At the start of the 2009-10 academic year, the National Center for Adoption Law & Policy welcomed three new students to its Fellowship program at Capital University Law School — Rachel Neeb, Tonya Sapp and Thad Townsend. For the past three years, Adoption & Child Welfare Fellowships have been offered to incoming law students. This year the program has expanded to include a Juvenile Law Fellowship established in memory of Felicia Beth Nekritz, a 1996 graduate of Capital Law.

Many factors place children and youth at risk of involvement with our nation’s delinquency and child protection court systems, including child abuse and neglect, substance abuse, mental health needs, and educational issues. Of the 900,000 children served by the child welfare system, 114,000 foster children wait for safe, permanent homes because their biological parents’ rights have been terminated. Thousands of these youths exit the foster care system without the skills needed for successful independent living, leaving them vulnerable to unemployment, homelessness, and criminal behavior.

Successful outcomes and futures for these children and youth are dependent on talented and dedicated legal professionals acting in all capacities within our child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Well-trained, highly qualified child advocates, agency counsel, government attorneys, and juvenile judges can make all the difference between a youth’s successful transition into adulthood and a youth’s continued struggle in the system.

Administered by the National Center for Adoption Law & Policy, the Fellowship program addresses these needs by helping to connect students connect students with exciting educational, networking, and internship opportunities across the county. The program provides students with scholarships, and work and conference stipends during law school in exchange for a commitment to work in this area of law after graduation.

Felicia Beth Nekritz Juvenile Law Fellowship
The Felicia Beth Nekritz Juvenile Law Fellowship was established by the Nekritz family in recognition of the vital need for our legal systems to address the factors which place juveniles at risk of involvement with our nation’s delinquency and child protection court systems, including child abuse and neglect, substance abuse and mental health needs, and educational issues. The Fellowship assists students who share Felicia’s vision for improving the lives of juveniles through prevention and intervention, policy and systemic improvement efforts, as well as the provision of direct services for at-risk youth.

Tonya Sapp was selected as the Felicia Beth Nekritz Juvenile Law Fellow because of her commitment to working with neglected and troubled youth – a commitment that was reflected in Felicia’s work at the Office of the Ohio Public Defender. Tonya is a graduate of Franklin University, where she received her B.S. in Public Safety Management Cum Laude and Master’s of Business Administration. Tonya is proud of her accomplishments as a single mother who worked full-time while completing her degrees, and especially proud to be the first in her family to complete a graduate/professional degree. She currently serves as a mentor at Franklin County Children Services for the College-Bound Mentoring Program.

Adoption & Child Welfare Law Fellowship
Rachel Neeb graduated magna cum laude from the Ohio State University, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminology with a minor in Legal Foundations in Society. Rachel spent the last 27 months as a Rural Health Education volunteer for the United States Peace Corps, serving a small village in Morocco. During this time, she conducted health education lessons with local women and children, while also completing a USAID grant-funded project that brought running water to a small rural community outside of her village. Rachel has also volunteered as a Guardian ad Litem for CASA, serving abused, neglected, and dependent children in Franklin County.

Thad Townsend graduated cum laude from the Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Philosophy minor. In college, Thad served as President, Small Group Leader, and Small Groups Overseer of the student organization, Oasis Christian Community, and he was also a member of Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society. Thad is currently an Ambassador for CASA of Franklin County. He is also actively involved in the launching of a new church in the Upper Arlington area of Columbus.

To contribute, or for more information about the Fellowship program, visit our Fellowship Investment Page.

Appearing in left photo from top to bottom: Tonya Sapp, Rachel Neeb, and Thad Townsend
Appearing in right photo are current Fellows: (front row, left to right) Tierra Poindexter L’11, Laura Austen L’10, Charlyn Bohland L’11, (back row, left to right) Tonya Sapp L’12, Rachel Neeb L’12, Thad Townsend L’12, and Autumn White L’12.

