Graduate Programs: Civitas ChildLaw Center Faculty
Faculty and Staff
The Staff and Faculty at the Civitas ChildLaw Center combine professionalism and years of experience in the fields of pediatric and family law with a commitment to helping students at the Law School attain a deeper understanding of the issues students will face once they start working in this field of law. Both staff and faculty are always available to answer any questions you might have about the Civitas ChildLaw Center and its different programs.
Full-Time Faculty Members
- Bruce A. Boyer
Clinical Professor and Director, Loyola Civitas ChildLaw Clinic - Sacha M. Coupet
Assistant Professor and Director of Research, Civitas ChildLaw Center - Diane C. Geraghty
Professor of Law and Director, Child and Family Law Programs - Michael J. Kaufman
Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs - Stacey E. Platt
Clinical Professor and Associate Director, Loyola Civitas ChildLaw Clinic - Anita Weinberg
Clinical Professor and Director, ChildLaw Policy Institute
Staff Attorney/Faculty
- Mary Burns
Director of Community Projects, Lead Safe Housing Initiative, Civitas ChildLaw Center - Hillary Coustan
Associate Director of the ChildLaw and Education Institute - Lisa Jacobs
Program Manager for the Illinois Models for Change Initiative
Part-Time Faculty Members
- Victoria L. Bush-Joseph
Partner at Bush-Joseph & Horwich
Attorney of Law (Teaches Adoption Law Seminar) - Carol Casey
Cook County Office of the Public Guardian
Training Attorney (Teaches M.J. Introduction to ChildLaw I & II) - Corinne Levitz
Circuit Court of Cook County
Mediator (Teaches Child and Family Law Mediation and Mediation Seminar) - Douglas A. Miller
Miller Law Group
Attorney at Law (Teaches M.J. ChildLaw Torts/Civil Procedure) - Michael Nathanson
(Teaches Child and Family Law Mediation and Mediation Seminar) - Helen L. Thornton
Office of the Inspector General, Department of Children & Family Services,
Investigator (Teaches M.J. Constitutional/Administrative Law) - Cheryl A. Warzynski
Dykema and Gossett, PLLC
Partner (Teaches M.J. Introduction to the Law and M.J. Legal Research and Writing)Staff
- Catherine Columbus
Program Coordinator - Griselda Sanchez
Administrative Clinic Coordinator
Fellowships
Soledad McGrath- ChildLaw Policy and Legislation Fellow
Soleded McGrath joined the Civitas ChildLaw Center on August 3, 2009. She is a graduate of Emory School of Law and worked in the Barton Child Law and Policy Clinic at Emory. Following graduation Soledad worked briefly in private practice at a large law firm. She later served as the primary reporter in charge of drafting a model juvenile code for Georgia, which was the first attempt in the country to craft a model children's law code. Since moving to Chicago with her family last year, Soledad has continued working with advocates in Georgia on issues related to the model juvenile code, including drafting legislation, and concerns related to potential legislation.
The two-year post-graduate Fellowship provides an opportunity for a recent law school graduate to gain clinical teaching experience in the field legislation and policy development. In her role as a Fellow, Mrs. McGrath works on a broad range of projects designed to improve the lives of children and their families through policy and practice reform efforts, legislative advocacy, research, and training.Amy Halbrook - Salisbury Fellow in Clinical Legal Education
Amy Halbrook is the Salisbury Clinical Teaching Fellow in the Civitas ChildLaw Clinic, where she assists with course instruction and supervises law students representing child clients in court. Ms. Halbrook has experience representing clients in delinquency. school expulsion, special education, child welfare, and civil rights matters. She also has extensive experience working with children and youth in schools and after-school programs, including diversion programs for juvenile offenders. In addition to teaching and direct representation, much of Ms. Halbrook's work has focused on positive youth development, adolescent brain development and community based alternatives. Prior to joining Loyola she was a litigation associate with a major law firm.
- Catherine Columbus
