USA SEXUAL VIOLENCE LITIGATION LAWYER OF THE YEAR LAWYER MONTHLY LEGAL AWARDS 2025 8 time she was young, I’ve talked openly to her about the risks and dangers of sexual assault. I know there are no guarantees in life, but I hope that giving her the information can help to keep her safer. Many of your cases have contributed to broader awareness and even shifts in workplace or institutional policies. Could you share an example of a case where the impact extended beyond your client to effect systemic change? A big reason I became a lawyer is because I believe that the law is a powerful vehicle for creating institutional change. Most of the cases I bring are against large institutions (like schools, companies, hospitals, or churches) that have failed to keep their members reasonably safe from sexual violence. Over the years I have learned that, if you keep bringing legal claims against institutions, they have no choice but to make changes and do better, if only to avoid being sued again. Several years ago, I represented a young woman who was a student at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA). Because USMMA students graduate with a commercial shipping license, they are required to spend a certain amount of time working on commercial ships as part of the “Sea Year” program. During my client’s Sea Year, she was raped by her supervisor aboard the ship. Because she was terrified of retaliation, she didn’t report the rape and suffered in silence for two more months on the ship – living in the room next door to her rapist. When she returned to campus, she began to understand how widespread the problem of maritime sexual assault is. Eventually, she wrote an anonymous blog post about her experience. Much to her surprise, the blog post went viral and caused a tsunami of outrage in the maritime industry, leading to Congressional investigations and a temporary suspension of the Sea Year program. The day that we filed a lawsuit on her behalf, her story was one of the top stories on CNN. Ultimately, as a result of the extensive media attention her story and lawsuit received, Congress passed portions of the Safer Seas Act, mandating concrete changes on commercial ships. These changes include requirements for cameras outside of staterooms and increased fines against shipping companies that fail to report sexual assault to law enforcement. All these changes are aimed at keeping mariners safer from sexual assault. My client’s willingness to speak out about her horrific experience is the most direct example I’ve ever seen of one survivor’s bravery creating systemic change that has the power to make future generations safer. Just recently, I was at a conference and the presenter had a slide picturing my client as a model of how one person can create substantive change. I was proud to stand with my client in helping her to have a profound impact on the maritime industry. Legal work of this nature can be emotionally taxing. What strategies or routines do you rely on to maintain perspective and avoid burnout while still giving clients the compassion they deserve? Representing sexual assault survivors is emotionally gruelling. Vicarious trauma is very real for anyone who does this work. I spend every workday listening to potential and current clients tell me about horrific, gut-wrenching experiences. I regularly have friends ask me, “how can you do this work, isn’t it too hard?” The answer is, yes, it is very hard but it’s also incredibly rewarding. In the hardest moments, it helps to remind myself why I do this work. A few years ago, I had a client tell me that, since she had retained my firm two months earlier, it was the first time she had smiled in the four years since she was raped because she finally had someone to fight for her. Knowing that I can make that kind of a difference in a survivor’s life is what keeps me going. For anyone who does this work, it’s also very important to find some outlet that allows you to step away from the sadness. Maybe that’s yoga or taking long walks or meditation – whatever helps you unwind and regroup. My friends tease me for having terrible taste in TV shows. I always explain that what I do for a living is very emotionally heavy and watching trashy TV is my way of escaping the heaviness for a little while. Being a lawyer is hard, but it’s made easier when you care deeply about your cases. That’s how I feel about my work. I care deeply about my clients and about helping them to obtain justice.
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