KUDOS to our April Volunteers

Celebrating Our Volunteers: April Highlights

In April, our volunteer attorneys stood alongside survivors of domestic violence and vulnerable children throughout DC and Montgomery County, MD. Through pro bono legal services, they provided compassionate and crucial support during some of the most challenging moments in our clients’ lives. We are deeply thankful for their partnership and for the powerful role they play in advancing safety, stability, and justice.

Are you interested in getting involved or learning more about our volunteer opportunities?

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APRIL KUDOS

Supporting Survivors of Domestic Violence

• Karen Barkr Marcou – Was a fantastic volunteer. She spoke with the client about the case results, and we discussed whether to file any post-trial motions or appeals, as well as strategies going forward.
• Whitney Taylor – Helped her client obtain a 2-year Civil Protection Order by consent, without the delay or trauma of a trial.
• Shannon Sylvester and John Gasparini (Paul Hastings LLP) – Successfully obtained a 2-year Civil Protection Order with 7 Intrafamily Offense finds and a temporary custody order! Their diligent preparation was crucial in helping the client obtain the protection she needed.
• Kate St. Romain, Molly Diamondstein, and Shawn Lavi (Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP) – Their thoughtful and dedicated advocacy on behalf of their client before the DC Court of Appeals resulted in the affirmance of a final divorce order that supports the client’s stability and well-being.
• Jeremiah Davis and Anne Malinee (Latham and Watkins LLP) – Assisted their domestic violence survivor client in obtaining a 2-year Civil Protection Order against a very dangerous abuser with all the relief she was seeking.
• Ari Feinstein and Bailey Arenberg (Knobbe Martens) – Helped their client to obtain a 2-year Civil Protection Order and expanded their representation to defend her against a retaliatory Cross-Civil Protection Order when needed. Their client benefited immensely from their dedication and support.

Advocating for Children

• Christopher Turner and Raven Earnest (Latham & Watkins LLP) – Their compassionate Guardian ad Litem representation of two young children resulted in a consent permanent custody order that allows the children to stay in the care of their mother, where they are safe and thriving.
• Lily Cusack and Nereida Lopez Favella (U.S. Department of Justice) – Their 15-month representation of a five-year-old child resulted in a consent permanent custody order that allows both parents to have meaningful time with the child and implements appropriate safeguards to protect against parental substance abuse.
• Annabel Steele and Shannon Lydon (Latham & Watkins LLP) – Successfully advocated for their child clients in their first Court appearance, which resulted in the Judge adopting all three of their recommended additions to a temporary custody order.
• Nicole Keenan (U.S. Department of the Treasury) and Cayla DeJaco (U.S. International Trade Commission) for their determined representation, which resulted in an immediate improvement in the safety and well-being of their child client.
• Sophia Siddiqui (TD Bank) and Caroline Trabucco (American Federation of Government Employees) – Their 13-month representation of two young children, including during a three-day trial, resulted in a permanent custody order that provides stability and safety while maintaining the children’s relationship with both parents.

Pursuing Justice in the Courtroom

• Sylvia Zhou (Williams & Connolly LLP) – Took on a very complex case for her first matter! Sylvia was diligent in her research and drafting for both the Motion to Vacate and the Motion to Enjoin and did extensive preparation for the hearing on the Motion to Vacate. She was an asset to the case.
• Colleen Robbins – Was a fantastic advocate for her client. Her interactions with the client seemed easy and flawless, and her case prep was thorough and accurate. As a former litigator, she commanded the courtroom effortlessly.

Going Above and Beyond

• Mason Naverrette (Lerch, Early & Brewer, Chtd) – Was a fantastic advocate for his client. He earned the client’s trust and prepared an excellent direct examination that was short and to the point. He recognized how distressing recounting the details of the assault was for her so he tailored his direct so that she would not need to testify too long. He did not need to try the case, but he was able to be a good advocate for the client, nonetheless.
• Maryanne Magnier, Duncan Weals, and James Attridge (Axinn, Veltrop & Harkrider LLP) – Worked overtime to draft and file three motions in less than two weeks in order to protect the minor child in this case. Without their actions, the abuser would have continued to have unsupervised access to the child, causing harm to both him and our client.