Upcoming Trainings
CLC TRAINING SESSION
Case Review - Open Forum
Wednesday, October 7, 2026
1:00 – 2:00 PM
SPEAKER: Justine Rakich-Kelly,
Executive Director, Children’s Law Center
Click here to view Justine’s bio.
Sponsored by the State of Connecticut Office of the Chief Public Defender
Coming Soon
October 16, 2026: Ethical Considerations with doing AMC/GAL Work: The Legal and Mental Health Disciplines with Robert Madden, LCSW, JD
November 13, 2026: The Parentage Act with Professor Douglas Nejaime of Yale Law School
December 11, 2026: Navigating the Grievance and AMC/GAL Complaint Process (and how to avoid them!) with Attorney Edward Bryan
January 8, 2026: Interviewing Children: Techniques to Get them Talking with Dr. Stephen Humphrey
January 20, 2026: Lunch & Learn with Attorney Justine Rakich-Kelly
March 3, 2026: Lunch & Learn with Attorney Justine Rakich-Kelly
… Additional Dates and Topics TBA!
Past Trainings
CLC TRAINING SESSION
AI and the Legal Profession
Friday, September 11, 2026
1:00 – 3:00 PM
For attorneys, guardians ad litem, and legal professionals.
What will be covered:
- What the tool actually is, and how it fails
- Why opting out is not a safe choice
- Prompting: instruct higher, not tighter
- Protecting yourself and the client’s information
- You are the auditor
- Staying compliant: the court, your contract, and you
SPEAKER: James Amaro, Stars and Stripes Services
Click here to view James’ bio.
Sponsored by the State of Connecticut Office of the Chief Public Defender
CLC TRAINING SESSION
Case Review - Open Forum
Wednesday, June 24, 2026
1:00 – 3:00 PM
SPEAKER: Justine Rakich-Kelly,
Executive Director, Children’s Law Center
Click here to view Justine’s bio.
Sponsored by the State of Connecticut Office of the Chief Public Defender
CLC TRAINING SESSION
Intimate Partner Violence & Coercive Control
Friday, June 5, 2026
1:00 – 3:00 PM
SPEAKER: Alyssa Bossengreene, Director of Training,
Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence
This presentation will give you an overview of domestic violence including:
• Statutes that GALs should be aware of
• Hidden abuse issues and subtleties
• A deeper dive into coercive control methods and financial coercion
Sponsored by the State of Connecticut Office of the Chief Public Defender
CLC TRAINING SESSION
Navigating the Jurisdictional Differences in the Family, Juvenile & Probate Courts
Friday, May 15, 2026
1:00 – 3:00 PM
SPEAKERS: Hon. Tammy Nguyen-O’Dowd and Hon. Jason M. Lobo
This training will examine the overlapping jurisdiction of Probate Court, Juvenile Court, and Family Court, with a focus on matters related to custody, parentage, visitation, and termination of parental rights.
Join us in-person, at The Children’s Law Center, 30 Arbor Street, Suite 208 or virtually via Zoom.
Sponsored by the State of Connecticut Office of the Chief Public Defender
CLC VIRTUAL TRAINING SESSION
Case Review - Open Forum
Wednesday, May 6, 2026
1:00 – 2:00 PM
SPEAKER: Justine Rakich-Kelly,
Executive Director, Children’s Law Center
Click here to view Justine’s bio.
Sponsored by the State of Connecticut Office of the Chief Public Defender
CLC VIRTUAL TRAINING SESSION
Warning Signs with Challenging Parents;
Children with Disabilities
Friday, May 1, 2026
1:00 – 3:00 PM
SPEAKER: Jodie Comer Oshana PhD, JD
Click here to view Jodie’s bio: https://bit.ly/48lwgqt
Sponsored by the State of Connecticut Office of the Chief Public Defender
CLC VIRTUAL TRAINING SESSION
What to Expect in a Court-Ordered Psychological Evaluation
Friday, April 10, 2026
1:00 – 3:00 PM
This training will provide attorneys with a practical, inside look at what to expect in a court-ordered psychological evaluation, with particular emphasis on custody evaluations and individual forensic psychological assessments.
The session will review the core components of these evaluations and explain how these elements are synthesized into a structured, court-ready report.
Participants will learn how evaluators formulate opinions, how credibility and response style are assessed, how referral questions shape the scope of the work, and what distinguishes a thorough, methodologically sound evaluation from a weak or incomplete one. The goal is to equip attorneys with a clearer understanding of the evaluation process so they can better prepare clients, interpret reports, and examine expert testimony.
Click here to read speaker Dr. Stephen M. Humphrey, Ph.D.’s bio.
CLC VIRTUAL TRAINING SESSION
Case Review Open Forum
Wednesday, April 8, 2026
1:00 – 2:00 PM
This will be a “Lunch & Learn” open forum with CLC Executive Director Justine Rakich-Kelly for Family Court GALs and Attorneys to “case review” challenging cases and discuss emerging trends in Family Court.
Sponsored by the State of Connecticut Office of the Chief Public Defender.
Click here to view Justine’s bio.
CLC VIRTUAL TRAINING SESSION
This is DCF
Friday, March 20, 2026
1:00 – 3:00 PM
Learn about DCF’s mandates for child protective services and behavioral health, differential response system (FAR and investigations), safety practice, prevention services, legal authority, and much more.
Presented by Zoey Stout and Ken Mysogland, DCF Office of Legal Affairs
Sponsored by the State of Connecticut Office of the Chief Public Defender
CLC VIRTUAL TRAINING SESSION
Objective Advocacy & Decision-Making in Child Welfare & Family Court
Friday, March 6, 2026
1:00 – 3:00 PM
Strengthen your professional judgement and advocacy in child welfare, family court,
and education cases.
Sponsored by the State of Connecticut Office of the Chief Public Defender
CLC VIRTUAL TRAINING SESSION
Court Mandated Substance Testing & Monitoring
Friday, February 27, 2026
1:00 – 3:00 PM
Speaker: Steven Paymer of Paymer Associates Drug Testing
Click here to read Steven’s bio: https://bit.ly/46c4Bal
Sponsored by the State of Connecticut Office of the Chief Public Defender
CLC VIRTUAL TRAINING SESSION
Case Review Open Forum
Wednesday, February 11, 2026
1:00 – 2:00 PM
This will be a “Lunch & Learn” open forum with CLC Executive Director Justine Rakich-Kelly for Family Court GALs and Attorneys to “case review” challenging cases and discuss emerging trends in Family Court. Sponsored by the State of Connecticut Office of the Chief Public Defender.
Click here to view Justine’s bio.
CLC VIRTUAL TRAINING SESSION
Child Development and
Parenting Plans
Friday, February 6, 2026
1:00 – 3:00 PM
In our first virtual training of 2026, Jodie Comer Oshana PhD, JD will be presenting on child development and how developmental stages inform parenting plans. Sponsored by the State of Connecticut Office of the Chief Public Defender.
Click here to view Jodie’s bio: https://bit.ly/49IJgpK
