Ann Quirk, policy attorney at Children’s Law Center of California, doesn’t believe in one-size-fits-all advocacy because children are not one-size-fits-all people. Her lawyering is rooted in a deep, unwavering belief in the humanity and individuality of every child she represents. To Ann, being a fearless lawyer means rejecting the flattening of children into case numbers or diagnoses, and instead, fighting for systems to see young people as they truly are: whole, complex, and deserving of power over their own lives.
“When we talk about youth in foster care, we talk about them like they’re just one entity,” Ann says. “You have to be willing to see them as individuals . . . challenge your own beliefs, challenge your own values, and make sure that you’re continuously listening.” Ann does exactly that. She listens—not just to check a box, but to build trust over time, to understand what matters most to each young person, and to ensure their truths shape the direction of their cases.
One story she shared lingers long after hearing it. A five-year-old child she represented had lost his beloved stuffed animal—his “stuffy”—during a series of moves and visits. It might sound small to someone focused only on the legal issues at hand. But to that child, it was everything. “That was the thing that was so important to him,” Ann said. “And that was the one thing—when we were able to talk about it—that he really wanted me to tell the judge.” Ann brought it to court. And the judge, recognizing the depth of meaning, made an order to help find it. “That was perfect,” Ann said, “because it meant he had been seen.”