Legislation and Public Policy
Legislation
Masha's Law - Technical Assistance, Drafting, Analysis and Training - United States Congress
In late 2005, I was instrumental in enhancing the federal civil legal rights of children who are victims of child pornography. Borrowing from intellectual property law, me and my partner Laura A. Dempsey, Esq., drafted, introduced and passed—in just seven months—a update to a forgotten federal law which gives children the right to sue anyone who produces, distributes or possess their pornographic images. This act, called Masha’s Law, provides statutory damages of $150,000 for each violation.
Foster Children's Guardianship Act of 2000 - Technical Assistance, Drafting, Analysis, Testimony and Training - District of Columbia
The Foster Children's Guardianship Act of 2000 was created in response to a pressing need for permanency which was not being met by traditional legal outcomes. During the fall of 1999 a mayoral charted committee of guardian ad litems, attorneys, judges, social services professionals and policy makers meet in weekly public sessions with the goal of aligning the District's law with the needs of the District's foster children. The result was a new guardianship law which combined well established legal principles with nationally regarded best practices.
District of Columbia Family Court Act of 2001 - Technical Assistance - United States Congress
This Congressionally led initiative resulted in the creation of the District of Columbia's Family Court.
Adoption Voucher Fund Act of 2000 - Technical Assistance, Analysis and Training - District of Columbia
This groundbreaking initiative, which is funded with federal dollars, provides individuals, who are interested in adopting a child under the care of District of Columbia child welfare agency, vouchers to offset the legal costs associated with the adoption of a child as well as the costs of the adoption home study.
Adoption and Safe Families Amendment Act of 2000 - Technical Assistance, Analysis, Testimony and Training - District of Columbia
The District of Columbia's version of the Federal Adoption and Safe Families Act of 2007.
Child in Need of Protection Act of 2000 - Technical Assistance, Analysis and Testimony - District of Columbia
The District of Columbia's effort to update, revise and reform child protection and child welfare law.
Kinship Care Amendment Act of 1999 - Analysis - District of Columbia
Public Policy
The Family Court Advisory Rules Committee - Superior Court of the
District of Columbia Child Abuse and Neglect Attorney Practice Standards 2003 - Technical Assistance, Drafting, and Analysis - District of Columbia
The Family Court Advisory Rules Committee (formerly known as the Family Division Advisory Rules Committee) was established in January 2000 by Eugene N. Hamilton, then Chief Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. One of the goals of the Committee, then chaired by Judge Kaye K. Christian, formerly Deputy Presiding Judge of the Family Division, was to develop standards of practice for attorneys appointed to represent children and parents in abuse and neglect cases. Following an internal review by the Chief Judge, the practice standards were published for comment.
District of Columbia Safe Passages to Permanency Initiative of 1999 - Technical Assistance - District of Columbia
Provided recommendations regarding Permanency Mediation, Visiting Nurse Program, Child-Centered Basket of Services and Family Group Conferences. Safe Passages was part of the District government’s FY2000 Children and Youth Action Plan which was founder on the premise that, “[t]he experiences children encounter as they travel through the major passageways of life dramatically impact where they go, how far they go, and the kind of people they grow up to be.”