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Board & Staff

Meet the Panel

The Arc’s Criminal Justice Advisory Panel (CJAP) leverages the interest and expertise of lawyers in the private bar to support nationwide expansion of The Arc’s criminal justice advocacy for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). The CJAP meets in-person, twice a year, in major cities throughout the United States, to review the accomplishments and priorities of The Arc’s National Center on Criminal Justice & Disability® (NCCJD®), the status of related legal advocacy matters and public policy developments, and to provide strategic guidance and advice. Advisory Panel members also work to advance the impact and ongoing sustainability of NCCJD.

Attorney and client in courtroom looking on as opposing lawyer addresses the jury.

Leadership

Head shot of a woman smiling and resting her head on her fist. She is wearing a blazer and is in front of a neutral background — Attorney | New York, NY & Spokane, WA
Elizabeth Kelley

The Arc CEO Peter Berns smiles, looking off camera, in a plaid suit with trees in the background — Chief Executive Officer, The Arc of the United States | Washington, DC
Peter Berns

Attorney | New York, NY & Spokane, WA

Elizabeth Kelley

Elizabeth Kelley is a criminal defense lawyer with a nationwide practice focused on representing people with mental disabilities. In addition to her legal practice, she lectures across the U.S., as well as abroad, on representing people with mental disabilities, frequently providing commentary for radio and television. She has served three terms on the board of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, chaired its Mental Health and Membership Committees, and is a Life Member. Additionally, she is the editor of Representing People with Mental Disabilities: A Practical Guide for Criminal Defense Lawyers, which was published by the American Bar Association in 2018. She received her M.A. from the University of Chicago and her J.D. from Case Western Reserve University School of Law.

Chief Executive Officer, The Arc of the United States | Washington, DC

Peter Berns

Peter V. Berns is a nationally-recognized nonprofit sector leader and public interest lawyer. Berns’ professional areas of expertise include nonprofit management, governmental relationships, and advocacy. As a public policy advocate, he was critical to reforming state and federal Medicaid regulations which improved the lives of persons with disabilities and their families. Berns received his J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School and his LL.M. in advocacy from Georgetown University Law Center.

Members

Of Counsel, Ballard Spahr | Phoenix, AZ

Neal Sonnett

Head shot of a man in a suit with a lime green tie and his arms crossed — Assistant Deputy Public Defender, Office of the Public Defender of the State of New Jersey | Trenton, NJ
Andre Vitale

Close up of a man in a gray suit and maroon tie — Senior Judge, District of Columbia Court of Appeals | Washington, DC
The Honorable Eric Washington

A man with glasses smiling in front of a city skyline — Attorney | Westport, CT
Ken Wirfel

Of Counsel, Ballard Spahr | Phoenix, AZ

Dennis K. Burke

Dennis K. Burke is Of Counsel for Ballard Spahr where he focuses his practice on white collar crime, internal investigations, immigration, commercial litigation, and government relations. As the U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona, Burke oversaw all federal prosecutions in the state, including high-profile cases involving white collar crimes, drug trafficking, immigration, and felonies in Indian Country. Prior to that service, Burke was a Senior Adviser to Homeland Security Secretary, Janet Napolitano, served as her Chief of Staff when she was Governor of Arizona, and as Chief Deputy in the Arizona Attorney General’s Office. He also was a member of the Obama/Biden transition team that focused on homeland security administration and policy. Following his years in government service, Burke founded a national security consulting firm advising clients on investigations, corporate governance issues, and government relations. His government experience also includes serving as Acting Assistant Attorney General for Legislative Affairs at the U.S. Department of Justice, a Senior Policy Analyst for the White House Domestic Policy Council, and Majority Counsel on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee.

Chief, Conviction Integrity Unit, Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office | Philadelphia, PA

Patricia Cummings

Patricia Cummings is the chief of the Conviction Integrity Unit at the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office and one of the country’s top experts on innocence and exoneration. She is a former defense lawyer, prosecutor, and lecturer at the University of Texas at Austin School of Law. Cummings was instrumental in getting a law passed in Texas, known as the Michael Morton Act, that requires prosecutors to open their files to defendants and keep records of the evidence they disclose. Cummings has remarked publicly on the need to revisit convictions based on flawed forensic techniques.

Partner, Dorsey & Whitney LLP | Anchorage, AK

Louann Cutler

Louisiana (Louann) W. Cutler is a partner with Dorsey & Whitney LLP. She advises Alaskan clients on oil and gas issues, as well as constitutional law, legislation, ordinances, municipal, employment, and other state law issues. Cutler has over 25 years of experience as a litigator focusing on complex litigation involving environmental issues, oil and gas taxation and royalties, constitutional law, construction law, municipal law, and other issues. In the past, she has served on non-profit boards, including the United Way of Anchorage and Abused Women’s Aid in Crisis. Cutler received her J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law.

