Experience

KidsVoice

• Legal Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Staff Attorney

  • Nov 2017 - Present

  KidsVoice is a non-profit agency which provides legal and advocacy services to abused and neglected children. As an Attorney specializing in Education Law, I primarily handle cases where KidsVoice has been appointed educational decision maker. In this position, I frequently advocate for clients in court, school, and other forums. I also provide legal representation regarding all educational matters, including special education, enrollment, and disciplinary issues. This position requires me to develop rapport with children to better understand their specific situation and needs so I can effectively make decisions in their best interest and advocate on their behalf. This position requires negotiation, creative problem solving, and conflict resolution skills to help make sure a child's needs are being met in school as the majority of these matters do not enter into the formal legal system. I routinely use oral and written communication skills to interview and discuss issues with individuals from a variety of socioeconomic and educational backgrounds to develop the child's case file and obtain the information necessary to effectively advocate for the child's best interests. Show less



U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

• United States
• Government Administration
• 700 & Above Employee

• Contract Specialist

  • Aug 2010 - Jan 2016

  The Presidential Management Fellow program is a prestigious, two year government fellowship, through which I worked for over a year as a Contract Specialist and was then detailed to other positions. At the end of the two year fellowship, I was noncompetitively converted to a Contract Specialist position. As a Contract Specialist, I negotiated and executed numerous contracts of varying types and values, from small $5,000 supply or services contracts to complex medical services acquisitions valued at up to $23 million. I was solely responsible for the award and administration of contracts totaling well over $40 million and for the majority of this time period handled procurements representing over half of the workload for a four to five person team. In this position, I researched and applied relevant provisions of the FAR (Federal Acquisition Regulation) and VAAR (VA Acquisition Regulation). I also assisted clinical personnel by explaining these regulatory requirements, answering questions regarding the procurement process, and helping with the development of memoranda, Statements of Work, and other documents. I also completed Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and supported other staff in protest actions, claims, and the procurement process. During contract administration, I ensured smooth delivery of patient-focused care through coordination of clinicians, finance personnel, and contractors. I worked with all levels of the agency, from weekly meetings with the Associate Director of the facility and Chief Financial Officer to ad hoc meetings with physicians, research staff, clinical personnel, and other employees of the medical center.As a Presidential Management Fellow, I gained experience in the Office of Regional Counsel, Department of Human Resources, and VISN 4 Office. These experiences are broken down separately. Show less

• Presidential Management Fellow, Detailed to Office of Regional Counsel

  • Feb 2012 - Dec 2014

  While I worked full time in this position from February 2012 – August 2012, I returned to work on special assignments and provide support August 2013 - November 2013 and December 2014.During this developmental assignment, I carried a full attorney workload, which included procurement, personnel, and torts cases from start to finish, as well as providing support to Senior Attorneys in personnel, torts, and procurement cases. I independently conducted numerous procurement reviews and answered questions about regulations, policies, and interpretation of federal law. In 2014, I served as second chair in a litigation before the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals. I reviewed and provided guidance on a number of contract actions, including protests, claims, mistake in bid issues, and both terminations for default and government convenience. I negotiated, created, and executed Settlement Agreements resulting from Alternative Dispute Resolution. I drafted motions, responses, and pleadings for Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) cases. For torts cases, I prepared a written report with legal analysis and recommended action. I wrote several Motions for Summary Judgment resulting in dismissal in favor of the Agency. I conducted depositions for several cases and identified and interviewed witnesses, often preparing these witnesses for testimony, including staff, supervisors, and Medical Center Leadership. I reviewed records, medical reports, and witness statements to determine an investigative approach in order to develop a legal position for both personnel and torts cases. I also assisted with several other mediations and arbitrations and assisted with a complex Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charge and various National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issues. I also reviewed proposed personnel actions, frequently explaining legal concepts to individuals with a variety of backgrounds. Show less

• Presidential Management Fellow, Detailed to Department of Human Resources

  • Aug 2012 - Sep 2012

  During this detail, I received substantial training in Employee/Labor Relations, Federal Labor-Management Relations Statute, and Staffing. I assisted a Staffing Specialist with recruitment, posting positions through USA Staffing, qualifying applicants, and issuing a certification. I reviewed all expiring or expired Medical Center Memoranda for compliance with regulations, clarity, necessity, and areas for improvement, working with Service Line Chiefs when necessary.

