Celebrating Our Volunteers: April & May Highlights

At Volunteer Legal Advocates, our work wouldn’t be possible without the extraordinary dedication of our volunteer attorneys. These incredible advocates stand beside survivors of domestic or gender-based violence, fight for the well-being of children in need, and pursue justice in the courtroom.

In April and May, the attorneys listed below demonstrated compassion, skill, and an unwavering commitment to making a difference in the lives of our clients. Whether by securing protection orders for survivors or ensuring children’s voices were heard in court, their efforts created safer, more stable futures for members of our community.

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APRIL KUDOS

Supporting Survivors of Domestic Violence
  • Jennifer Bisgaier (Klein Hornig LLP) – Helped her client secure custody and child support for long-term safety and stability.
  • Katherine St. Romain and Molly Diamondstein (Fried, Frank, Harris, Shiver & Jacobson LLP) – Defended a survivor against a baseless contempt motion, protecting her rights in court.
  • Maryam Hatcher (Mars, Inc.) – Represented a survivor in a Civil Protection Order (CPO) case.
  • Bella Oishi (Winston & Strawn LLP) – Achieved a 2-year CPO with all desired relief, avoiding trial.
  • Fleming Farell, Melissa Giangrande, and Blair Decker (Hogan Lovells LLP) – Advocated in a criminal contempt case, resulting in a Deferred Sentencing Agreement.
  • Joseph Miller (The Law Office of Joseph Shepherd Miller) – Provided dedicated representation on behalf of a survivor of domestic violence throughout her CPO matter.
  • Karen Marcou – Secured a Permanent Child Support Order on behalf of her survivor client.
  • Ari Feinstein (Knobbe Martens LLP) – Helped obtain a 2-year Civil Protection Order without the burden of trial.
  • David Bergman (Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP) – Helped his client prepare for and obtain a 2-year Civil Protection Order.
  • Tobey Oliver – Achieved a 2-year consent CPO, sparing the client from trial.
  • Cassady Cohick and Nicki Ghazarian-Foye (Hogan Lovells LLP) – Provided dedicated and compassionate representation of their domestic violence survivor client.
  • David Seltzer, Emma Burton (Crowell & Moring LLP) and Raumi Namvari (Raytheon Technologies) – Provided dedicated representation of their domestic violence survivor client. Secured a Civil Protection Order including child support and mental health counseling.
  • Sarah Gilcrest (Immyrse) – Advocated and secured a 2-year Civil Protection Order without the burden of trial.
  • Hedda Garland – Supported her client through difficult legal decisions with compassion and care.
Advocating for Children
  • Ismarí Ramos-Medina (DC Air National Guard) – Identified jurisdictional issues in a custody case with speed and accuracy.
  • Amanda Allen and Justin Hutchings (Hogan Lovells LLP) – Secured the safe return of two kidnapped children.
  • Linda Dreeben and Varsha Chandra – Represented a 5-year-old in court, resulting in a permanent custody order.
Fighting for Immigrant Rights
  • Basil Al-Qaneh (Shin PLC) – Advocated for his minor client, resulting in a grant of Special Immigrant Juvenile Status and deferred action.
  • Baily Martin (Hogan Lovells LLP) – Represented her domestic violence survivor client at her naturalization interview, resulting in a recommendation for citizenship.
Pursuing Justice in the Courtroom
  • David Kanstoroom (KVS Title LLC) – Prepared strong direct examination and helped negotiate a favorable resolution.
  • Kelly Ann Shaw, Jordyn Johnson, Lorea Mendiguren, and Valerie Marshall (Hogan Lovells LLP) – Advocated fiercely for a survivor.
  • Trillium Chang and Graeme Bush (Zuckerman Spaeder LLP) – Provided exceptional trial support.
 Going Above & Beyond
  • Sharelle Love – Tried her first Protective Order case and negotiated a thorough temporary nesting agreement, providing stability and safety for the client’s children.

MAY KUDOS

Supporting Survivors of Domestic Violence
  • Daniel Rubin (Exelon Corp.) – Represented his client for nearly 3 years, resulting in sole custody and safety for mother and daughter.
  • Margaret Hassel (Constitutional Accountability Center) – Handled her first CPO case with skill and compassion, obtaining a 2-year order.
  • Ted Alexander (Ropes & Gray LLP) – Secured a 2-year consent CPO for a survivor, sparing her from trial.
  • Janvi Shah (Sughrue Mion PLLC) – Achieved a 2-year CPO by default for her client.
 Advocating for Children
  • Andrew Norman (Hogan Lovells LLP) – Worked tirelessly to connect his minor client with therapy and obtain a mental health evaluation.
  • Nicolette DeLorenzo (Hogan Lovells LLP) – Stepped in as Guardian ad Litem during the final stages of a difficult case, securing a mental health evaluation.
  • Melissa Giangrande (Hogan Lovells LLP) – Ensured her client received critical therapy services.
  • Barbara Kagan – Advocated for permanent custody that maintains a safe home for the child and contact with the father.
  • Elizabeth Trosman – Secured a custody order that balances safety and family connection for her teen clients.
 Going Above & Beyond
  • Julian Moss (Parker, Simon & Kokolis LLC) – Gained his client’s trust with compassion and prepared thoroughly for trial.
  • Lina Dagnew and Meron Bayu (Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP) – Brought energy, empathy, and strong communication to their advocacy.

To all of our volunteers: your time, expertise, and passion create lasting impact. Thank you.