During one of their informal sessions at John Marshall Professor Michael Seng (standing, second left), introduced Judge Ming-Hong Li (left) and Judge Chung-Chi Wang (standing, third from left) to Circuit Court of Cook County Judges Carol Bellows (seated, left) of Divorce Court; Rhonda Sweeney (seated, center) of Elder Law Court; and Daniel B. Malone of Probate Court.
Two judges working to expand family and juvenile courts in Taiwan spent several weeks in the United States studying how American courts handle these issues.
Thanks to its Asian Alliance Program exchange with Taiwan’s Judicial Yuan, John Marshall hosted Judge Ming-Hong Li, serving in Juvenile Court, and Judge Chung-Chi Wang, a member of the Taiwan High Court. Wang visited John Marshall for four weeks while Li spent the fall semester. Professor Michael P. Seng arranged for judges Li and Wang visited with Cook County , attorneys and staff working with people already in the court system.
“Because our guests were looking for information and examples of how we assist those with family and juvenile issues, we developed quite an extensive schedule for them,” said Seng. “We wanted to give the judges as deep an understanding as possible of how we in the U.S. deal with the issues and how courts help those in need of special protections.”
Li and Wang were accompanied by Seng or retired Circuit Court of Cook County Judge Sheila Murphy when they had sessions with Cook County Judges Carole Bellows of Divorce Court, Dan Malone of Probate Court, Colleen Sheehan and colleagues in Juvenile Court, Rosemary Grant Higgins in the Criminal Division—WINGS Court, Charles Byrnes in the Drug Treatment Court, and Rhoda Sweeney in the Elder Law Court.
The Taiwanese judges went to Cook County’s Domestic Violence Court in Maywood for a visit with Judge Terrence McCarthy, and they heard a lecture at the Chicago Cultural Center on the intersection of domestic violence and the incarceration of women.
They visited with Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke, and on a trip to St. Joseph, Mich., they met with family court judges at the Berrien County Courthouse. The trip was arranged by John Marshall alumnus John Smietanka.
To gain perspectives from those working for clients, Li and Wang visited with Cook County Public Guardian Robert Harris; and community leaders in the Ukrainian Village neighborhood.
They sat in on John Marshall classes in Restorative Justice, Domestic Violence and Family Law Mediation.