MEET OUR TEAM

Child Justice predominantly serves families across the state of Maryland and the Washington, DC metropolitan area. However, the organization has a national footprint, accepting qualified cases outside of the DC area on a limited basis. In addition to Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia, Child Justice has assisted with cases in Massachusetts, California, New York, New Jersey and Texas and a United States Supreme Court Appeal.

Eileen King

Eileen King has been an advocate for abuse survivors since 1995 when she began working with the Washington, DC-based American Coalition for Abuse Awareness which merged with the non-profit One Voice in 1997. One Voice/ACAA merged with Justice for Children in 2000. In 2012, Eileen became the founding director of Child Justice, Inc. Eileen is a passionate advocate on behalf of children who have been abused or neglected and/or have experienced domestic violence in cases where the alleged or convicted abuser is seeking custody or unsupervised access.

Eileen has been at the forefront of addressing these problems in the courts and has been creating change for these children through referrals to pro bono legal counsel to represent non-offending protective parents or guardians in District, Circuit or Appellate Court proceedings.

Child Justice also offers court watch, emotional support for non-offending parents, Amicus Curiae Brief support in selected appeals, works with local and national media, and often provides testimony before State Legislatures.

Michele Banks

Michele Banks joined Child Justice, Inc. in December 2016 to provide administrative support in tracking and documenting program services, statistics and expenses on the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grant from Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention of Maryland.

Michele has an extensive background of experience with grant administration and nonprofit management. She was the founding executive director of a nonprofit for adults with disabilities in Miami Florida. Michele also taught Special Education in Miami Florida and Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s in Industrial Technology from Florida International University. In 1991, as she was just about to complete her Master’s Degree in Special Education at Barry University in Miami Shores, Florida, Michele and her family had an incredible opportunity to move and live in Ferney-Voltaire, France and work in Geneva Switzerland. While in Geneva, she founded another nonprofit to provide after school computer programs for children with disabilities at the International School of Geneva. In 1995, upon returning to the States, Michele worked for a nonprofit in Silver Spring, Maryland as a program manager and grant administrator to help low-income families avoid eviction. Then until coming to Child Justice, Inc., she worked for another nonprofit serving adults with developmental disabilities as a staff trainer as well as providing administrative support in quality assurance and database administration.

Paul Griffin

Paul Griffin graduated with a Juris Doctor degree from the Georgetown University Law Center in 1997 and graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown University in 1994 with a baccalaureate degree in Government. Prior to college Mr. Griffin proudly served four years in the United States Marine Corps, having enlisted at the age of 17.

Mr. Griffin is admitted to practice law in Maryland and the District of Columbia. He has been a litigator for over 20 years and has vast experience trying cases in state and federal courts. He has successfully litigated and consulted on over a hundred cases involving allegations of domestic violence and child physical and sexual abuse. He has conducted training seminars for other attorneys in this specialized area and has advised litigators who were trying such cases. Mr. Griffin has also testified in front of the Maryland General Assembly concerning proposed changes in Maryland’s laws on abuse and domestic violence. Similarly, he has testified in front of the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force about the role that child physical and sexual abuse play in leading children to become susceptible to human trafficking.

In October of 2016 Mr. Griffin was appointed by Maryland Governor Lawrence J. Hogan to serve as a member of the NeShante and Chloe Davis Domestic Violence Prevention Task Force. The Task Force’s mission was to study and make recommendations to the Governor and the Maryland General Assembly regarding domestic violence prevention strategies and policies.

Prior to being appointed to his current position of Legal Director Mr. Griffin was a member of the Board of Directors of Child Justice for three-and-a-half years. In 2008 Mr. Griffin was a recipient of the Friend of Children Award from Child Justice’s predecessor organization, Justice for Children, and the 2015 recipient of Child Justice’s Heroes of Child Justice Award.

From 2003 until 2015 he also served as a United States Special Master for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in the case Peterson v. Islamic Republic of Iran (a mass-tort action brought by the survivors and family members of service members injured or killed in the October 1983 bombing of the Marine Barracks in Beirut, Lebanon) and in Owens v. Republic of Sudan (a mass-tort action brought by survivors and family members of personnel injured or killed in the 1998 Al Qaeda bombings of the United States embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania).

His responsibilities in those cases included presiding over hearings where testimony was given and evidence presented from survivors and family members, making determinations regarding monetary damages awards, and filing a Report and Recommendation with Court regarding such determinations.

