Some Markus news

My dad Stuart Markus was a lawyer in Miami for over 50 years.  He was an amazing lawyer and a better person.  He absolutely loved the law, but more than the law -- he loved people and fighting for the underdog.  When he passed away, we started the "Markus award" at the University of Miami (where he graduated in 1957), for a clinical student who fought for the underdog.  This year, that award went to Julia Steiner, a graduating 3L in the Children and Youth Law Clinic.  
 
Julia has demonstrated exceptional legal skills, diligence, and sound judgment, achieving remarkable outcomes for her clients. Julia's advocacy was powerfully exemplified in a case where she secured a more appropriate home placement for a vulnerable client, a former foster youth who had endured years of instability in the foster care system. The client, who had been subjected to multiple placements, therapeutic foster homes, and psychiatric hospitalizations, was placed at the age of 17 in a home licensed by the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD). This facility, intended for adults with severe disabilities, was profoundly unsuitable for the client’s developmental needs, worsening her distress and contributing to frequent Baker Act incidents as a means of escape.
 
While Julie worked alongside her clinic partner, she was the driving force behind this case, navigating a complex web of legal and administrative challenges. The situation was made more difficult by the shifting of blame between two government agencies, and the separation of powers principles that limit the Court’s ability to specify particular placements.
 
Nevertheless, Julia persisted, bringing clarity and resolution to a case that once seemed intractable. She and her partner secured key testimony and a court order declaring the placement inappropriate. When the child welfare agency deflected responsibility to APD, Julia authored a persuasive motion arguing the placement was harming, not helping, her client. She also navigated APD’s administrative system, prompting the Court to involve the agency. When APD proposed restrictive placements outside Miami, Julia effectively argued for her client to stay close to school, support systems, and a vital guardianship program.
 
Julia built a strong, trusting relationship with her client and never stopped advocating. Her skill, persistence, and compassion led to a life-changing result: a more stable, supportive placement as her client enters adulthood. Beyond the Clinic, Julia enriches classroom discussions and recently co-authored a legal article on public nuisance claims in the opioid crisis with adjunct Professor Frank Citera. 

Congrats to Julia -- my dad would be very proud!

In other Markus news, and something else my dad would have been telling all his friends about -- I made an appearance on David Lat's podcast last week.  You can listen to it here.