Representation of the Child in Cases Involving Child Custody or Child Access Issues

Types of Attorneys Who Represent Children

Attorneys can serve three roles on behalf of children in cases with child custody or child access issues:

A Child's Best Interest Attorney, or BIA, is a lawyer appointed by the court for the purpose of protecting a child's best interests, without being bound by the child's directives or objectives. The Child's Best Interest Attorney makes an independent assessment of what is in the child's best interest and advocates for that before the court, even if it requires the disclosure of confidential information.

A Child's Advocate Attorney, formerly called a "child's attorney," is a lawyer appointed by the court to provide independent legal counsel for a child. A Child's Advocate Attorney owes the child the same duties of undivided loyalty, confidentiality, and competent representation as are due an adult client. This type of attorney is appointed when the child is need of a voice in court, such as in relocation cases, when there are allegations of child abuse, or where the child is sufficiently mature and sees his/her interests as distinct from the interests of his/her parents.

A Child's Privilege Attorney is a lawyer appointed by the court in a case involving child custody or child access to decide whether to assert or waive, on behalf of a minor child, any privilege that the child if an adult would be entitled to assert or waive. This term replaces the term “Nagle v. Hooks Attorney” (Nagle v. Hooks, 296 Md. 123 (1983)). The court may combine the roles of Child's Privilege Attorney with either of the other two roles.

Download the Order Appointing Counsel for Child (PDF)


The following documents explain the qualifications and responsibilities of court-appointed lawyers who represent children. All applications must be submitted via email to mcccchildcounselapplications@mdcourts.gov.

Download The Maryland Guidelines for Practice for Court-Appointed Lawyers Representing Children in Cases Involving Child Custody or Child Access (PDF)

Download Policies and Procedures for the Appointment of Child Counsel (PDF)


Lawyer helping young adult with paperwork

Court-Approved Roster of Child-Counsel Attorneys (last updated 5/15/2023)

NOTE: The following list is in alphabetical order; this list does not make any representations as to the competence of a particular attorney but only affirms that each attorney has complied with the requirements of Md. Rule § 9-205.0 and the policies and procedures established by the Circuit Court for the appointment of child counsel.

It is anticipated that additional attorneys will be added to the list on an ongoing basis as new applications are received and approved.

