KIRSTEN WIDNER 2632 Fox Hills Drive, Decatur, GA

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1 LEGAL EXPERIENCE Barton Child Law and Policy Center, Emory University School of Law August 2007 Present Clinical Instructor / Director of Policy and Advocacy (appointed January 2010) Initially hired as a Post-Graduated Fellow in Law Teach the Public Policy and Legislative Advocacy Clinics, Co-teach the seminar class, Child Welfare Law and Policy, Direct the Emory Summer Child Advocacy Program, including placement recruitment, student recruitment and selection, training development and delivery, and technical assistance to program interns, Conduct legal and public policy research and analysis, Direct the legislative and policy work of the Center, and Represent the Center in collaborative initiatives related to child welfare and juvenile justice on the local, state, and national level. U.S. District Court, Southern District of California January 2007 May 2007 Judicial Extern to the Honorable Judge William Q. Hayes Performed legal research, prepared draft orders, and observed court proceedings. County Counsel of San Diego August 2006 December 2006 Legal Intern, State Bar Certified Represented the Health and Human Services Agency in juvenile dependency hearings, litigated five trials, winning all five, wrote appellate brief. Children s Law Center of Los Angeles June 2006 August 2006 Law Clerk, State Bar Certified Drafted motions, advocated for children in dependency court, analyzed potential issues with California s Child Abuse Central Index and made policy recommendations to improve it. San Diego Public Defenders, Dependency Section January 2006 May 2006 Legal Intern (through USD Child Advocacy Clinic). State Bar Certified Interviewed child clients, investigated placement recommendations, and advocated for clients in dependency court and with agencies and service providers. San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program August 2005 December 2005 Legal Intern in Education Law Unit Collected and analyzed student records and Individual Education Programs (IEPs), researched legal issues related to special education and school discipline, participated in IEP meetings. University of San Diego School of Law June 2005 August 2005 Research Assistant to Professor Roy L. Brooks Researched, cite-checked, edited and wrote selected portions for various scholarly articles and books in the areas of civil rights and civil procedure. Emancipation Clinic September 2004 February 2005 Volunteer through Pro Bono Legal Advocates and Legal Aid of San Diego

2 (Page 2) PUBLICATIONS Article, More than Voting, ATLANTA LAWYER (Nov. 2012). Practitioners Guide, Improving Offender Accountability in CSEC Cases: Tools for Investigating and Prosecuting Adult Exploiters (2011 and second edition 2012), with Darlene Lynch and Kosha Tucker, available at: Article, In Defense of the Black/White Binary: Reclaiming a Tradition of Civil Rights Scholarship, with Roy L. Brooks, 12 BERKELEY J. AFR.-AM. L. & POL'Y 107 (2010). This Article has also been selected for inclusion in CRITICAL RACE THEORY: THE CUTTING EDGE (Richard Delgada and Jean Stefancic eds., 3d ed.) (publication pending with Temple University Press). White Paper, A Child s Right to Counsel in Juvenile Court Proceedings (2008), with Melissa Carter, available at: Counsel.pdf. White Paper, Reinstatement of Parental Rights: An Important Step Toward Solving the Problem of Legal Orphans (2008), with Melissa Carter, available at: ParentalRights.pdf. Policy Paper, Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in Georgia: Service Delivery and Legislative Recommendations for State and Local Policy Makers (2007), with Darlene Lynch, available at: Comment, Continuing the Evolution: Why California Should Amend Family Code Section to Allow Visitation in All Postadoption Contact Agreements, 44 San Diego L. Rev. 355 (2007). SELECTED PRESENTATIONS Advocating for Children of Incarcerated Parents, National Association of Counsel for Children Conference, Atlanta, August Getting a Seat at the Big Kids Table: Increasing Consideration of Children s Interests in Public Policy Debates, Corporate Rights v. Children s Interests Workshop,University of British Columbia, October The Least of These: Children, Animals, and Competition for Compassion, An Uncomfortable Conversation: Human Use of Animals Workshop at Emory Law School, March Panelist, Women, Families and Communities, BLSA Conference, Atlanta, March Promoting Financial Security for Children Aging Out of Foster Care, Georgia CASA Conference, March 2012.