Mr. Griffin was formerly an associate at the law firm of Spriggs & Hollingsworth and Counsel at the law firm of O’Melveny & Myers.

Courtney Dowe

Courtney Dowe began working with Child Justice as an intern in February 2020. As one of our newest team members, she now serves as a paralegal, with her duties including aiding in the development of attorney work product and communicating with clients.

Courtney is a passionate advocate for women and children, and sees her work with Child Justice as a direct way to impact the lives of disadvantaged people. She credits her commitment to this work to the fact that she grew up in the family court and foster care systems. Through reflecting on her personal history, Courtney seeks to build strong relationships with clients which helps her become a better advocate.

Outside of Child Justice, Courtney serves on the boards of two nonprofit organizations: Earth Rights Institute and Bread for the City. Through the Earth Rights Institute, which is an NGO associated with the United Nations, Courtney helped establish a refuge for vulnerable women and children. Courtney is also a talented singer-songwriter, and her music is always a welcome presence in the office.

Leila Melendez

Leila is the organization’s law clerk. She provides legal assistance to all Child Justice, Inc. attorneys and offers support to Child Justice’s clients. She is passionate about family law and sees the law as a way she can serve vulnerable children and their families.

Prior to becoming a full-time member of staff, Leila worked alongside the Child Justice team as a legal intern. She traces her desire to advocate on behalf of children to her own experiences as a child of divorce. Earning a bachelors degree in psychology and women and gender studies from Goucher College in 2016 and a JD from American University Washington College of Law in 2019 has prepared her to tackle the complex emotional and legal issues that arise in field of domestic violence, child abuse, and other experiences of trauma in the family. Her social justice centered practice shines across her resume from her first role as a telephone counselor at the Women’s Law Project of Philadelphia to her time as a student attorney at DC Law Students in Court. She has worked before the Court and behind the Court’s Chambers. She understands the type of trauma-informed lawyering clients seek when they turn to Child Justice.

Leila sees Child Justice as more than a workplace, but as a second family. When she is not in the courtroom or the office, she spends her days with her two fuzzy kitty “co-workers,” Alba and Boo. She wants all clients to know that she recognizes that while these are their hardships and life can certainly get rough, they are never alone as her door is always open. She will always be there for her clients as an advocate and future attorney.

Luanne McKenna

Luanne has been a member of the Maryland Bar since 1995. She has an extensive background in administrative, disability, and family law, including advocacy for victims of interpersonal violence. She has acted as legal director for a multi-disciplinary agency serving survivors of domestic violence, child abuse, sexual abuse and assault. She is trained as a mediator, parenting coordinator, best interest attorney, and collaborative practitioner.

After working for the state government and nonprofits, Luanne opened a solo practice to focus her efforts on working with families in conflict and transition. She is experienced representing individuals who have been subjected to coercive control, and all forms of abuse and interpersonal violence. In addition to her law degree, she holds a master’s degree in clinical psychological science and a graduate psychology certificate in child and family forensics.

Nathaniel Grube

A graduate of the University of Maryland School of Law, Nathan Grube began practicing law in December 2018. During and after law school, Nathan gained extensive experience in public interest work. Grube began his legal career working with administrative judges at the Baltimore City Office of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. There, he assisted with drafting opinions deciding whether government agencies violated federal civil rights laws. During his second-year summer he worked at the Public Justice Center in Baltimore, assisting clients and attorneys prepare class action cases against employers who violated the Fair Labor Standards Act.

The following semester, Nathan represented low-income clients at bail-review hearings in Baltimore City through the Access to Justice Clinic at the University of Maryland. After graduating, Nathan expanded his work with indigent clients at the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service, helping clients seek expungements, avoid probate, and obtain custody of their children. Nathan began working with Child Justice in January 2019 and is devoted to helping disadvantaged clients obtain the legal representation they need.

Cynthia Cummings

Cynthia Cummings has more than 30 years of experience in paralegal and legal administrative work. This work has exposed her to many areas of the law, including export and regulatory law, corporate governance, litigation, tax, real estate, securities enforcement, and family law.

She joined the Child Justice, Inc. team in October 2018 and works extensively assisting our attorneys and clients. Cynthia is Child Justice's first point of contact, and provides support for each client throughout their entire case. She explains procedures, gathers client and case information, provides emotional support, and acts as a client liaison. In addition to client advocacy, Cynthia handles client intake, organizes case files, drafts legal documents, oversees document production, and maintains client case files.

