Faculty and Administration Profiles

Stacey E. Platt

About

Stacey Platt is a Curt & Linda Rodin Clinical Professor of Law & Social Justice and the associate director of the Civitas ChildLaw Center and Clinic, where she trains law students to represent children in legal proceedings, with a special focus on children involved in private parenting disputes. She serves as a faculty lecturer and trainer in law school courses involving child and family law and trial practice and is a frequent teacher for the American Bar Association’s Commission on Domestic and Sexual Violence.

Professor Platt has dedicated her career to representing low-income children and families. Before joining Loyola, she was a staff attorney with the Legal Assistance Foundation of Chicago, where she focused on domestic violence and child protection. She has extensive experience representing survivors in domestic violence matters, as well as parents, caretakers, and children in abuse and neglect proceedings and private parenting matters. Prior to becoming a lawyer, Professor Platt was a caseworker in the New York City child welfare system.

Professor Platt is the president (2023-2024) and a long-time member of the board of directors of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, an international and interdisciplinary membership organization focused on best policies and practices in family law matters. She serves on the editorial board of Family Court Review, a widely read, peer-reviewed interdisciplinary journal. She speaks nationally and frequently on child and family law issues.

Professor Platt is a recipient of the Chicago Bar Association’s Leonard Jay Schrager Award of Excellence for contributions to improving access to justice and the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts President’s Award.

Degrees

BA, Wisconsin, 1984
JD cum laude, New York University, 1991

Program Areas

Child Advocacy
Family Law
Domestic Violence
Trial Skills

Courses Taught

ChildLaw Clinic
ChildLaw Capstone
ChildLaw Trial Practice

Selected Publications

Recent Publications

Stacey Platt, Laura Matthews-Jolly, Advocating for Children: Integrating Children’s Voices and Interests in Family Dispute Resolution, for the Family Dispute Resolution Handbook, to be published by Oxford University Press, expected May 2024.

Michael Saini, Taina Laajaslo, Stacey Platt, Gatekeeping by Allegations: An Examination of Verified, Unfounded, and Fabricated Allegations of Child Maltreatment within the Context of Resist and Refusal Dynamics, Family Court Review Vol. 58, Issue 2, (April 2020)

Marsha Kline-Pruett, Stacey Platt, William Fee, Introduction to the Guidelines for Social Science Research in Family Law, Family Court Review, Volume 57, Issue 2 (April 2019)

Stacey Platt, Set Another Place at the Table: Child Participation in Family Separation Cases, Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution, Vol. 17, No. 3 (2016)

Recent Presentations

Presenter, Zealous Advocacy and Best Interests: Ethical Dilemmas in Family Law, Association of Family and Conciliation Courts National Conference, Chicago, IL (Summer 2012)
 
Presenter, The Child’s role in Family ADR, Marquette University School of Law National Invitational Conference on the Future of ADR in Family Law, Milwaukee, WI (Fall 2011)

Presenter, Attack on Child Representatives, Cook County Child Representative Panel Attorney Training Program, Chicago, IL (Fall 2011)

Presenter, Who is my Client? Annual National Legal Aid Conference, Chicago, IL (Fall 2011)
  
Faculty, American Bar Association Commission on Domestic Violence, Building Partnerships between Legal Services Programs and Law School Clinics, San Diego, CA (Summer 2011)

Presenter, Lilac Tree Divorce College, Evanston, IL (Summer 2011)

Presenter, Building Connections with Child Clients, with Professor Sacha Coupet, Loyola University Chicago School of Law Norman Amaker Retreat, Woodstock, IL (Spring 2011)

Guest Lecturer, Role of the Child Representative in Domestic Violence Cases, John Marshall Law School, Chicago, IL (2009, 2010)

Panelist, NYU Law School Forum, What’s Wrong with Children’s Rights?, New York, NY (2007)

Invited Trainee, American Bar Association Commission on Domestic Violence Faculty Development Program, Washington, D.C. (November 2007)

Trainer, Association of Family and Conciliation Courts Institute on Domestic Violence and Mediation, Chicago, IL (September 2007)

Speaker, Five Things Well Meaning Advocates Trying to Import Best Interest into Asylum Proceedings Should Know, Migration and Child Welfare Round Table Conference, Loyola University Chicago School of Social Work and Humane Society, Chicago, IL (August 2006)

Invited Participant, UNLV Working Conference, Representing Children in Families: Children=s Advocacy and Justice Ten Years After Fordham, Las Vegas, NV (January 2006)

Speaker, Child=s Voice in Domestic Relations Proceedings: Legalities and Practicalities, Cook County Child Representative Panel Attorney Training Program, Chicago, IL (October 2005)  

Speaker, Mandated Reporting for Teachers and School Administrators, DePaul University Teacher Training Institute, Chicago, IL (Summers 2004, 2005)

Speaker, Child Welfare and Juvenile Court Processes, Coordinated Advice and Referral Program for Legal Services, Chicago, IL (January 2004)

Speaker, Adoption and Safe Families Act: The Impact on Court Process, Capital University School of Law, Columbus, OH (September 2003)

Guest Lecturer, Loyola University Chicago Children=s Summer Institute, Chicago, IL (2001-2004)

Selected Appointments and Recognition

Member, Cook County Domestic Relations Division Child Representative Screening Committee (2012-Present)

Advisory Board Member, Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System, Honoring Families Initiative (2012-Present)

Recipient, Chicago Bar Association Leonard Jay Schrager Award of Excellence for Public Service by a Law School Professor (2011)

Member, National Immigrant Justice Center Task force on Unaccompanied Minors (2008-Present)

Member, Chicago Council of Lawyers Work Group on Domestic Relations (2008-Present)

Member, Cook County Domestic Relations Division Advisory Group on Child Representative Training (2007-Present)

Faculty, National Institute for Trial Advocacy and American Bar Association Commission on Domestic and Sexual Violence, litigation training for survivor representatives (2006-Present)

Editorial Board Member, Family Court Review, a publication of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts and the Hofstra University Center on Children and Families (2004-Present)

Faculty, National Institute for Trial Advocacy, Training for the Child and Family law Practitioner, Hofstra University School of Law, New York (2004-Present)

Member, Cook County Domestic Relations Division Advisory Group on Mediation and Parent Education (2009-2011)

Member, American Bar Association Commission on Domestic Violence Child Custody Institute Advisory Committee (2006)

Member, Advisory Committee, Family Law Education Reform Project (2004-2005)