Get Involved: November is National Adoption Month

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News Briefs

Students and Lawyers Convene for the 4th Annual Summer Adoption Law Institute

Photos from left to right: Students in a group exercise; Guest lecturer Casey Ross-Petherick; left to right, guest lecturer NCALP Executive Director Denise St. Clair, NCALP Academic Director and Law Professor Angela Upchurch, panelist Nadine Palmer, panelist Doug Althauser, NCALP Staff Attorney and panelist Jenifer Thompson

Capital University Law School and the National Center for Adoption Law & Policy hosted the fourth annual Summer Adoption Law Institute (SALI) during the week of August 3 – August 7 for law school students and practicing attorneys. This two-credit, intensive course explored adoption and related child welfare issues from both academic and practitioner perspectives. Angela Upchurch, Academic Director of NCALP and Associate Professor of Law at Capital University Law School, taught the course.

The course featured two distinct panels of adoption triad members and for the first time had a panel consisting of a family and birth mother engaged in an open adoption arrangement. Also during the week, students and attorneys learned about the Indian Child Welfare Act from guest lecturer Casey Ross-Petherick, Deputy Director of the Native American Legal Resource Center at the Oklahoma City University School of Law.

The 2009 Summer Adoption Law Institute SALI Facts and Figures:
     • 54 total participants, including 42 law students and 12 attorneys
     • 20 law schools were represented from 15 states, including: Duke University, University
      of Memphis, Phoenix University, University of Nevada Las Vegas, University of Louisville,
      Creighton University, Stetson University, Duquesne University, Albany Law School,
      University of Dayton, Michigan State University, University of Toledo, Campbell University,
      University of Colorado, and West Virginia University.

2009 Comments: “This class is hope at the end of a dark tunnel for law students who wish to practice adoption law but don’t have the resources.” “This is the single best law school class I’ve ever taken, hands down!”

 

Supporters Raise Funds for NCALP Programs

From left to right: Representatives of Glass Axis Kathy James, Margie Hollander, and Marc Hollander; presentation of sponsorship plaque to David Jackson of Carlile Patchen & Murphy LLP, NCALP Executive Director Denise St. Clair, and NCALP Academic Director Professor Angela Upchurch; Capital Law School Dean Jack Guttenberg, Emmett Kelly, Nicole Kelly, and Danielle Carter

On Friday, September 11, the Center hosted its seventh annual Autumn Wine Celebration fundraiser to raise critical funds to support our mission. Guests sampled a wide assortment of wine, beer, and gourmet treats, surrounded by beautiful hand blown glass art pieces on display, courtesy of the non-profit art studio Glass Axis.

Through the generosity of many businesses and individuals who donated their time, resources, and treasures, we are pleased to share that the event raised over $21,000. We would like to especially thank our event sponsors Carlile Patchen & Murphy LLP, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Chester Willcox & Saxbe LLP, and Primrose School of Lewis Center in their contributions to help underwrite event expenses.

The profits generated through this event will support NCALP in its efforts to break down knowledge barriers and train current and future child advocates so that one day every child may have a safe, healthy, and stable home. Since 2003, the Autumn Wine Celebration has generated more than $95,000 in support of the Center’s work.

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NCALP STAFF

Denise St. Clair
Executive Director
dstclair@law.capital.edu

Jenifer Thompson
Staff Attorney
jthompson2@law.capital.edu

Angela Upchurch
Academic Director
aupchurch@law.capital.edu

Dawn Viggiano
Staff Attorney
dviggiano@law.capital.edu

Christine Morris
Assistant Director of Information Services
cmorris@law.capital.edu

Carla Carpenter
Associate Director
ccarpenter@law.capital.edu

Fawn Gadel
Staff Attorney
fgadel@law.capital.edu

Jackie Martin
Administrative Coordinator
jmartin@law.capital.edu

Maureen McCann
Administrative Assistant
mmccann@law.capital.edu