• Presidential Management Fellow, Detailed to VISN 4 Offices

  • Nov 2011 - Jan 2012

  I independently prepared a comprehensive analysis of assaults occurring at VA Medical Centers over a five month period, inventing a system for coding assaults to be used as a national model, increasing accurate reporting and awareness of assaults occurring at VA medical facilities. I also compiled data from over 45 sources to create comprehensive, site-specific briefing books for incoming Medical Center Directors, creating very detailed, yet user-friendly, training materials to allow new Medical Center Directors to begin managing complex facilities quickly. Show less



University of Pittsburgh

• United States
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Student Intern

  • Jan 2010 - May 2010

  In this Independent Study, two other law students and I worked with a Clinical Professor of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law as part of a Medical-Legal Partnership Pilot Project. I provided legal assistance and counseling to patients and their families at the Primary Care Clinic of Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. We accepted referrals from physicians and provided advice and assistance to patients who 'walked-in.' I frequently interviewed and had discussions with patients and their families and developed great verbal communication skills through interactions with individuals of diverse backgrounds. I would interview them or discuss their concerns, conduct research, and then orally present legal advice or discuss their legal issues further. I also produced analytical written materials for submission to third parties on behalf of the patients and/or their families. Most written materials were prepared to request or demand special consideration for these individuals on the basis of their situation (disability, illness, income, etc.) and, therefore, were extremely persuasive and had to be very concise and technically correct. These written and verbal communications frequently incorporated information obtained from a variety of sources. This position required negotiation, problem solving, and conflict resolution skills to help these parties reach a resolution outside of the formal legal system.I also worked as part of a three person team which planned, advertised, and led outreach events for community members to advise them of their rights and opportunities, provide legal assistance, and allow the opportunity for community members to interact and develop relationships with members of different social organizations. Show less

• Fellow

  • Sep 2009 - May 2010

  The University of Pittsburgh LEND Program (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities and Related Disorders), formerly known as the UCLID Center, is an interdisciplinary leadership program to prepare graduate and post-graduate students, professionals, and families to provide a high level of care to children and adolescents with developmental disabilities. I was the only member of the Interdisciplinary team with a legal background and, therefore, I identified legal issues children with disabilities and their families face through direct interaction, interviews, and observation in a clinical setting, providing legal assistance when necessary. It was my responsibility to explain complex legal concepts to a non-legal audience, including families of children with disabilities. I presented legal information relevant to children with disabilities to faculty, staff, fellows, and trainees and participated in continuing discussions of public policy relevant to children with disabilities. I interacted to with individuals with education levels ranging from those who had not completed high school to those with Doctorate and Medical Doctor degrees. The research and analysis I was responsible for typically concerned the entitlements, particularly those related to education, of children with disabilities. Most issues were related to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and, as such, through this position I developed quite a depth of knowledge in these areas. These situations were often very complex, involving issues that had grown over a significant period of time and were very sensitive as they intimately concerned children's disabilities and treatment. Show less



Dugan & Associates

• United States
• Law Practice
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Law Clerk

  • Sep 2009 - Dec 2009

  I conducted intake interviews with potential Social Security Disability, Workers' Compensation, and Personal Injury claimants, gathering pertinent legal data to make representation determinations. I developed expertise in interviewing and communicating orally with potential claimants from a wide variety of backgrounds, including individuals with cognitive, emotional, and physical impairments and little or no formal education. I prepared clear, concise, and persuasive pre-hearing memoranda for Social Security Disability and Workers' Compensation cases, summarizing and evaluating medical records, physician evaluations, interviews, and third party reports. Some cases were highly complex and all, by their nature, involved sensitive issues. This position required the knowledge and application of Federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and procedures. In this position, I analyzed complex problems and applied judgment in determining the best course of action and position in representing the clients. I demonstrated the ability to communicate verbally by explaining Social Security Disability eligibility requirements to individuals. I also clearly showed my written communication skills through drafting memoranda for submission in judicial proceedings, clearly conveying the medical findings for each individual. I specifically had to evaluate medical, often psychiatric, determinations in developing a case. Show less



UPMC

• United States
• Hospitals and Health Care
• 700 & Above Employee

• Legal Intern

  • Mar 2009 - Aug 2009

  I worked for two different divisions as a Legal Intern, one from May 2009 - August 2009 and the other from October 2009 - December 2009. For the first assignment, I worked approximately 25 hours per week and for the second I worked approximately 10 hours per week. I performed a comprehensive comparison of individual hospitals' bylaws, identifying differences and allowing for the seamless integration of a newly-acquired facility. I also completed an assignment in which I defined and differentiated Regulatory requirements for co-signature of Physician Assistant and Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner orders to ensure Physician signatures were obtained in all necessary cases and avoid future orders in violation of these Regulations. I researched and provided assistance in the areas of contracts, taxation, real estate, liability, environmental law, and licensing issues in the nonprofit context. I also drafted legal memoranda and liability waivers. I was tasked with developing clear and concise written material that often incorporated legal research. Show less