RK&O Legal Team Wins Pro Bono Guardianship Decision for Washington D.C. Family

April 29, 2008

Thanks to the work of Jeff Lehtman, Alon Cohen and Katie Collins, two young girls now have a stable, loving place to live. On April 25, 2008, D.C. Superior Court Judge Linda K. Davis granted permanent guardianship of two sisters, ages two and three, to RK&O's client. The children had been in Washington D.C.'s foster care system since April, 2006. The RK&O team assisted the client, a kinship care provider, throughout the legal process, including drafting motions for guardianship, preparing our client to receive the girls from foster care into her custody, negotiating visitation, navigating interstate family law provisions and advocating during a series of hearings. The process culminated in an evidentiary hearing on March 7, 2008, during which Alon Cohen conducted a direct examination of our client, as well as cross examinations of two witnesses. After almost two years of home visits, studies, tests, subsidies, and hearings, the final orders were issued late last week much to the delight of our client. The decision provides both a stable home environment and continued interaction with extended family for the girls and for our client.

RK&O’s team consisted of Jeff Lehtman, Alon Cohen, and Katie Collins. This case is part of a continuing relationship between RK&O's Washington D.C. office and the Children's Law Center in D.C., which coordinates pro-bono assistance in family law cases, such as custody, adoption, and guardianship.