Thursday March 14, 2024
Courageous Advocacy: A Lawyer's Responsibility in Combatting Child Sexual Abuse, Exploitation, and Trafficking
Join us for an empowering conference aimed at advocates for survivors of child sexual abuse, exploitation, and trafficking. This event will delve into the crucial role lawyers and advocates play not only in representing clients and survivors, but also in upholding the integrity of the legal profession and serving the public interest.
Throughout the conference, esteemed speakers and panelists will explore the intersection of legal practice, ethics, and social responsibility. We will examine the challenges and complexities faced by attorneys working with survivors of these heinous crimes, and discuss strategies for providing compassionate, effective representation while maintaining professional standards.
Key topics include:
-Ethical considerations in representing survivors
-Advocating for legislative and policy changes to better protect survivors and prevent victimization
-Collaborative approaches for lawyers, law enforcement, and community organizations to combat trafficking
-The importance of recognizing burnout, compassion fatigue, and secondary trauma for professionals engaged in this demanding work
Leveraging technology, data, and community resources to enhance efforts in addressing child sex abuse, exploitation, and trafficking
Through engaging presentations, discussions, and case studies, participants will gain valuable insights and practical tools to enhance their advocacy efforts and make a meaningful difference in the lives of survivors. We hope you will join us as we explore the profound impact of courageous advocacy in the fight against child sexual abuse, exploitation, and trafficking.
CLE Approval Forthcoming
Conference Agenda
Light breakfast, coffee, and refreshments will be provided.
Attendees will also have the option to participate in a guided embroidery lesson designed to promote relaxation, conversation, and creative expression. Materials will be provided for registered attendees.
- Marlan Wilbanks, Senior Partner at Wilbanks & Gouinlock, Chair of the Board of Visitors at the University of Georgia School of Law, and Co-Founder of the Wilbanks CEASE Clinic
- Emma Hetherington, JD, CWLS, Director of the Wilbanks CEASE Clinic & Clinical Associate Professor, University of Georgia School of Law
- Kara Phillips, Trial Attorney, Deitch + Rogers Crime Victim Law Group
- Amber Walden, Founder and Managing Attorney, Family Law Office of Training and Education Services
- Grace Ann Calfee, Post-Graduate Legal Fellow, University of Georgia School of Law CEASE Clinic
Break with coffee and light refreshments
- Melina Lewis, Staff Attorney, Legal Assistance to Victims Program, Georgia Legal Services Program
- Copelenn McMahon, Staff Attorney, Kinship Care and Domestic Violence Program, Georgia Legal Services Program
- Jocelyn Crumpton, LMSW, Social Work Advocate, University of Georgia School of Law CEASE Clinic
Lunch will be provided for registered attendees
As a lawyer and policy expert, Sandeep has advised United States Senators, Representatives, Department of Justice (DOJ) officials, and others–including CEASE Clinic attorneys–on some of the nation’s most pressing challenges—including the human rights of children in foster care, hate crime laws, gun violence prevention, international and domestic terrorism, and the January 6th attack on the US Capitol. Sandeep currently works as a Senior Advisor at Miller & Chevalier Chartered, a DC-based law firm, where he focuses on congressional matters and other complex government and corporate investigative matters. He is also an adjunct law professor at the University of California Los Angeles, where he teaches a seminar on congressional investigations, and at Georgetown University, where he teaches a seminar on legal ethics and career development. Sandeep earned his B.A. from Duke University, and his M.P.P. and J.D. from UCLA.
Break with light refreshments
- Mary Graw Leary, Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor of Law, Columbus School of Law and The Catholic University of America, and Visiting Professor at the University of Georgia School of Law
- Brian Atkinson, Staff Attorney, University of Georgia School of Law CEASE Clinic