Amicus Advocacy
The Amicus Advocacy Project
An amicus brief comes from the Latin term “amicus curiae” which means “friend of the court.” Although most amicus briefs are persuasively written to support one side of a case, they allow interested, third parties the chance to provide the court with information that is relevant and helpful to the case but that may not otherwise be brought to the court’s attention.
CHILD USA files amicus briefing in cases whose outcomes impact the civil rights of children. We have been delighted to work with numerous attorneys across the United States, and welcome partnerships with law firms to work on pro bono matters with us.
If you are an attorney who needs amicus support or would like your firm to have the opportunity to work on cutting edge amicus briefs involving child protection, please contact us at [email protected].
Briefs
Bernard Musumeci v. State of New York
CHILD USA wrote this brief denouncing a Court of Claims decision that dismissed Plaintiff's CVA claims for failing to plead with specificity each incident of abuse among other things. CHILD USA explains why the Court of Claims decision is inconsistent with the science...
Rick Jackman, Linda Thompson, and Louisville/Jeff v. Samantha Killary, et al.
CHILD USA wrote this brief urging the Supreme Court of Kentucky to uphold the constitutionality of the state's revival window for child sexual abuse claims. CHILD USA educates the court on the science of trauma that can impact disclosure, the public policy interests...
Hotchalk, Inc. v. Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, et al.
CHILD USA together with the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association, Zero Abuse Project, Oregon Abuse Advocates & Survivors in Service, National Crime Victim Law Institute, and The National Center for Victims of Crime submitted this amicus brief urging the Court to deny...
John Doe #1 and John Doe #2 v. Twitter Inc.
CHILD USA submitted this brief in support of Plaintiffs-Appellees arguing that Twitter knowingly operated as a distributor in the modern Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) marketplace and that they should not be immune from liability under the Communications Decency...
Mark Dolgas v. Donald Wales, Tri-Valley Elementary School, Tri-Valley Central School District, and the Board of Education of the Tri-Valley Central School District
CHILD USA wrote this amicus brief in support of Plaintiff-Appellant arguing that considerations of foreseeability and public policy demand a duty be imposed on educational institutions to compel them to act in furtherance of their child protection responsibilities...
JW Doe v. Archdiocese of New Orleans, et. al.
CHILD USA together with CHILD USAdvocacy, The Center for Child Policy, The Kempe Foundation, and the National Center on Sexual Exploitation wrote this brief in support Plaintiff's Motion seeking to unseal the deposition testimony of Lawrence Hecker, a known pedophile...
M.A. v. THE HONORABLE JOSE PADILLA, ET. AL.
This amicus brief was written in response to Defendant’s claim that preventing him from cross-examining a child plaintiff violated his rights under the Confrontation Clause. Includes issue of whether a pro se child abuser has a rigid right to direct examination of his...
SLINEY v. PREVITE
This amicus brief was written in response to Defendant’s challenge of the retroactivity of Mass. Ge. Laws. ch. 260 §§ 4C & 4C 1/2, which extended the statute of limitations of civil claims for child sex abuse to 35 years. Issues include whether Mass. Gen. Laws....
SEBELIUS v. HOBBY LOBBY STORES, INC.
This amicus brief was written to challenge the constitutionality of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act where private companies sued the Secretary of Health and Human Services, claiming that the Affordable Care Act’s provision requiring private employers to provide...
PAROLINE v. UNKNOWN AND U.S.
This amicus brief was written to support Plaintiff’s writ for mandamus, to receive restitution after Defendant pled guilty to possessing material involving the sexual exploitation of children. Issues include whether sexual abuse, its memorialization, distribution, and...
HOSANNA TABOR v. EEOC
This amicus brief was written to support the EEOC where defendant claimed a First Amendment ministerial exception to the EEOC’s retaliation claims. Issues include whether the First Amendment is a defense to criminal or civil liability for sexual misconduct by...
STATEMENT OF INTEREST re. S.P. ET. AL. v. SCA, INC., ET. AL.
This amicus brief was written to support two plaintiffs who were minors at the time of their abuse and adults at the time of the trial, where defendants objected to the use of pseudonyms to identify the victims. Issue includes whether victims of child sex abuse may...