NJSBA Day of the Child
Date: Jun 25, 2025 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Location: New Jersey Law Center, New Brunswick, and Online
Member Price: $99.00
Non-Member Price: $139.00
Section Price: $99.00
Areas of Law: Child Welfare
Earn up to 7 credits! (More Information)
Keynote
- Regina Calcaterra
- New York Times Best-Selling Author and Speaker
Moderator
Presenters
- Hon. Daniel A. D'Alessandro, J.S.C. (Ret.)
- Callagy Law
- Hon. Jeyanthi C. Rajaraman, J.S.C.
- Judge, Union Countyis Chief Counsel of the Family Representation Project, Legal Services of New Jersey, in Edison, New Jersey.
Ms. Rajaraman is admitted to practice in New Jersey. She is a member of the Executive Committee of the New Jersey State Bar Association Family Law Section.
Ms. Rajaraman received her B.A. from Mount Holyoke College and her J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law. - Hon. Tara Schillari-Rich, J.S.C.
- Judge, Hudson County
- Christine Norbut Beyer
- Commissioner, New Jersey Department of Children and Families (DCF)
- Mary E. Coogan, Esq.
- Advocates for Children of New Jersey, Newark
- LaDonna M. Cousins, Esq.
- Williams Law Group, LLC, Short Hills
- Dr. Danielle Forshee, PsyD.
- Dr. Danielle Forshee, LLC, Red Bank
- Robert S. Garrison
- , Westfield
- Petra Gaskins
- Councilmember, City of New Brunswick
- Corinne M. LeBaron, MSS
- Chief Executive Officer, Embrella
- Alexis Pollock, Esq.
- Office of the Public Defender, Ewing
- Lynette Rente, Esq.
- Assistant Public Defender, Office of the Public Defender, Trenton
- Traci Anne Telemaque, Esq.
- Assistant Public Defender, Office of the Public Defender, Trenton
- Amy Wechsler, Esq.
- Lawrence Law, WatchungCertified as a Matrimonial Law Attorney by the Supreme Court of New Jersey, practices with Lawrence Law with offices in Watchung and Red Bank, New Jersey. She concentrates her practice in family law, mediation, arbitration, parenting coordination and collaborative divorce, and provides mediation services privately and through court programs.
Accredited as a Divorce and Family Mediator by the New Jersey Association of Professional Mediators (NJAPM) and a trained Collaborative Divorce Attorney, Ms. Wechsler serves on the New Jersey State Bar Association’s Family Law Executive Committee (where she has been Chair of a Task Force on Parenting Coordination and the Children’s Rights Subcommittee) and is Past President of the Somerset County Bar Association. She completed the Arbitration Training through the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and is Past President of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts-New Jersey Chapter (AFCC-NJ), an interdisciplinary association of professionals dedicated to improving the lives of children and families through the resolution of family conflict. Ms. Wechsler has been Co-President of the Association for Advancement of Collaborative Practice and a Board Member of the New Jersey Council on Collaborative Practice Groups. She is also Past Chair of the District XIII Attorney Ethics Committee.
Ms. Wechsler is the 2005 recipient of the Professional Lawyer of the Year Award for Somerset County bestowed by the New Jersey Commission on Professionalism. She is a frequent lecturer and author on family law topics for ICLE, NJAPM, AFCC-NJ, the Association of Divorce Financial Planners (ADFP) and other organizations, and her articles have appeared in the New Jersey Family Lawyer.
Ms. Wechsler received her B.S. from the University of Connecticut, her M.S.W. in Clinical Social Work from Rutgers University and her law degree from Rutgers School of Law-Newark. - Amanda M. Yu, Esq.
- Drisgula Divorce & Family Law, Wayne
Presented in Cooperation with the New Jersey State Bar Foundation and Embrella
Children are extremely vulnerable members of society. Every day, countless children in New Jersey are dependent on the legal and child welfare systems. While there have been programs throughout the state that focus on representing children in court and on various aspects of child welfare, the NJSBA/NJICLE is proud to present the first program that focuses on all touchpoints a child has with the legal system.
The Day of the Child is a comprehensive, in-depth program that will showcase the various issues impacting children in New Jersey, including child welfare and civil litigation. Panelists will provide a 360-degree view of the realities children face, the impact of community involvement on foster youth and resources for children in the child welfare system. This comprehensive program works to educate and provide the necessary tools and resources for legal professionals, social workers, and parent and child advocates who are looking to empower youth and advance children’s rights.