Vice President & Deputy General Counsel, Northrup Grumman | Falls Church, VA

Maureen Del Duca

Maureen Del Duca is the vice president and deputy general counsel at Northrop Grumman and specializes in litigation and investigations. She has served on the Board of Directors of the Southern Center for Human Rights for 8 years, and as its Chair for 6 years, and she previously served on a number of other Boards, including for the Ivymount Corporation, School, and Foundation, as well as the District of Columbia Bar Foundation. She is the mother of two nonverbal adult sons with autism and related disabilities, and she advocates on behalf of individuals with autism in relation to access to resources and services and involvement in the criminal justice system. Del Duca received her B.A. from Swarthmore College, M.A. from the University of California at Berkeley, J.D. from the New York University School of Law, and LL.M. from Georgetown University Law Center.

Circuit Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit | Memphis, TN

The Honorable Bernice Donald

The Honorable Bernice B. Donald is a circuit judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. She is currently Chair of the American Bar Association Center for Human Rights and is a contributing author for an implicit bias resource book for judges and practitioners, Enhancing Justice: Reducing Bias. Judge Donald has presented on the topic of implicit bias at numerous institutions. Judge Donald’s writings include: A Glimpse Inside the Brain’s Black Box: Understanding the Role of Neuroscience in Criminal Sentencing, 85 Fordham L. Rev. 481 (2016). Judge Donald received her J.D. from the University of Memphis School of Law and her Masters of Judicial Studies from Duke University.

Forensic Psychologist & Attorney, Harvard Medical School | Hingham, MA

Eric Drogin

Eric Drogin is a board-certified forensic psychologist and attorney currently serving on the faculties of the Harvard Medical School, the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Harvard Psychiatry Residency Training Program, and the Harvard Law School Trial Advocacy Workshop. He is a Life Fellow of the American Bar Foundation whose other professional involvement has included the American Board of Forensic Psychology (president), the American Bar Association’s Section of Science & Technology Law (chair), the American Psychological Association’s Committee on Legal Issues (chair), and the American Psychological Association’s Committee on Professional Practice & Standards (chair). Dr. Drogin regularly presents continuing education seminars on such topics as forensic assessment, ethics, and professional development, and has published widely on a range of psycholegal issues. His multidisciplinary practice encompasses mental health law, expert witness testimony, and trial consultation. Dr. Drogin received his J.D. from the Villanova University School of Law and his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Hahnemann University.

District Attorney, Wyandotte County | Kansas City, KS

Mark Dupree, Sr.

Mark A. Dupree, Sr., is the district attorney of Wyandotte County and leads an office of over 60 employees and manages a significant budget each fiscal year. Dupree and his team are implementing strategic policies to expand the function of the Wyandotte County District Attorney’s Office, which has increased the felony trial conviction rate by 27%. Dupree has successfully created the first-ever Conviction Integrity Unit in the state of Kansas, which is responsible for ensuring that past convictions continue to hold integrity. His efforts have been recognized nationally, with articles featured twice in the New York Times and interviews on the nationally syndicated Roland Martin Show. Community involvement is the bedrock of the Dupree administration, which leads the way in speaking at schools, neighborhood watch meetings, church gatherings, and civic organizations. Dupree created the Brilliant Outstanding Leaders Determined to be the Difference (B.O.L.D.D.) initiative, in which assistant district attorneys go into schools and work with students to educate and expose them to the legal process in a positive manner. Dupree is married to his law school sweetheart and former law partner, Shanelle Dupree, and they have four beautiful and active children.

Attorney | Washington, DC

Lisa Greenman

Lisa Greenman is a criminal defense attorney in Washington, DC with specialized expertise in mental health and developmental disabilities. She began her career at the Washington, DC Public Defender Service, where she worked for ten years in the trial, appellate, and mental health divisions and now serves on the board of trustees. For the last 20 years, she has focused primarily on death penalty defense, consulting with lawyers in jurisdictions across the country and participating as faculty in national training programs. Greenman also collaborates with groups, such as the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, The Arc of the United States, and the National Institute of Mental Health, and other national, state, and local disability organizations, to address complex issues at the intersection of disability and criminal justice. In 2016, she received the National Legal Aid and Defender Association’s Kutak-Dodds Award for Extraordinary Contributions to Advancing Access to Justice. She graduated from Yale College and received her J.D. from New York University Law School.

Partner, Selendy & Gay | New York, NY

Caitlin Halligan

Caitlin Halligan is a partner with Selendy & Gay. She is ranked as one of the leading appellate attorneys in the nation, having argued six cases and served as counsel of record for party or amicus in more than 45 matters at the certiorari or merits stages in the U.S. Supreme Court. Halligan has developed law enforcement and policy initiatives regarding online consumer fraud, privacy, online securities trading, and other internet-related issues. She received her J.D., magna cum laude, from the Georgetown University Law Center, where she was Order of the Coif.

