Following the call for papers in February 2010, contract researchers have been chosen to cover the following topics: “Interdisciplinarity and the Legal Profession” and “Cost-Benefit Analysis of Family Service Delivery”. Both papers will contribute to the LCO Family Justice Project.
Professors Lesley Jacobs and Brenda Jacobs were chosen to undertake research on the topic of “Interdisciplinarity and the Legal Profession”. Both members of this research team bring unique perspectives on the topic. Lesley Jacobs is a Professor of Law and Society and Political Science at York University, as well as the Director of the York Centre for Public Policy and Law. He brings to the project extensive knowledge on the subject of the interplay and possible tensions between formal and alternative forms of dispute resolution. Brenda Jacobs is a Professor in the School for Early Childhood Education at Seneca College where she teaches in the Bachelor of Child Development program. Her experience in the area of early childhood education and child development will help bring to light the potential of early childhood education and parenting centers to become effective entry points into the family justice system. This paper will focus on the benefits and challenges surrounding interdisciplinary in family justice service delivery.
Noel Semple, a PhD student at Osgoode Hall Law School, has been chosen to undertake the “Cost- Benefit Analysis of Family Service Delivery” research project. Having written his LLM thesis on the topic of the use professional assessments in child custody and access cases, he has substantial experience in the area of family law. His current doctoral research focuses on the procedural aspects of custody and access cases and their effect on children. In the context of the LCO research project, his analysis will focus on the individual, societal, financial and emotional costs and benefits of interactions with the family justice system, as well as the costs and benefits of the use of alternative forms of dispute resolution.