The morning is designed for legal practitioners, clinicians, resource parents and any adult who actively works to better the lives of children. We will begin with an inspiring keynote address by Regina Calcaterra, an attorney who spent years in the child welfare system and whose international and New York Times best-seller Etched in Sand, A True Story of Five Siblings Who Survived an Unspeakable Childhood on Long Island (HarperCollins Publishing, 2013) has been integrated into college and high school curricula throughout the U.S. That and the sequel that she authored the sequel with her younger sister Rosie Maloney, Girl Unbroken, A Sister’s Harrowing Journey from the Streets of Long Island to the Farms of Idaho (HarperCollins Publishing, 2016), paint unforgettable and vivid pictures of a child’s view of life while overcoming abuse, neglect and abandonment.
Regina will also take part in the next segment, “How Communities Can Positively Impact Fostered Youth.” Both of her books will be for sale for in-person attendees at the program and Regina will stay for a meet and greet.
The remainder of the day focuses on legal practitioner with practical, impactful topics such as “The ABC’s of Children in the System,” “Absent Parents and their Effect on Children,” and “The Role of Empathy in Legal Practice, which is a direct perspective on what it means to experience legal representation that leaves a client feeling valued, respected, and heard.
This is a day that will change your life and, more importantly, the lives of children who need you.
Program Agenda:
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9:00 | Welcome
-
9:05 | Keynote Speaker: Regina Calcaterra
International and New York Times Best Selling Author of Etched in Sand, Regina Calcaterra joins us to share her lived experience in the foster care system and children’s rights advocacy. -
9:55 | How Communities Can Positively Impact Foster Youth
What are the various levels of involvement in the child welfare space and what role do communities play in the lives of children in the child welfare system? This is a unique opportunity to learn about the impact of community involvement on foster youth and the various resources for aging-out foster youth and unemancipated minors.
Moderator:
- Alexis Pollock, Esq., New Jersey Office of the Public Defender
Speakers:
- Regina Calcaterra, International and New York Times Best-Selling Author, Etched in Sand
- Robert S. Garrison, Esq.
- Petra Gaskins, Councilmember, City of New Brunswick -
11:05 | Break
-
11:15 | The A, B, C’s of Children in the System
What is the state of New Jersey’s Division of Child Protection & Permanency since the federal monitor exited oversight? This program helps to understand the goals of DCPP and the various involvement of families. Panelists will provide insight into what the rights of parents and children are, a basic understanding of kinship care, and the intricacies of the child welfare system including recovering money and assets for youth in care, mental health and resources for families. Finally, panelists discuss the first ever report issued after New Jersey exited federal monitor oversight.
Moderator:
- Mary E. Coogan, Esq., Advocates for Children of New Jersey
Speakers:
- Traci Anne Telemaque, Esq., New Jersey Office of the Public Defender, Office of the Law Guardian
- Lynette Rente, Esq., Assistant Public Defender, Office of Parental Representation
- Commissioner Christine Norbut Beyer, Department of Children and Families
- Corinne M. LeBaron, MSS, Chief Executive Officer, Embrella -
12:45 | Lunch
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1:30 | Absent Parents and their Effect on Children
Experienced attorneys, judges and a psychologist share their expertise and perspectives on identifying causes, facilitating solutions, and understanding the legal and social implications of parents who do not see their children. PCCP-Parental Child Contact Problems including Affinity, Alignment, Estrangement and Unjustified Rejection, strategies to identify the type of PCCP in your case, a model notice of motion remedies, and an effective form of order. Lessons learned and voices heard interviewing and representing children. Can a parent be compelled to exercise parenting time? The effect on children when parents do not want to see them. Parental civil and criminal responsibility for their children’s behavior. National initiatives and resources for parents and caregivers. The correlation between parenting time and child support and parents who subsequently don’t see their children.
Speakers:
- Hon. Daniel D’Alessandro, J.S.C. (Ret.), Callagy Law
- Hon. Tara Schillari-Rich, J.S.C., Hudson County
- Dr. Danielle Forshee, PsyD., Dr. Danielle Forshee LLC
- Amanda Yu, Esq., Drisgula Divorce & Family Law -
2:40 | Break
-
2:50 | The Role of Empathy in Legal Practice
Enhance the quality of representation by focusing on continuous improvement both with legal skills and human empathy. Panelists will provide a direct perspective on what it means to experience legal representation that leaves a client feeling valued, respected, and heard. Hear from practitioners professionals on the impact of empathy in legal representation.
Moderator:
- LaDonna M. Cousins, Esq., Williams Law Group, LLC
Speakers:
- Hon. Daniel D’Alessandro, J.S.C. (Ret.), Callagy Law
- Hon. Jeyanthi C. Rajaraman, J.S.C.
- Amy Wechsler, Esq., Lawrence Law
- 4:00 | Adjourn
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If you need to cancel your registration and are not transferring to another program or date, please submit a written request to us at least three business days before the event, meeting, or gathering. You will receive a refund minus a $20.00 cancellation fee. No refunds or registration changes will be issued within three business days of the event, meeting, or gathering.
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