I joined the BBC World Tonight to talk about the growing use of criminal law to hold parents responsible for crimes committed by their children. (Aug 6 episode, 28 mins in!) www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
Nila Bala
@nilabala.bsky.social
Acting Prof at UC Davis School of Law, Former Public Defender, Singer
I spoke with @theguardian.com about the growing trend of prosecuting parents for harms caused by their children — and the questions these cases raise about punishment, prevention, and family regulation. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
Georgia father’s conviction tests new frontier in school shooting cases
Experts say prosecutions of parents could reshape accountability for mass shootings in the US
theguardian.com
In the @nytimes.com, I discuss how parental liability prosecutions can serve to absolve the state of its own failures. My forthcoming @yalelawjournal.bsky.social article "Guilt by Parenthood" dives deeper. www.nytimes.com/2026/03/05/u...
Parents of School Shooters Are Being Prosecuted. Should They Be?
nytimes.com
Happy to share that Developmental Evidence Rules is forthcoming in the California Law Review! What would it mean to take childhood seriously in evidence law? This article takes up that question.
Thrilled to share that 𝐺𝑢𝑖𝑙𝑡 𝑏𝑦 𝑃𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑜𝑑 has found a home with the Yale Law Journal. This piece examines parental liability regimes and parental rights, and how they are connected by a shared logic that harms children and families. Thank you to all those who read drafts and offered feedback!
My latest article, Policing Children’s Data, is out today. It offers a comprehensive look at how law enforcement accesses children’s digital information and challenges the assumption that parental consent is enough to protect kids’ privacy. 📖 Read more: wustllawreview.org/2025/11/12/p...
Policing Children’s Data – Washington University Law Review
In recent years, advances in policing technology have dramatically expanded law enforcement’s ability to access data. This includes children’s data—their photographs, text messages, geolocation data, ...
wustllawreview.org
My new essay is in the University of Chicago Law Review Online: “Children and the Cars That Watch Them.” Autonomous vehicles promise freedom for kids, but also bring unprecedented surveillance. Parental consent isn’t enough; we need substantive limits. lawreview.uchicago.edu/online-archi...
Children and the Cars That Watch Them | The University of Chicago Law Review
Parents are turning to autonomous vehicles (AVs) to shuttle their children around, seeing them as a safe and convenient option. AVs promise increased mobility for children but bring with them unparall...
lawreview.uchicago.edu
Congratulations to Professor @nilabala.bsky.social, recipient of the 2025 Ian Kerr Best Paper Award at the Privacy Law Scholars Conference, held May 29-30 at @law.ucla.edu. 🎊 Read more at the link: bit.ly/3ZL6qYL #UCDavisLaw #UCDavis #KingHall #LawFaculty #LawSchool
Proud to be a part of Junior Scholars @umichlaw.bsky.social, get to talk about policing children's data, and meet fellow juniors <3 michigan.law.umich.edu/junior-schol...
Junior Scholars Conference | University of Michigan Law School
michigan.law.umich.edu
Spotlight: Professor @nilabala.bsky.social has published an insightful article titled “Parent-Child Privilege as Resistance”. The article introduces a new framework that views parent-child privilege as a tool that can be used to oppose unjust laws and systems. Read it here:
Parent-Child Privilege as Resistance | Boston College Law Review
In the wake of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, minors face increasing restrictions in accessing reproductive care. The majority of pregnant minors consult their parents before obtaining…
buff.ly
Policing Children's Data is forthcoming in the Washington University Law Review. Thank you to the many friends who've helped me with this one!
Looking for recommendations on law review articles that work in fiction--examples of how to do this artfully!
Excited to see y'all at AALS, see you at the Crim Pro WIP (super early Saturday) and the Internet and Computer Law WIP (super early Friday)!
My article on parent-child privilege has been published! In a nutshell, I argue that privilege can be a form of resistance against unjust laws and systems, and that the parent-child relationship is worth protecting through evidentiary privilege. bclawreview.bc.edu/articles/10....
Parent-Child Privilege as Resistance | Boston College Law Review
Founded in 1959, the Boston College Law Review is the oldest scholarly publication at Boston College Law School. BCLR, ranked in the top 25 law journals by the Washington & Lee law review rankings...
bclawreview.bc.edu
Thank you @jotwell.bsky.social and Aníbal Rosario-Lebrón for the wonderful review of my Parent-Child Privilege as Resistance piece! family.jotwell.com/privileging-...
Privileging Resistance - Family Law
Nila Bala, Parent-Child Privilege as Resistance, ___ B.C. L. Rev. ___ (forthcoming), available at SSRN (Feb. 2, 2024).Aníbal Rosario-LebrónThe Rules of Evidence have been increasingly criticized for s...
family.jotwell.com