Jill is expert at working with parents and children facing substance abuse, mental health challenges, family violence, sexual abuse, developmental and physical disabilities and other medical conditions that impact parenting.  She provides consultation services for other lawyers in interpreting and evaluating Child Protection Services investigations and provides assessments regarding the quality of the investigation and the impact of such investigations on family law, probate guardianship, and juvenile dependency matters.

Jill is a leader in local and statewide efforts to strengthen legislative and procedural systems to protect child welfare and preserve family integrity.  She served the judges of the San Francisco Unified Family Court in management issues surrounding juvenile dependency policies and procedures for over nine years.  In 2013, she founded San Francisco Counsel for Families & Children, through which she spearheaded statewide action to strengthen and clarify parentage rights.  She has addressed the state legislature and the Judicial Council of California to advocate for increased funding for court-appointed dependency attorneys so that our state’s most vulnerable children and families receive appropriate legal representation.

Education

• B.A. English and Social Thought & Political Economy, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, cum laude
• J.D., University of California, Hastings College of Law

Legal Certification

• Child Welfare Law Specialist, certified by the National Association of Counsel for Children and the American Bar Association; Accredited by the State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization.

Awards

• 2016 Award of Merit, Bar Association of San Francisco
• Outstanding Public Service Honor,  Lawyer Referral and Information Service Committee of BASF

Court Committees

• Member (2016) Revision Committee for Local Rules of Court, Family Law Section, San Francisco Superior Court
• Invited Member (2006-2015) Blue Ribbon Committee of the San Francisco Juvenile Dependency Court
• Invited Member (2006-2015) Parent & Child Attorney Management Committee of the San Francisco Juvenile Dependency Court

Professional Leadership Activities

• Founder and Executive Director (2013-2015) San Francisco Counsel for Families & Children
• President of the Board of Directors (2013-current) San Francisco Counsel for Families & Children
• Delegate (2014) Bar Association of San Francisco, Conference of California Bar Associations
• Invited Member (2012-2017) Lawyer Referral and Information Service Committee of the Bar Association of San Francisco
• Chair (2007-2008; 2010-2011) Juvenile Justice Section, Bar Association of San Francisco
• Co-Chair (2007-2008) San Francisco Human Services Agency Visitation Workgroup

Publications and Presentations

• Daily Journal contributor:
  • “Dependency Courts In Crisis” (October 29, 2015);
  • “Juveniles Do Not Belong in Solitary” (October 1, 2014)
• Presenter of various legal education trainings, including:
  • Parentage in Juvenile Dependency Proceedings
  • Child Protective Services Investigations in Family Court proceedings
  • Domestic Violence Restraining Orders, substance and procedure.