Name Resume Bilingual? In Good Standing
in Maryland?
Abebe, Moges Download Resume (PDF) Amharic Y
Anderson, Alexander Download Resume (PDF)   Y
Appel, Morgan Download Resume (PDF)   Y
Avery, Bruce Download Resume (PDF)   Y
Bach, David Download Resume (PDF)   Y
Badalian, Kristina Download Resume (PDF)   Y
Baum, Robert Download Resume (PDF)   Y
Berry, Rodella Download Resume (PDF)   Y
Biedron, Jonathan J. Download Resume (PDF)   Y
Borenstein, Sylvia Download Resume (PDF)   Y
Bricker, Jules Download Resume (PDF)   Y
Burr, Barbara Download Resume (PDF)   Y
Christopher, Julie Download Resume (PDF)   Y
Coates, Tracey Download Resume (PDF)   Y
Coffman, Colleen Download Resume (PDF)   Y
Cohn, Douglas Download Resume (PDF)   Y
Collier, Heather Download Resume (PDF)   Y
Conroy, Aindrea Download Resume (PDF)   Y
Cunniff, Emily Download Resume (PDF)   Y
Demeo, Regina
Download Resume (PDF) Spanish Y
DeNoble, Kathleen
Download Resume (PDF) Spanish Y
Diamond, Gary Download Resume (PDF)   Y
Dodd, Richard Download Resume (PDF) Y
Donohue, Sara Download Resume (PDF) Y
Dubin, Herbert Download Resume (PDF) Y
Duclos, Suzanne Download Resume (PDF) Y
Dunlap, Robyn Download Resume (PDF) Y
Fey, Nancy Download Resume (PDF) Y
Fink, Stephanie Download Resume (PDF) Y
Fishberg, Lisa Download Resume (PDF) Y
Flynn, Mary Ellen Download Resume (PDF) Y
Fogel, Jo Benson Download Resume (PDF) Y
Furlow, Sara Download Resume (PDF)   Y
Gaba, Steven Download Resume (PDF) Y
Gardner, David Download Resume (PDF) Y
Gelmann, Emily Download Resume (PDF) Y
Goitein, Evan Download Resume (PDF) Italian and French Y
Golding, Erin
Download Resume (PDF) Spanish Y
Guzman, Sandra
Download Resume (PDF) Spanish Y
Havens, Keith Download Resume (PDF) Y
Helfant, Nogah Download Resume (PDF) Y
Helwig, Nina Download Resume (PDF) Y
Ho, Anthony Download Resume (PDF) Y
Hughes, Christina Download Resume (PDF) Y
Hyatt, Jerry Download Resume (PDF) Y
Ingram, Shelly Download Resume (PDF) Y
Isaacs, Marc Download Resume (PDF) Y
Italia, Andrew Download Resume (PDF) Y
Jean, Martine Download Resume (PDF) Y
Joehl, Virginia Download Resume (PDF) Y
Johnson, Sharon Download Resume (PDF) Y
Kane, Laura Download Resume (PDF) Y
Kucinski, Melissa Download Resume (PDF) Y
Likos, Mary Download Resume (PDF)   Y
Lucero, Alicia Download Resume (PDF) Spanish Y
Lynch, Maura Download Resume (PDF) Y
Markowicz, Jeffrey Download Resume (PDF) Y
McCabe, Heather Download Resume (PDF) Y
McDonough, Kathryn Download Resume (PDF) Spanish Y
McLeod, Gwendolen Download Resume (PDF) Y
Morris, Jillian Download Resume (PDF) Y
Murnane, Andrew Download Resume (PDF) Y
Nesbitt, Sarah Download Resume (PDF)  
Nichols, Pilar Download Resume (PDF) Spanish  
Oliver, Debra Download Resume (PDF) Y
Otieno, Rosalyn Download Resume (PDF) Y
Parvis, Lindsay Download Resume (PDF) Y
Peters, Leslie Download Resume (PDF) Y
Pinnock, Bianca Download Resume (PDF) Y
Platnick, Geoffrey Download Resume (PDF) Y
Ponton, Ninette Download Resume (PDF) Spanish  
Price, Timothy Download Resume (PDF) Y
Rismiller, Donna Download Resume (PDF) Y
Roberts, Christopher Download Resume (PDF) Y
Robinson, Farida Download Resume (PDF) Y
Rochvarg, Ria Download Resume (PDF) Y
Rodgers, Jane Download Resume (PDF) Y
Rosan, Megan Download Resume (PDF) Y
Rowan, Michael Download Resume (PDF) Y
Ryan, Suzanne Download Resume (PDF) Y
Schweitzer, Harvey Download Resume (PDF) Y
Scofield, Susan Download Resume (PDF) Y
Shepardson, Zhia Download Resume (PDF) Y
Sinay, Michael Download Resume (PDF) Y
Skok, Stuart Download Resume (PDF) Y
Solomon, Alan No Resume on Court Website Y
Sosnick, Barbara Download Resume (PDF) Y
Stokes, Shayla Download Resume (PDF) Y
Sunderman, Heather Download Resume (PDF) Y
Sweren, Heather Download Resume (PDF) Y
Tajammul, Shuaa Download Resume (PDF) Y
Terenzini, Eden Download Resume (PDF) Y
Thomas, Katherine Download Resume (PDF) Y
Wall, AnneMarie Download Resume (PDF) Y
Weschler, Thomas Download Resume (PDF) Y
Whitten, Dana Download Resume (PDF) Y
Wills, Vincent Download Resume (PDF) Y
Yaap, Marshall E. Download Resume (PDF) Y
Zarrella, Jessica Download Resume (PDF) Y
Zlatkus, Christy Download Resume (PDF) Y