Cynthia graduated from University of Maryland, College Park with a degree in Behavioral and Social Sciences, Honors Criminology, and a minor in Political Science. She has also studied at Bowie State University and Horticulture at USDA Graduate School. When she is not working, she enjoys raising orchids and her standard poodle, Tessa.

Erica Anaya

Erica Anaya joined Child Justice as a volunteer Staff Attorney in April 2020 and is honored to be part of the team. She is a 1997 graduate of Notre Dame Law School and has experience representing Children In Need of Assistance (CINA) in child abuse cases. Currently she is Board Chair of Together We Bake,, a comprehensive workforce training and personal development program for women in need of a second chance. These amazing women gain self-confidence, transferable workforce skills, and invaluable hands-on experience, which allow them to find employment and move toward self-sufficiency. Erica lives in Alexandria, Virginia with her husband, two teenagers and a puppy.

Melanie
Klein

Melanie Klein serves as a volunteer attorney with Child Justice. Ms. Klein graduated magna cum laude from Duke University with a Bachelor’s degree in Zoology and a Master’s in Biological Anthropology and Anatomy and received her JD from Columbia University Law School in 1999, having also earned her Master’s in Social Work. In law school, Ms. Klein was an Editor of the Columbia Law Review. She is barred to practice law in Maryland and the District of Columbia.

Ms. Klein worked at Legal Aid of Maryland from 1992-1995 and returned as a Skadden Fellow focusing on the representation of abused and neglected children with disabilities. When her fellowship was up, she continued working at Legal Aid as a Staff Attorney in the Child Advocacy Unit. From 2003-2011, she served as Senior Attorney for Child Welfare. Ms. Klein is particularly interested in the interaction of the child welfare system with custody cases and domestic violence, which was the subject of her Law Review Note. As a Child Justice volunteer, she seeks to foster and improve research, training, communication, and overall knowledge relating to the intersections of the child welfare, domestic violence, and custody systems.

Ms. Klein is a highly experienced attorney, having briefed and argued cases before the Court of Special Appeals and the Court of Appeals and presented at national conferences, all while prioritizing her direct representation of disadvantaged children. At Legal Aid, she had primary responsibility for staff training and helped lead the organization’s efforts to create systemic reform of the child welfare system in Maryland. During this time, she served on a multidisciplinary committee that drafted the most recent version of Maryland’s Termination of Parental Rights statute.

In her spare time, Ms. Klein loves to spend time with her husband, children and their multitude of pets, including dogs, cats, a cockatiel, a bearded dragon, African Clawed Frogs, guinea pigs, hamsters, mice, a crayfish, salt and freshwater fish, sea anemones, rats, a leopard gecko, and hermit crabs.

Robin Becker-Cornblatt

Robin Becker-Cornblatt is a staff attorney at Child Justice. Robin graduated from Lafayette College with a BA in Government and Law, and earned her JD from NYU School of Law. Throughout her legal career, Robin has prioritized the safety and wellbeing of disadvantaged people who are often not prioritized in the legal system. Robin worked as an attorney for the state of Maryland for eight years responding to cases of child abuse and neglect in licensed childcare facilities. Robin worked with social workers, law enforcement, and medical professionals to improve conditions for youth who are far too often left behind.

Leaving the law, Robin shifted her focus to higher education where she served as Assistant Director and then Director of Admission, Advising , and the Registrar at several community colleges and public and private universities in the Washington DC area.

After eighteen years of working in higher education, Robin decided it was time to come back to practicing law. She worked as a staff attorney at TurnAround, an organization in Baltimore dedicated to providing support to victims of sexual assault and intimate partner violence. While

there, Robin helped establish a broad network of highly skilled pro-bono attorneys from noted firms who could assist TurnAround in their cases.

Robin joined Child Justice in March 2020. Her areas of practice include Protective Order hearings and custody determinations and modifications. Robin is dedicated to providing her clients with the excellent legal representation they need, while simultaneously offering an unmatched level of personal support.

LEGAL ASSISTANTS

Andi Negovan

Natalie Abbey

Ella Crabtree

Justis Dixon

Get in touch with us!

There are few things we love more than assisting families impacted by child abuse and domestic violence and connecting with others who are as relentlessly dedicated to the mission as we are! Whether you have questions, need assistance or want to volunteer for the cause, Child Justice, Inc. is here to help! Get in touch with our team by clicking the button below and filling out the form with your information -- a member of our team will respond to your inquiry shortly!