Prosecuting Attorney, Montgomery County | Dayton, OH

Mat Heck

Mathias (Mat) Heck, Jr., is the Montgomery County, Ohio, prosecuting attorney. Heck is a career prosecutor, having worked as an assistant prosecutor after law school, and later being elected prosecuting attorney in 1992. He is a member of many professional associations and involved in numerous civic organizations. He is the past chair of the American Bar Association, Criminal Justice Section; delegate to the House of Delegates, American Bar Association; chair of the Executive Committee, CARE House, Dayton’ Children’s Advocacy Center; and a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. Heck is past president of the National Children’s Alliance; past president and chairman of the board of the National District Attorneys Association; and past president and member of the Executive Committee of the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association. Heck attended Marquette University and received his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.

Senior Trial Attorney, Office of the Public Defender | San Francisco, CA

Jennifer Johnson

Jennifer Johnson is a senior trial attorney for the Office of the Public Defender. Johnson specializes in public defense and services for individuals with mental health disabilities in the criminal justice system. She co-founded the San Francisco Behavioral Health Court and serves as its resident public defender. Johnson received her J.D. from the University of California Davis School of Law.

Partner, Sidley Austin LLP | Washington, DC

Peter Keisler

Peter D. Keisler is a partner at the law firm of Sidley Austin LLP. Keisler is a co-chair of Sidley’s Supreme Court and Appellate practice and has argued a wide range of cases before the Supreme Court and other federal courts. He previously served at the United States Department of Justice as the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division and as Acting Attorney General of the United States. Keisler is a graduate of Yale College and received his J.D. from Yale Law School.

Chief, Health Care Bureau, New York State Attorney General’s Office | New York, NY

Lisa Landau

Lisa Landau serves as chief of the Health Care Bureau at the New York State Attorney General’s Office, where her bureau enforces health care law, including health insurance and consumer protection laws. Landau has spent her career championing the rights of New Yorkers, and particularly, the rights of women and children. Prior to rejoining the Attorney General’s Office in 2011, Landau served as Executive Director of New York City’s Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP), a nationally recognized, early intervention anti-poverty program. During her five-year tenure at NFP, she oversaw a more-than-sevenfold expansion, serving approximately 2,500 New York City families. Landau previously served in the New York Attorney General’s Office as Director of the Reproductive Rights Unit and as an Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Rights Bureau, working on an array of civil rights cases, including sex discrimination, police misconduct, and mortgage lending fraud. Earlier in her career, she advocated for women and children as a staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union’s Reproductive Freedom Project and The Legal Aid Society’s Harlem Neighborhood Office and worked in refugee camps in Thailand with the U.S. resettlement operation. She is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and received her J.D. from the New York University School of Law.

Chief Judge (ret’d), New York Court of Appeals & Of Counsel, Latham & Watkins | New York, NY

Honorable Jonathan Lippman

The Honorable Jonathan Lippman is the retired chief judge of the New York Court of Appeals and of counsel with Latham and Watkins. During his tenure on the Court of Appeals, Chief Judge Lippman authored major decisions addressing constitutional, statutory, and common law issues. He championed equal access to justice issues and identified permanent funding streams for civil legal services. Chief Judge Lippman established programs to help alleviate the crisis in civil legal services and strengthened the state’s indigent criminal defense system, addressed the systemic causes of wrongful convictions, created human trafficking courts across New York State, and led efforts to reform New York’s juvenile justice, bail, and pre-trial justice systems. Chief Judge Lippman received his J.D. from the New York University School of Law.

Partner, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP | New York, NY

Parvin Moyne

Parvin Moyne is a partner with Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, where she represents individuals and corporations in government and regulatory investigations, white collar criminal defense, and complex commercial litigation matters. Formerly an assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, Moyne has extensive experience in matters arising from allegations of securities and commodities fraud, such as market manipulation, insider trading, investment advisor fraud, accounting fraud, wire and mail fraud, and tax fraud. She also investigated and prosecuted cases involving allegations of public corruption, health care fraud, money laundering, immigration fraud, homicide, kidnapping, and international narcotics trafficking. Prior to her tenure at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Moyne was law clerk to the Honorable Dennis Jacobs, the then-Chief Judge of the Second Circuit. Moyne received her B.A. from Yale University and her J.D., magna cum laude, from New York University (NYU) School of Law, where she earned membership in the Order of the Coif and served as Editor-in-Chief of the NYU Law Review.

