USA LAWYER MONTHLY LEGAL AWARDS 2025 9 Looking ahead, what changes in legislation, policy, or courtroom practice would you most like to see to strengthen protections for survivors and hold perpetrators accountable? A change that could benefit sexual assault survivors navigating the legal process is a greater emphasis on trauma-informed interactions. Unfortunately, crime victims, especially sexual assault survivors, are often treated very poorly in our legal system. Over the years, I have encountered defense attorneys, mediators, and even judges who engage in victim blaming and shaming in sexual assault cases. As the co-chair of my firm’s Sexual Violence, Title IX and Victims’ Rights practice group it is incredibly important to me that everyone who does this work at my firm is trauma informed. I want every survivor who comes into contact with my firm to be treated with dignity and respect. A few years ago, one of my Legal Assistants did an intake with a potential client. Later, when I followed up with the potential client, she said “I have been talking to lots of firms but after speaking to your Legal Assistant, I only want to work with your firm because she was so kind and empathetic.” I loved hearing that and it made me feel like I had succeeded in prioritizing a trauma-centered approach at my firm. When I was in law school, no one talked about being trauma informed. I think that is slowly starting to change. Recently, I was speaking to a colleague who told me she is teaching a law school class on how to be a trauma informed lawyer. I think a class like that should be required for every law student. Emphasizing the importance of approaching crime victims with empathy and dignity, at the start of every lawyer’s legal career, could go a long way towards changing how victims are treated by our legal system. Another important change that would improve the legal landscape for sexual assault survivors is longer statutes of limitations. In our legal system, there are strict time limits in which you must bring a claim. If you do not bring your legal claim within the statute of limitations, you have likely forfeited your ability to proceed. Often those time limits are very short. Anyone who does this work knows that it frequently takes a very long time for a sexual assault survivor to disclose the assault. There are lots of reasons a survivor might delay coming forward, like the fear of not being believed, of stigmatization, and retaliation from the perpetrator or their community. I often quote the statistic that the average age for a childhood sexual assault survivor to disclose the abuse is 52. That’s the reality – sexual assault and abuse survivors may need decades to feel strong enough to speak about their trauma. Many states have started passing laws that extend the statute of limitations for sexual assault. Some states have passed “lookback windows”, where for a period of time – maybe a one-, two- or threeyear window, sometimes a permanent window –a survivor of childhood sexual abuse can assert a legal claim, regardless of how long ago the abuse occurred. Going forward, I hope to see more states extending their statutes of limitations and passing “lookback windows” for both child and adult victims. On a broader note, what advice would you give to young lawyers who want to pursue careers in socially impactful litigation, especially in fields as sensitive as sexual violence? I think the best advice I could give a young lawyer is to find something you’re passionate about. 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. That motivation gets me out of bed in the morning and carries me through even the hardest days. I would also advise young lawyers who want to do this work to find a professional home with likeminded individuals who care as much as you do. I am grateful to work at a civil rights and social justice firm. Not everyone at my firm works on sexual violence cases but all the cases at my firm involve representing the Davids against the Goliaths and seeking justice for the less powerful against the most powerful. When I first joined my firm, I quickly recognized kindred spirits that cared about making the world a better place. Being surrounded by that kind of energy every day is inspiring. SEXUAL VIOLENCE LITIGATION LAWYER OF THE YEAR
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