HomeLegislation SummitsVeterans Treatment CourtsMemorandum of UnderstandingWebinarsResourcesAllied OrganizationsNCJFCJ Publications and Bench Cards
Publications
A Judicial Resource Guide on Military Families and the Courts
Whether they realize it or not, all juvenile family court judges hear cases in their courts involving military service members (active duty, reserve, or retired) or their family members regardless of their community’s location or proximity to a military installation. A Judicial Resource Guide on Military Families and the Courts focuses on what judges need to know about military families in the court system and their unique factors. Information in the Guide is pertinent to child abuse and neglect, juvenile justice, family violence, and domestic relations case types. The publication covered trauma, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury, and their effects on families. It included judicial considerations and questions to ask in hearings. The publication addressed key federal legislation, such as the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA), the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC), the Interstate Compact on Juveniles (ICJ), and the Lautenberg Amendment, along with their implications for cases involving military families. It also provided additional, pertinent resources for each case type.
Template Guide to Develop a Memorandum of Understanding Between a Military Installation and a Court
The technical assistance brief, A Template Guide to Develop a Memorandum of Understanding Between a Military Installation and a Court, is a tool for courts and military installations to utilize to enter into agreements that may address:
- jurisdictional issues
- providing physical access on the military installation
- sharing of information, resources, programs, or training
- sharing of protection orders
- other purposes as needed
The Template Guide assists to identify components of the MOU that may not have been initially considered. Examples of MOUs between courts and military installations can be found here.
Second National Summit on Courts and Military-Connected Families
The one-and-a-half-day Summit brought together members and staff of the military-related committees of the NCJFCJ, subject matter experts, representatives of national-level organizations that serve military-connected families, stakeholders with local and state government and nonprofit organizations, and members of the civilian and military communities of two demonstration sites selected for this State Justice Institute (SJI) funded project. The Summit’s purpose was to further the national discussion by those who engage with justice-involved service members, National Guard, Reserve, and veteran populations on how best to assist them when they interface with juvenile and family courts. The 2019 Summit sought to be a focused and targeted “deep dive” into the realities of the information and practices needed to promote effective court-military systems communication and collaboration.