In Adoptionland, small victories against adoption lawyers add-up.  Just recently, a new post /call for action against a practicing adoption lawyer, Michael Shorstein, in Florida.

He has been known to make promises of open adoption to first parents, and the adoptions quickly close within 3 years-5 years. The significance of this time frame, is that in most cases, it is five years that a person is able to file a lawsuit within the limit of statues time frame. In other words, contact is discontinued at a the pivotal time that first parents have to reinforce their rights.

[From:  Standing up to Injustice: Shorstein Class Action Lawsuit ]

You know who else was an adoption lawyer?  Seymour Kurtz, a man who had several adoption agencies since the early 1960's.  He was constantly looking for easy jurisdictions to get as little oversight as possible.  

Seymour Kurtz, the sly fox that he is, certainly knows how to spin a web of deceit and despite actions of several states, many lawsuits later, he is still in business, albeit now with only three companies remaining: Adoption World, Easter House and Birth Hope. Or is there still more? Well, though it doesn't look active, there still seems to be a Friends of Children in Arkansas and according to the State Department its status is good standing. While the activity of that organization is not at all clear, it is certain Birth Promise Adoption Agency (Connecticut) is closed and so is Pregnancy Guidance Center (DC).

With those three organizations still in place and Seymour Kurtz having been investigated since 1976, when the Chicago Sun-Times first started a series of articles on him, it seems we will have to wait until the man's death before we are finally rid of him. He and his Easter House survived two congressional hearings, dozens of lawsuits, which not only proves the shrewdness of the man but also the weakness of the American legislative system.

For those interested, we made a couple of articles from the 1980's, about or mentioning Seymour Kurtz and only available in photocopy format, available as text:

• South Carolina Is the Nation's Baby Buying Supermarket
• South Carolina's Booming Baby Business
• South Carolina's Booming Baby Business II
• Meet Seymour Kurtz, He'll Find You A Baby in the Name of God and $14,000
• Adoption King Cuts Mexican Ties
• Letters Lewis AND "Friends"

[From:  Seymour Kurtz: an update, 2008 ]

No one seems to know where the 70-something year old man (the "legend") is these days.

Sadly, adoption lawyers like him are a dime-a-dozen; they are allowed to practice and live like free praised men in Adoptionland.

<disgusted shaking head>

You know who I want to see chinked-out of Adoptionland?  Utah's very special, very beloved, very protected and still promoted Larry S. Jenkins.  That would be a VERY nice day for me... the day I get to read such an adoption lawyer was put out of business and practice.