Hofstra University School of Law, Hempstead, NY: The National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws has authorized and appointed a drafting committee to write a Uniform Collaborative Law Act. Professor Andrew Schepard of Hofstra University School of Law was appointed as Reporter and Peter Munson, Sherman, Texas was appointed as Chair.

The National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws (NCCUSL), now 115 years old, provides states with non-partisan, well-conceived and well-drafted legislation that brings clarity and stability to critical areas of the law. NCCUSL has drafted more than 200 uniform laws on numerous subjects and in various fields of law, setting patterns for uniformity across the nation. Uniform acts include the Uniform Probate Code, the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act, the Uniform Partnership Act, the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act, the Uniform Limited Partnership Act, and the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act.

Collaborative Law is a new framework for lawyers in divorce cases in which they and their clients agree to forego litigation for problem solving through negotiation. The idea of collaborative law is to encourage resolution of divorce issues, particularly those involving children, without litigation while maintaining the role of lawyers in problem solving and advocacy for clients. NCCUSL’s drafting committee will also consider whether the act should be limited to family law cases or expanded to other areas of the law such as estate planning.

“I am honored to be chosen as reporter for this important project," said Professor Andrew Schepard. “The National Commission on Uniform State Law's development of the Uniform Collaborative Law Act will help define the role of collaborative law and lawyers in 21st century divorce practice and perhaps impact other areas of law as well."

Professor Andrew Schepard is the Director for Children, Families and the Law at Hofstra Law School. He is a founder and the project director for Parent Education and Custody Effectiveness (P.E.A.C.E.), an interdisciplinary, award-winning, court-affiliated educational program for parents to help them reduce the difficulties their children experience during divorce and separation. Professor Schepard was the Reporter for the development of the Model Standards of Practice for Family and Divorce Mediation adopted by the American Bar Association and the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts. He is the author of numerous articles and books, including children, Courts and Custody: Interdisciplinary Models for Divorcing Families (Cambridge University Press, 2004).

Hofstra Law School, founded in 1970, is accredited by the ABA and boasts an alumni body of nearly 9,000 graduates. The school is located on campus at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. In addition to its full-time juris doctor (J.D.) degree program, Hofstra Law School offers part-time day and evening J.D. programs as well as numerous graduate degree programs. For additional program information, please visit hofstra.edu/law.