Published on October 6, 2021 by Morgan Black  
Smolin David

David M. Smolin, the Harwell G. Davis Professor of Constitutional Law and director of Cumberland School of Law's Center for Children, Law and Ethics, is a sought-after expert on  international children's issues (adoption, children's rights, child labor, child trafficking), and family and juvenile law, among others.

Smolin's work and expertise has been the topic of numerous international presentations and publications in recent months.  

In February 2021, Smolin was a presenting speaker for the Korean Adoptee Adoption Research Network's inaugural seminar series, The Right to Know. Each speaker of the series discussed the concept of the right to origin and examined the broader social, legal and political implications in South Korea as a sending country along with experiences from North America and Europe as receiving countries. Smolin's presentation on his paper "The Case for Moratoria on Intercountry Adoption" may be watched here.

In the summer, Smolin was a guest on the Finding Humanity podcast episode titled "Separated: the Ethics of Adoption" which unpacked the  financial incentives of international adoption systems that fuel the theft of children from their families. The episode may be downloaded here.

Smolin's latest article "Aborting Motherhood: Adoption, Natural Law, and the Church" was written for the Christian Legal Society Journal and published in fall 2021.  In summary, his article proactively portrays the societal betrayal of the parent-child bond as professionals, families and churches pressured or coerced single pregnant women to place their children for adoption, what he describes as "aborting motherhood." 

In September, Smolin was a featured guest for a symposium titled "Child’s Right to Identity in Assisted Reproductive Technology" hosted by the Brocher Foundation in Switzerland.  As part of the two day virtual seminar, Smolin explored the need to prevent the sale of children, including their identities, in surrogacy arrangements.

In the Oct. 25, 2021, issue of The New Yorker, Smolin served as an expert source for the article, "How An Adoption Broker Cashed in on Prospective Parents' Dreams" which focuses on a story of a woman in Michigan who has taken in millions of dollars by faking adoptions. 

On Nov. 10, 2021, Smolin participated in a webinar titled "Lived Experience of Illegal and Illicit Adoption" hosted by Australia's Intercountry Adoptee Voices. The webinar may be viewed here. 

 
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