The language of law
Making a case
Legal language is not about persuading others that you are right; it's about putting in the work to ensure you are right.
"The law is a profession of words."
— David Mellinkoff, The Language of Law
Speaking truth to power
Standing against injustice
01
State complaint, educational resources
After adopting our daughter from Samoa, the State of Utah refused to provide her with adequate resources. The academic testing they did violated the law because it did not include a translator. I researched, wrote, and filed a state complaint. The school district agreed to pay for a neuropsychiatric evaluation that tested her accurately, using a translator. She was then able to quality for the support she needed and has since graduated with a Bachelor's degree.
02
Legal briefs, gender-affirming care
My son has suffered with gender dysphoria for much of his life, but he could not receive the medical care he needed to help ameliorate that distress. I wrote the legal briefs for his court case in conjunction with our lawyers who primarily edited my work. The commissioner ruled in his favor. The case was appealed. The judge ruled that the merits showed risk benefit weighed in favor of my son receiving the care; however, he still denied my son permission to receive it based on the parental rights of the other parent.