Meredith Schalick
Clinical Professor of Law
Meredith Schalick founded the Child and Family Advocacy Clinic in 2008 and speaks nationally on issues related to child abuse and the child welfare system. She is a consultant for the Child Abuse Research and Services Institute and coaches the law school team for the National Adoption and Child Welfare Law Moot Court Competition. She has won several teaching awards.
Biography
Professor Schalick founded the law school's Child and Family Advocacy Clinic in 2008 and the Expungment Law Project in 2018. She teaches courses on child abuse and neglect, family law, children and the law, legislative process, domestic violence, professional responsibility, and legal writing. She also coaches the law school's team for the National Adoption and Child Welfare Law Moot Court Competition.
At Rutgers, she received the Chancellor's Award for Civic Engagment in 2019, New Professor of the Year Award in 2008, and Adjunct Professor of the Year Award in 2001.
Professor Schalick regularly speaks in New Jersey and nationally on issues related to child abuse, the child welfare system, childhood disabilities, clinical legal education, and legal writing.
Professor Schalick appeared as a family law expert in an episode of the genealogy show "Who Do You Think You Are?" in 2013. The episode can be viewed here: http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are/videos/christina-applegate-.htm
Prior to joining the Rutgers faculty in 2007, she served as Special Counsel for Child Welfare Policy at the New Jersey Department of Human Services. Professor Schalick also was the Assistant Counsel for the Democratic Majority Office of the New Jersey General Assembly, where she focused on legislation and policy involving children, families, civil rights, and law and public safety. She began her career as an Independence Foundation Public Interest Law Fellow representing abused and neglected children at the Support Center for Child Advocates in Philadelphia. She served as an adjunct professor at the law school beginning in 2000.
Publications
Bio Family 2.0: Can the American Child Welfare System Find Permanency for “Legal Orphans” with a Statute to Reinstate Parental Rights? 47 University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform 2 Winter 2013).
A New Beginning: The Future of Child Welfare in New Jersey (2004). (New Jersey Department of Human Services).
Donaldson, Cervone, Weiss, Thomas, Connell & Schalick (2001). How to Handle a Child Abuse Case: A Manual for Attorneys Representing Children (PA Bar Institute - Support Center for Child Advocates).
Bush, Hollander, Jewell & Schalick (2000). The New GAL Bill: New Role, Dual Role or Conflict? (PA Bar Institute).
Weiss & Schalick (1999). The Advocate's Handbook for Children with Complex Medical Needs. (PA Bar Institute).
Presentations
Schalick, M. Finding Credibility in the Narrative: Preparing Clinic Clients to Testify about Childhood Disabilities in Social Security Hearings. Applied Legal Storytelling Conference, July 2013, City University Law School, London, England (July 2013).
Mandelbaum, R., Schalick, M. & Simkins, S. Rutgers Clinical Programs: Modeling Collaboration and Strategic Lawyering to Provide Statewide Access to Justice for Youth. SALT Annual Teaching Conference, Baltimore, MD (October 2012).
Schalick, M. Reinstatement of Parental Rights: Another Path to Permanency for Children. National Association of Counsel for Children Annual Conference, Chicago, Il (August 2012).
Honorable Angelo T. DiCamillo, J.T.C. & Schalick, M. Using the New Jersey Family Courts to Assist Undocumented Minors. Rutgers School of Law Camden (April 2012).
Schalick, M. Child Abuse Reporting Requirements in New Jersey. Camden public school teachers and Rutgers-Camden Law School Marshall Brennan Fellows (February 2012).
Schalick, M. Understanding the Legal Needs of At-Risk Populations. Drexel University, Bridging the Gaps Medical-Legal-Social Work Program (July 2011).
Schalick, M. The Timing of Termination of Parental Rights. Rutgers University-Camden, Giving Voice to the Silent: Children and Families of the Incarcerated (June 2011).
Chase, V. & Schalick, M. Ethical Issues in Child Welfare Cases in New Jersey. Administrative Office of the Courts Training Summit (May 2011).
Schalick, M. Advanced Skills Training – Direct and Cross Examination of Expert Witnesses. Office of the Law Guardian, New Jersey Office of the Public Defender (October 2010).
Schalick, M. Understanding the Medical-Legal Needs of At-Risk Populations. Drexel University, Bridging the Gaps Program (July 2010).
Schalick, M. Advanced Skills Training – Working with Experts. Office of the Law Guardian, New Jersey Office of the Public Defender (March 2010).
Schalick, M. Current Federal and State Law Addressing Child Abuse in the United States. Guest lecture for Advance Social Policy: Violence Against Women and Children, Rutgers School of Social Work (November 2009).
Schalick, M. Understanding the Medical-Legal Needs of At-Risk Populations. Drexel University, Bridging the Gaps Program (July 2009).
Schalick, M. Understanding the Court and Legislative Processes: Finding Opportunities for Youth Impact. New Jersey Statewide Youth Summit at Rutgers University (June 2009).
Contento, L., Enquist, A., Fajans, E., Moritz, D., Schalick, M. & Zimmerman, C. Collaboration and Plagiarism: Exploring Techniques that Move Students from Forbidden to Extolled. American Association of Law Schools Annual Conference (January 2009).
Schalick, M. Understanding the Court and Legislative Processes: Finding Opportunities for Youth Impact. New Jersey Statewide Youth Summit at Princeton University (October 2008).
Schalick, M. Legislative Legal Writing: Why the Newest Legal Writing Frontier Should Be Explored. Legal Writing Institute, Biennial Conference (July 2008).
Schalick, M. & Prettyman, T. Understanding the Legal Needs of At-Risk Populations. Drexel University, Bridging the Gaps Program (July 2008).
Schalick, M. & Hoch, A. Advocating Effectively for Adolescents with Trauma Histories. Office of the Public Defender (February 2008).
Schalick, M. & Simkins, S. Growing Pains: Advocating for Girls in the Family Court System. New Jersey Statewide Public Defender Conference (September 2007).
Schalick, M. & Hoch, A. Advocating for What Works: Evidence-Based Mental Health Treatment for Children and Adolescents Involved with the Child Welfare System. 30th National Children’s Law Conference. National Association of Counsel for Children (August 2007).
Schalick, M. & Hoch, A. It Is Our Job: Developing and Advocating for Evidence-Based Mental Health Treatment for Children Involved with the Child Welfare System. “One Child, Many Hands: A Multidisciplinary Conference on Child Welfare.â€ï¿½ Field Center for Children’s Policy, Practice & Research, University of Pennsylvania (May 2007).
Schalick, M. & O’Leary, E. Legal Issues for Children in Foster Care. “Third Annual Best Practice Symposium: Meeting the Medical and Mental Health Needs of Children in Foster Care.â€ï¿½ CARES Institute (March 2007).
Schalick, M. Overview of the New Jersey Child Welfare System. Study tour of the United States child protection system, sponsored by UNICEF and ISPCAN for visiting Chinese government officials. CARES Institute (August 2006).
Schalick, M. Collaboration at the Core: Working Together to Prevent Child Abuse. Keynote address, Salem County DYFS, Child Abuse Prevention Day (April 2004).