Vicarious Trauma and its Impact in Family Law

OVERVIEW:

This year's family law symposium will center on gaining a deeper understanding of vicarious trauma in family law cases. This interdisciplinary event will provide a training on vicarious trauma as well as address:

• what is vicarious trauma and how to identify it as the attorney in family law cases
• how to successfully work in trauma filled environments
• how to take care of yourself as a family law attorney

The symposium will be presented online and in person, and registration must be completed no later than Tuesday, October 14th.

PROGRAM SCHEDULE:

10:00am-10:15am | Check In & Welcome

10:15am-10:45am | Keynote Speaker: What is Vicarious Trauma in Family Law?

Learn what is vicarious trauma and how it impacts family law attorneys representing clients who are undergoing trauma themselves.

• Professor Deeya Haldar, Director of the Civil Justice Clinic at Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law

10:45am-11:45am | How to Successfully Work in Trauma Filled Environments

This discussion will discuss how attorneys can learn to identify vicarious trauma and successfully work with clients who have experienced or are currently experiencing trauma themselves.

• Aziza Khatoon, Legal Aid Chicago
• Mallory Morgan, Legal Aid Chicago
• Patrick Ryan, Jackson Buckley & Pfanenstiel, LLP
• Alexandra Greenberg (Moderator), Davis|Friedman

1 1:45am-12:30pm | Lunch Break

12:30pm-2:00pm | Vicarious Trauma Training

Attendees will learn about vicarious trauma, tools to work within trauma filled environments, and how to cope in a healthy way when experiencing vicarious trauma as a result of representing individuals who are experiencing trauma themselves.

• Karen Munoz, Roaring Grace Mindful Wellness
• Jenelle Pedroza, Legal Aid Chicago
• Lauren Schroeder, Ascend Justice

• Lindsey Nathan (Moderator), Ascend Justice

2:00pm-3:00pm | How to Take Care of Yourself as the Family Law Attorney

This panel will discuss various hypotheticals and apply their new learned skills on how to take care of yourself as the family law attorney in cases involving trauma so that they minimize their vicarious trauma.

• Elise Melrose, Cook County Office of the Public Guardian
• Jason Pica, Dussias Wittenberg Koenigsberger LLP
• Alison Stankus, Cook County Office of the Public Guardian
• Sarah Hawkins (Moderator), Cook County Office of the Public Guardian

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Up to 4 Mental Health Professional Responsibility Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits pending. DePaul University College of Law is an accredited CLE Provider.

CLE credit is extended to Illinois attorneys only. Attorneys who need CLE from other states are welcome to apply to their jurisdictions on their own. Extension of CLE credit is subject to each states approval.

In-person attendance will be taken October 14th and on-line attendance will be taken through an online login system. Attendees who do not attend the full conference will receive credit only for the parts they attend.

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Consent For Video Recording and Transcription:

This event will be recorded and may be later made publicly available via the Internet. Participation in the event constitutes consent to be recorded, including without limitation by audio, video, and still images. Participants understand that such recordings may be distributed by means of a variety of media, formats, and contexts, and that this may occur during the event and thereafter. Participants waive all claims for any compensation and for any damages or other remedies in connection with such recordings and the use thereof.

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Please contact Katie Liss at [email protected] regarding sponsorship opportunities for this event and with any inquiries about this event or to apply for a needs-based scholarship.

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Thank you to DePaul University College of Law’s Center for Public Interest Law for serving as a cosponsor of this symposium and to OurFamilyWizard for sponsoring our Symposium!

Host or Publisher Schiller DuCanto & Fleck Family Law Center