KUDOS to our October Volunteers

Celebrating Our Volunteers: October Highlights

This October, as our community recognized Domestic Violence Awareness Month, our dedicated volunteer attorneys continued to offer their time, expertise, and compassion to support survivors and children in DC and Montgomery County, MD. Their empathy, courage, and unwavering dedication make a tremendous difference for our clients and community, and we are grateful to partner with them in the pursuit of justice for every survivor and child we serve.

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OCTOBER KUDOS

Supporting Survivors of Domestic Violence

• Sarah Barron (US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau) – Did an excellent job providing support to a survivor of domestic violence in a very complex and emotional case.
• Jack You and Alexis Cohen (Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP) – Navigating changing client goals and ultimately helping her to obtain a 2-year Civil Protection Order that obtained all the relief that the client wanted.
• Thayer Ellis (Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP) – Provided tireless support and excellent representation of her domestic violence survivor client.  After the case dragged on for months while related criminal matters were pending, Thayer was able to help her client get a 2-year Civil Protection Order with all the relief the client was seeking.
• Melissa Skarjune, Cameryn Lonsway, Natalie Salmanowitz, and Blair Decker (Hogan Lovells LLP) – Worked tirelessly to help their client accomplish her goals, even as those goals changed over the course of the representation.
• Melissa Skarjune, Cameryn Lonsway, and Blair Decker (Hogan Lovells LLP) – Amended a petition, tracked down the Respondent using a private process server, prepared their client for a hearing, and then successfully negotiated a consent order. Because of their diligence, we were able to obtain a great result for the client!
• Joe Humphrey (King & Spalding LLP) – Provided zealous advocacy, which resulted in an order for the client that obtained all of her desired relief.
• Marissa Hill Daley (McDermott Will & Schulte LLP) – Worked with her domestic violence survivor client to draft a powerful motion to extend the client’s Civil Protection Order. After being served with the motion, the Respondent agreed to an 8-year extension, providing Marissa’s client with many years of protection.
• Nancy Lopez and Liz Symonds – Were compassionate towards our client and worked diligently assisting a survivor through the Protective Order process.

Advocating for Children

• Amanda Allen and Justin Hutchings (Hogan Lovells LLP) – Gave a thorough presentation of evidence and a persuasive argument in trial, effectively advocating for the best interest of two young girls in a very difficult case.
• Wintana Yohannes and Paget Barranco (Hogan Lovells LLP) – Provided tireless and compassionate representation of their two child clients for almost two years, which resulted in a consent permanent order that is in both children’s best interest.
• Emily Pehrsson (Covington and Burling LLP) – Succeeded in making representations on behalf of her child-clients during her first family court case status hearing.
• Erin Drenning and Katie Kramer (Hogan Lovells LLP) – Represented a 10-year-old client and secured a permanent custody order that protects the child’s emotional stability and physical safety.

Fighting for Immigrant Rights

• Judy Patterson – Helped file an asylum application for a longtime client and deserves kudos for that work.  She is a volunteer on another asylum case, and we’re grateful for the time she’s devoted to our program and clients.

Pursuing Justice in the Courtroom

• Ari Feinstein, Bailey Arenberg, and Tyler Golian (Knobbe Martens) – Made an excellent team in court!
• Karen Marcou – Really bonded with the client and was incredible in court.
• Jonathan Trebble-Greening, Vincent Johnson, Cesar Dager, Kate St. Romain, and Mindy Johnson (Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP) – Tackled the case from every angle, and prepared for every possible outcome, and it was thanks to their dedication that we were able to obtain such a favorable outcome so quickly.

Going Above & Beyond

• Shari Boscolo (Keenan Trial Institute) – Quickly built up a relationship of trust with the client and she expertly negotiated a resolution of this case. This was the first time she handled a Protective Order case, however, she handled it like an expert in this field. Client was so grateful.
• Sarah Gilcrest (Immyrse) – Put in a lot of overtime to get her client’s case across the finish line when service was accomplished at the last minute. Sarah was very survivor-focused and remained patient with her client, which was of great help to the case.
• Erin Sullivan (King & Spalding LLP) – Did an excellent job not only building a relationship of trust with the client but also guiding her through a process that can often be very overwhelming for a lay person.  Her dedicated pre-trial preparation and guidance during trial prep, helped a terrorized woman obtain the necessary Protective Order against her stalker so that she can feel safe in her home again.
• Tobey Oliver (AARP) – Went above and beyond to prepare for her client’s trial and to try to ensure that her client was able to put on the strongest case possible.