for their crucial services involves navigating complex legal frameworks under the Idaho Patient Act (IPA) and updated medical lien laws. The IPA was signed into law in 2020[i] and…
Read Full ArticleParsing the Policy: A Healthcare Attorney’s Guide to the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” and State Medicaid Reform by Chelsea E. Kidney
On July 4, 2025, Public Law 119-21, often referred to as the “One Big Beautiful Bill” (“OBBBA”) was signed into law. The OBBBA’s subject matter, vast and far reaching, largely focuses on tax reform, immigration, and environmental protection repeals. The…
Read Full ArticleThe Idaho State Bar & Idaho Law Foundation Anniversary: The 1990s by Hon. Jessica M. Lorello
In the September issue of The Advocate, Chris Graham, author of the article on the 1980s, closed with an invitation to “bring on the 1990s!”[i] I accept that invitation! On the national stage, the 1990s featured the end of the…
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