J.D., cum laude, Creighton University School of Law (1978)
Areas of Interest
Investigation and prosecution of child abuse
Children as witnesses
Juvenile justice
Formation and maintenance of multidisciplinary child-abuse
Multidisciplinary investigation and treatment teams (1184 teams)
Sudden unexplained infant death investigations
Professional Activities & Community Service
Member, Nebraska Supreme Court Commission on Children in the Courts
Member, Governer's Commission on the Protection of Children
Presenter, Omaha Home for Boys, Youth Worker Certificate Program
OJJDP Consultant: Child Fatality Investigations
President, Board of Directors, Vanished Children's Alliance
Natural Sudden Unexplained Infant Death Investigation Academy, 2006
CCFL Projects
Juvenile Code Project:
Drafted a proposed major revision of the Nebraska Juvenile Code. The revision process included reviewing codes in other states, reviewing the literature regarding the effect of the law on child protection and juvenile justice, and assessing approaches and philosophies that appear to have positive results for the community, children and families. See Recent Work Products for information about a law review article regarding this proposal. This project was partially funded by the Nebraska Court Improvement Project. It was also supported by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Public Policy Center.
Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice Training:
As a member of the Legal Team, Mark conducts training on the American Legal System, the Nebraska Juvenile Court System, the Administrative Hearing Process related to juvenile offenders committed to the Office of Juvenile Services, and Effective Testifying for Protection and Safety workers.
Resource Center for Child Abuse and Neglect Teams (RCCANT):
Mark's work at the Center also includes supporting the "LB 1184" multidisciplinary child abuse and neglect teams in Nebraska as member of the RCCANT. The unique and complex challenge faced by the child abuse and neglect teams is finding an acceptable balance in the tension created by the need to protect children while preserving families - objectives which often conflict. Specific interests include: the unique challenges faced by Nebraska's County Attorneys in protecting children and prosecuting those who abuse and/or neglect them; determining how the child abuse and neglect teams can function most effectively; and finding ways to reduce "system trauma" for children who are victims or witnesses to crime.
Enhancing the Exchange of Information in Child Abuse and Neglect Investigations:
This is a project funded through the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services to facilitate and enhance the exchange of information between law enforcement and CPS, by assisting Nebraska's multidisciplinary investigation teams. This will involve a series of training and team building workshops focused on effective utilization and implementation of the existing statutory and administrative framework regarding the sharing of case-specific information.
Selected Projects/Publications
28 Hamline Journal of Public Policy 1, 199-314 (2006) A Brief Analysis of Some Elements of a Proposed Model Juvenile Code
82 Nebraska Law Review, 1126--1275 (2004) Unraveling the Labyrinth: A Proposed Revision of the Nebraska Juvenile Code, with co-authors Robert B. O'Neal, Victoria Weisz, Jennifer Conner
UPDATE, a publication of the American Prosecutors Research Institute's National Center for Prosecution of Child Abuse vol. 15, Number 2, (2002) Behind the Drug: The Child Victims of Meth Labs, with co-authors Barbara Sturgis and Gregg Wright
Forming a Multidisciplinary Team to Investigate Child Abuse, Portable Guides to Investigating Child Abuse, US Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 1998
JOURNAL OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE (1995) Risky Business: Unstated Presumptions in Child Sexual Abuse Assessment
74 NEBRASKA LAW REVIEW No. 4 (1995) Facilitated Communication: Novel Scientific Evidence or Novel Communication
Child Abuse: Legal Issues for Schools, An NSBA Council of School Attorneys Publication Working Together for the Sake of Children: A Prosecutor's View (March 1994)