3 (Page 3) SELECTED PRESENTATIONS (Continued) Hot Topics in Juvenile Code Reform, Youth Law Conference, Georgia, November Helping Foster Youth Keep What Little They Have, Youth Law Conference, Georgia, November Increasing Civic Engagement, Georgia Association for Women Lawyers CLE, Atlanta Georgia, October Improving Children s Mental Health Through Juvenile Code Reform, Carter Center Mental Health Forum, May Considerations During Direct and Cross Examination of Children, with Temika Murray, Council of Juvenile Court Judges Conference, May Panelist, Human Trafficking and the Law, John Marshall Law School, February Panelist, Human Trafficking and Violence Against Women, Georgia Women s Assembly, November Legislative Reform to Protect Runaway and Homeless Youth, State Bar of Georgia Continuing Education Program, November The Child Witness on Direct and Cross, with Temika Murray, Youth Law Conference, Atlanta GA, October Recent Case Law on Children and the Internet, Practicing Law in the Digital Age CLE, State Bar of Georgia Young Lawyers Division, June Moderator, Georgia Attorney General Candidates Debate, State Bar of Georgia Young Lawyers Division, April Interviewing Child Clients, Youth Law Conference, Atlanta Georgia, November Panelist, Human Trafficking as a Human Rights Violation, Emory Public Interest Committee Conference, October Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children, Children s Healthcare of Atlanta Child Abuse and Neglect Conference, November Representing Commercially Sexually Exploited Children, with Katherine Mullen & Melanie Shapiro, National Association of Counsel for Children Conference, August Issues Affecting Youth in Long-Term Foster Care, part of CLE seminar From Model Code to Legislative Action: Changing Children s Law in Georgia, ICLE, Georgia, May Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children: Findings and Recommendations, Future Not a Past Campaign, Georgia, December 2007.

4 (Page 4) PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AND ACTIVITIES Member in good standing, State Bar of Georgia Member, Children and the Courts Committee, State Bar of Georgia Co-Chair, Juvenile Law Committee, Young Lawyers Division of the State Bar of Georgia, Co-Director of CLE, State Bar of Georgia Young Lawyers Division, Chair, Workplace and Public Policy Committee, Georgia Association for Women Lawyers 2011 to 2012 Chair, Board of Directors, Georgia Rescue and Restore, 2010 to present Member, Atlanta Bar Association Member, Georgia Association for Women Lawyers Member, National Association of Counsel for Children Member, Georgia Association of Counsel for Children Registered Lobbyist, State of Georgia, 2008 to present Inactive member in good standing, State Bar of California OTHER COMMUNITY SERVICE ACTIVITIES Child Advocate Attorney, One Child One Lawyer Program at AVLF, Atlanta, GA, Coach, Emory Mock Trial Team, Atlanta, GA Coach, Emory Moot Court Society, Atlanta, GA 2007-present Campaign Volunteer, Susan Davis for Congress, San Diego, CA, 2006 San Diego Teen Court Volunteer, San Diego, CA, 2006 Volunteer Poll Monitor, Just Democracy, San Diego, CA, 2004 Fundraiser, KQED public radio and television, San Francisco, CA, Adoption Educator/Speaker for Resolve, Oakland, CA, PRELEGAL WORK EXPERIENCE Ninth House, Inc., San Francisco, CA July 1997-August 2004 I was the second employee, hired as Office Manager and later promoted to Director of Operations with full responsibility for all Finance, Human Resources and Facilities. I was promoted to Director of Human Resources in 1999, and then to Director of Corporate Communications in Accomplishments included: Wrote press releases, and managed outsourced Public Relations efforts. Organized and facilitated large sales training meetings. Recruited potential employees and aided managers in selection, hiring and orientation. Coached managers in employee relations and performance management issues. Created and administered employee benefit programs, including employee stock option plan. Wrote employee manual and policies, ensuring compliance with applicable laws. Researched, selected, installed and administered all accounting and payroll software. Managed five reductions in force, ensuring respectful separations and legal compliance.

5 (Page 5) LEGAL EDUCATION Law School Activities and Awards University of San Diego School of Law Juris Doctor, cum laude, May 2007 Rank: 34/334 (Top 11%) Graduation awards included: Order of the Barristers Dean s Distinguished Service Award James A. D Angelo Outstanding Child Advocate Award Pro Bono Service Award Editorial/Writing Executive Comments Editor and Symposium Coordinator, San Diego Law Review, Member, California Regulatory Law Reporter, Contributing Writer, Motions (law school newspaper), Oral Advocacy Honors National Moot Court Team Member, First Place Oralist, Capital University Adoption and Child Welfare Moot, Spring 2007 Third Place Oralist & Quarterfinalist, Stetson Int l Environmental Moot, Fall 2006 Finalist, McLennon Honors Moot Court Competition, Spring 2006 First Place and Best 1L Advocate, Fall 2004 ATLA Intramural Mock Trial Tournament, November 2004 Best Overall Advocate (Written and Oral), Lawyering Skills Class, Spring 2005 Scholarships Phi Delta Phi Scholarship, 2007 Superior Merit Scholarship, Foundation of the State Bar of California, 2006 Joel and Denise Golden Merit Award in Child Advocacy, 2006 Belle Cummins Memorial Scholarship, Association of Administrative Law Judges, 2006 Leadership Historian, Phi Delta Phi, Academic Support Teaching Assistant, 2006 President, Public Interest Law Foundation, 2006 Secretary, Public Interest Law Foundation, 2005 Secretary, Student Bar Association, L Section Representative, Student Bar Association, Delegate to ABA Law Student Division Annual Conference, 2005 PRELEGAL EDUCATION University of San Francisco Bachelor of Science with honors, Organizational Behavior, July 2002