Surrogacy for the purposes of adoption is a controversial concern. The adoption laws that regulate surrogacy vary from state to state. A suitable topic to address under surrogacy is whether surrogate motherhood should be completely banned or whether current laws should be reformed to better regulate surrogacy adoption. The implications for either of these two choices can also be discussed.
Different countries have different adoption laws and this often complicates the adoption process. The Hague Adoption Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Inter-Country Adoption, abbreviated the Hague Adoption Convention, is an international agreement to regulate inter-country adoptions. For a law paper on this topic, the student can discuss the effectiveness of this international adoption law in safeguarding inter-country adoption.
Adoption by same-sex couples is a highly debated topic that is legally complex. Many states do not have specific adoption laws with regard to same-sex adoption. According to a March 2007 report by the Urban Institute and the Williams Institute at University of California at Los Angeles School of Law, 65,000 adopted children are being raised by same-sex parents in the United States. This topic can discuss the restrictive adoption laws with regard to same-sex adoption and whether these restrictions are legally discriminatory or not.
Embryo adoption is a fairly new concept that has controversial legal and moral implications. A law paper on this topic can focus on the bioethical issue of determining the legal status of an embryo, specifically whether the embryo is a person or property. Note that the 13th Amendment not only abolishes slavery but also prohibits the ownership of one person by another. The topic can also address whether or not embryo adoption laws are moral. The paper can further focus on the effectiveness of adoption laws in regulating the multi-billion dollar industry of embryo adoption.
The lack of federal or national government regulations on adoption is due to such factors as lobbying by organizations opposed to them. Every state has its own adoption laws, and organizations such as the American Adoption Congress see this lack of regulation exposing adoptive parents to unaccountable adoption agencies. A paper on this topic can focus on the suitability of having federal adoption laws or having them remain as divergent state adoption laws.
Interracial adoption law is an emotional concern, especially regarding the adoption of African-American children by white parents. There are more black children in foster care who are available for adoption but there are not enough black families to adopt them. The law is cautious on interracial adoption, calling for non-discrimination but also requiring states to consider racial diversity when allowing interracial adoptions. A paper on this topic can focus on whether interracial adoption should be made illegal or whether the laws should be reformed.