Agenda

Light breakfast, coffee, and refreshments will be provided for in-person attendees.

• Peter “Bo” Rutledge, Dean & Talmadge Chair of Law, University of Georgia of Law
• Marlan Wilbanks, Founding Partner, Wilbanks & Gouinlock, LLP
• Emma Hetherington, Clinical Associate Professor and Director, Wilbanks CEASE Clinic

What is the “Sexual Abuse-to-Prison-Pipeline” and where along the pipeline do we see survivors of child sexual abuse and exploitation in the justice system? Panelists from varying perspectives–judicial, legal, social work, and survivor–will discuss  trauma-responsive lawyering survivors along the pipeline. The discussion will include an overview of how actors in the justice system can serve as therapeutic or anti-therapeutic agents for survivors, the panelists’ experiences with trauma-informed (or non-trauma-informed) lawyering, and whether trauma-informed lawyering may conflict with due process and other rights. Finally, panelists will discuss what “successful outcomes” mean for survivors along the pipeline, and whether outcomes can be improved through the incorporation of trauma-informed principles into legal practice. 

• Brian Atkinson, Staff Attorney, Wilbanks CEASE Clinic (Moderator)
• Hon. Roxanne Formey, Judge, Chatham County Juvenile Court
• Sachi Cole, Partner, Penn Law LLC
• Alan McArthur, MSW, Pre-licensed Clinician
• Jocelyn Crumpton, LMSW, Social Work Advocate, Wilbanks CEASE Clinic
• Victoria Hicks, Assistant District Attorney, Douglas County District Attorney’s Office

Trust-Based Relational Intervention, or TBRI®, is an evidence-based, trauma-informed, and cost-effective approach designed to meet the needs of children and youth who have experienced early adversity, toxic stress, and/or relational trauma. Trust-Based Relational Intervention uses Empowering Principles to address physical needs, Connecting Principles for attachment needs, and Correcting Principles to disarm fear-based behaviors. This panel will discuss how through training and ongoing support in TBRI®, attorneys representing survivors of child sexual abuse and commercial and sexual exploitation (CSEC) can build connection and trust with survivor-clients, thus improving the overall quality of legal representation.

• Emma Hetherington, JD, CWLS, Clinical Associate Professor & Director, Wilbanks CEASE Clinic, University of Georgia School of Law (Moderator)
• Daren Jones, MSW, Associate Director of Training & Consultation, Karyn Purvis Institute for Child Development, Texas Christian University
• Kimberly Glaudy, LMFT-A, Project Coordinator, Karyn Purvis Institute for Child Development, Texas Christian University 
• Kari Dady, JD, Regional Training Specialist, Karyn Purvis Institute for Child Development, Texas Christian University

Lunch will be provided for in-person attendees.

Kathryn Robb is a lawyer, legislative advocate, and law instructor who has been fighting to pass meaningful child sex abuse legislation across the country for over 16 years. As an outspoken survivor of child sexual abuse, Kathryn continues to use her voice to implement common-sense legislative change at both the state and federal level to end child abuse and neglect and to enact victim friendly legislation. The initiatives of CHILD USAdvocacy included reforming SOLs for child abuse and neglect, ending FGM, ending conversion therapy for LGBTQ youth, ending exemptions for childhood vaccinations, ending child marriage and family court reform. She regularly testifies before legislative committees, writes opinions for local and national press and appears on news outlets at the local and national level. A co-founder of New Yorkers Against Hidden Predators, a coalition of organizations, advocates, and sex abuse survivors from across New York. Kathryn worked closely with New York state lawmakers to finally pass the New York Child Victims Act, after a 12-year hard-fought battle the bill was signed into law on February 14, 2019. Kathryn is a lawyer by trade specializing in drafting legislation, legislative advocacy, sexual abuse laws and SOL reform. Kathryn has spent over 28 years as a law instructor preparing law students for writing component the bar exam, she specializes in non-traditional learners and ESL populations. Kathryn is a board member and legislative advocate for the nonprofit Massachusetts Citizens for Children, and she was instrumental in the SOL change to MA General Laws in 2014. She is a member of the Massachusetts bar. Kathryn is also a certified trainer for the MassKids Enough Abuse campaign, training the trainer program.

Kathryn has been involved in local youth sports in her community and has coached basketball at the youth, middle school, high school, and AAU levels. She received her Juris Doctor from New England Law| Boston and Master of Science (MS) focused on Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology from the University of Hartford. She lives in central Connecticut with her wife and family.

Kathryn is passionately committed to employing the rule of law and sound public policy to uphold the dignity and protection of all children, while holding those who harm children fully accountable under both criminal and civil law.

In 2016, the Wilbanks CEASE Clinic was tasked with training future advocates for survivors of child sexual abuse and exploitation. While not all CEASE alum have gone on to represent survivors, several have. This panel features Georgia Law graduates who worked at the CEASE Clinic during their time in law school and now represent survivors–or the State on behalf of survivors–in cases involving child sexual abuse, exploitation, and trafficking. Panelists will discuss their experience with CEASE and other law school clinics, externships, and experiential learning opportunities at Georgia Law; their career path since graduation; and how they have become the next generation of advocates for survivors. The panel will discuss what they learned (or didn’t learn, but wish they had) during law school and the importance of specialized training for attorneys handling sexual abuse and exploitation cases. Finally, panelists will discuss how law students and practicing attorneys can focus their careers and/or pro bono work on advocating for survivors.

• Jason Cade, Associate Dean for Clinical Programs and Experiential Learning, J. Alton Hosch Professor of Law & Community Health Law Partnership Clinic Director (Moderator)
• Jonathan Tonge, Litigating Attorney, Anderson Tate & Carr
• Kevin Ketner, Associate, Penn Law LLC
• Victoria Hicks, Assistant District Attorney, Douglas County District Attorney’s Office

A reception for in-person attendees will be held directly following the conference from 4:30pm to 5:30pm. Light refreshments will be provided.