Dean Lisa Kloppenberg announces the receipt of a $100,000 grant to fund research and advocacy addressing legal challenges at the intersection of high-conflict personalities and family law

Dean Lisa Kloppenberg is pleased to announce the receipt of a $100,000 grant to fund a research and advocacy project addressing legal challenges arising at the intersection of high-conflict personalities ​​ (e.g. narcissistic personal disorder) and family law. Family law practitioners long have noted the ways in which such individuals, ​​motivated by a need to maintain rather than settle conflict, can impede resolution at all stages of family conflict. To date, there has been little comprehensive research into these issues, and as such, there is little systematic understanding of how the family law system might better respond to these challenges. This project aims to fill this void, reviewing the academic and professional literature, interviewing members of the family law bar, including lawyers, judges and mental health experts, and endeavoring to craft a meaningful, scholarly and practical response to the issue. The researchers would welcome input from interested parties, particularly prior to August 15, 2018. Please feel free to direct your input to Professor Michelle Oberman, at moberman@scu.edu.