Past Recipients | Fearless Children's Lawyer of the Month

Jenny Pokempner

January

While stereotypes, cultural narratives, and misunderstandings about adolescent development often drive people to their lowering expectations for teenagers, Jenny Pokempner has a different vision.

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Nickole Miller

February

As director of the Children’s Rights Clinic and Middleton Center for Children’s Rights at Drake University Law School in Des Moines, Iowa, Nickole Miller is passionate about training the next generation of fearless lawyers.

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Laura Belous

March

Laura Belous, an advocacy attorney at the Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project in Tucson, Arizona, uses her skills as a former journalist to weave stories of injustice into the petitions for habeas corpus and the FTCA claims she files.

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Riley Moos

April

Riley Moos was inspired to utilize her privilege and legal knowledge to assist youth in gaining access to existing services and ensuring they are given the resources and knowledge necessary to meet their needs in the future.

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Simone Chriss

June

“Please know that we are fighting for the LGBTQ+ community in Florida!” That is Simone Chriss’ message to LGBTQ+ youth, families, and allies—particularly transgender youth.

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Cara McClellan

July

Cara McClellan is a dedicated child advocate who focuses on education equity and combating racial discrimination.

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Valerie Achille

August

Valerie Achille believes fiercely in the need to build up and support communities and that the status quo of many of our country’s child serving systems is unacceptably harmful to the children and families they are supposed to help.

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Olga Pribyl

September

Olga Pribyl loves having a job where she can simultaneously work on behalf of individual children while also engaging in systemic work to tackle problems facing kids across Illinois.

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Shobha Mahadev

October

To Shobha Mahadev, being fearless means playing the long game, being patient, and pushing to make change, and she has dedicated her life to public interest law and ending juvenile life without parole.

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Edwin Vargas

November

Edwin Vargas, a staff attorney in the Children’s Representation Project at the Immigrant Defenders Law Center, specializes in SIJS cases, which offer a path to lawful permanent residence for children who have been abused, neglected, or abandoned.

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Josephine Vanderhorst

December

Josephine Vanderhorst is driven by the belief in a better child welfare system for children and families. “I’m inspired by the youth and kids we serve. They've seen more in their young lives than a lot of adults but are still able to try each day."

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