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
RIA WILLIAMS v. KINGDOM HALL OF JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES, ROY, UTAH
This amicus brief was written to request a ruling by the Supreme Court of Utah after a lower court found that the First Amendment immunizes religious institutions from liability for tortious claims arising from a religiously-motivated sexual assault investigation....
NELSON v. CLARK in Case No. 5D19-0473
The Leadership Council for Child Abuse and Interpersonal Violence and CHILD USA partnered to file an amicus brief on behalf of a mother to request that the Court vacate the Amended Supplemental Final Judgement on Supplemental Petition to Modify Parental...
A POLISH CASE
This amicus brief was written by Ending Clergy Abuse in support of Plaintiff in connection with the matter involving the liability of a religious organization for acts of its clergy. Issues include whether a religious organization is liable for act of its clergy...
S.T. v. DIOCESE OF ROCKVILLE CENTRE ET AL.
This amicus brief was written as a response to Defendant diocese’s challenge to the constitutionality of the revival provisions of the Child Victims Act in New York. Issues include whether CPLR § 214-G is constitutional under the United States Constitution and the New...
TAMMY SMATHERS, INDIVIDUALLY & ON BEHALF OF THE ESTATE OF HARMONY BROOKLYN RAYNE CARSEY v. RICK GLASS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTORY OF PERRY COUNTY CHILDREN’S SERVICES ET AL.
CHILD USA wrote this brief in support of a wrongful death suit brought on behalf of a 2-year old child who had been recieving services through Perry County Children Services (“PCCS”) when she died as a result of on-going severe abuse and neglect. The intermediate...
OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE SCHOOL ET AL v. DARRYL BIEL, AS PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ESTATE OF KRISTEN BIEL
In Lady of Guadalupe, a former elementary school teacher at a Catholic school was terminated after telling the school that she had cancer and would need to miss class in order to undergo chemotherapy. A second teacher sued for age discrimination in her firing. The...
EDWARDO v. LOUIS A. GELINEAU, THE ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF PROVIDENCE, ET ALS.
This motion was written as a response to the trial court’s inquiry about the precedent of trial courts to accept and consider amicus briefing at the trial level. In this case, Defendants challenge to the constitutionality of the revival provisions of RIGL § 9-1-51,...
AHMED v. WAHAN
This amicus brief was written in response to a trial court ruling to modify a parenting plan involving a child with disabilities, despite the trial court’s reliance on a Guardian Ad Litem report that did not prioritize feedback from current medical personnel. Issues...
T.M. v. ORDER OF ST. BENEDICT OF NEW JERSEY INC, ET AL.
This amicus brief was written in response to Defendants’ challenge to the constitutionality of the revival provisions of N.J. Stat. Ann. §§ 2A:14-2a and 2b, which allow victims of child sex abuse to bring civil claims, even when their claims have previously expired....
DONALD J. TRUMP ET AL. v. PENNSYLVANIA, ET AL.
This amicus brief was written in response to two government rules that reduce employees’ access to contraceptive insurance. Issues include whether the Government’s interpretation of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act violates the Separation of Powers and whether...
DIOCESE OF LUBBOCK
In Lubbock, the Diocese of Lubbock published an online list of priests credibly accused of sexually abusing a “minor,” including Respondent Jesus Guerrero. Mr. Guerrero is accused of having sexually abused an adult woman, whom the Church defines as a “minor” because...
ARK3DOE v. DIOCESE OF ROCKVILLE CENTRE ET AL. in Docket
This amicus brief was written as a response to Defendant diocese’s challenge of a victim’s ability to bring a child sex abuse claim under a pseudonym. Issues include why a victim’s privacy interests outweigh the presumption of openness in courts, the importance of...