Senior District Court Judge, Fifth Judicial District of Iowa | Des Moines, IA

The Honorable Karen Romano

The Honorable Karen A. Romano is a senior district court judge for the Fifth Judicial District of Iowa, having retired from full-time judicial service after 23 years. As a prosecutor, Romano handled child dependency and delinquency, child abuse, and sexual abuse cases, and various other felony level offenses, including murder. As a District Associate Judge, she presided over misdemeanor and Class D felony offenses, small claims civil cases, traffic offenses, mental health and substance abuse commitments, and juvenile court matters. As a District Court Judge, she presided over all manner of civil cases, including family law and administrative appeals from final state agency actions, as well as felony criminal cases and postconviction relief actions. She received her bachelor’s degree cum laude from Creighton University and graduated with honors from the University of Iowa College of Law.

Attorney Supervisor, Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender | Chicago, IL

Eleanor Roos

Eleanor Roos is an attorney supervisor with the Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender. She has worked in multiple divisions within the office representing clients charged with misdemeanors and felonies, including over ten years in the felony trial division. She currently supervises attorneys in the Juvenile Justice Division. She received her J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School.

Principal Counsel | Cupertino, CA

Pippa Scarlet

Philippa (Pippa) Scarlett is an executive with over 15 years of private sector and government experience in developing and implementing solutions—whether by litigation or policy-setting— for complex, high-stakes challenges. Before her current role in the private sector, she served in the Obama White House managing intellectual property enforcement policy across the federal government. Before the White House, Scarlett served as Deputy Associate Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). As a member of DOJ’s senior leadership team, she managed enforcement matters of the Civil Rights Division, Antitrust Division, Access to Justice Office, and intellectual property matters across the agency. Earlier, Scarlett was a partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP where she litigated high-stakes matters in trial and appellate courts. Her pro bono practice included high-profile voting rights, affirmative action, and poverty law matters. She was featured by the National Law Journal as among the top Minority 40 Under 40 attorneys in the country for her work. Scarlett clerked for Justice Stephen Breyer on the U.S. Supreme Court and for Judge Ann C. Williams on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. She holds degrees from Stanford University, Harvard University, and Columbia Law School.

Partner, Blank Rome | Philadelphia, PA

Larry Shtasel

Laurence (Larry) Shtasel is a partner with Blank Rome and maintains a national trial and appellate practice concentrating on a wide range of litigation areas, including commercial disputes and white-collar criminal defense. He graduated from Brown University, magna cum laude, and received his J.D. from Harvard Law School, cum laude.

Attorney | Washington, DC

Cliff Sloan

Cliff Sloan is an attorney in Washington, D.C. He represented Bobby Moore in the United States Supreme Court, winning a landmark victory on intellectual disability and the death penalty. Sloan has received numerous honors, including the Frederick Douglass Human Rights Award from the Southern Center for Human Rights, the Light of Justice Award from the Texas Defender Service, and the Catalyst Award from The Arc of the United States. He serves on the boards of several non-profits, including the American Constitution Society, the National Center for State Courts, the National Security Archive, and the Southern Center for Human Rights, and is chair of the board of the Public Welfare Foundation. Sloan co-authored The Great Decision, a book about the Marbury v. Madison decision, which was a History Book of the Month Club selection, and he is writing a book about the Supreme Court during World War II. He received his J.D., magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School.

Founder and Managing Partner, Sonnett Law | Miami, FL

Neal Sonnett

Neal R. Sonnett is a nationally prominent criminal defense lawyer who defends white collar, corporate, and complex criminal cases throughout the United States. Prior to private practice, he served as an assistant United States attorney and chief of the Criminal Division for the Southern District of Florida. Sonnett has been honored by the National Law Journal as one of the “100 Most Influential Lawyers in America,” one of the “Nation’s Top Litigators,” and one of the “Nation’s Top White-Collar Criminal Defense Lawyers.” Neal has served on the American Bar Association (ABA) Board of Governors, as chair of the ABA Criminal Justice Section and the Section of Civil Rights and Social Justice, and has been in the House of Delegates for more than 25 years. He is a past president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. He earned his J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law.

Assistant Deputy Public Defender, Office of the Public Defender of the State of New Jersey | Trenton, NJ

Andre Vitale

Andre Vitale is the assistant deputy public defender for the Office of the Public Defender of the State of New Jersey, where he serves as a trial lawyer with the Hudson Regional Office. Vitale has created new and innovative programs designed to help attorneys develop legal skills and confidence in their abilities and inspire lawyers to serve as client-centered, relentless advocates. As a trial lawyer, Vitale represents individuals charged with violent felonies and major drug crimes and has expertise defending sex offense cases and challenging DNA evidence. Vitale received his J.D. from the University at Buffalo School of Law.

Senior Judge, District of Columbia Court of Appeals | Washington, DC

The Honorable Eric Washington

The Honorable Eric T. Washington presently serves as a senior judge for the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. He served as Chief Judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals from 2005 until he retired as Chief Judge and chair of the Joint Committee on Judicial Administration for the District of Columbia in March 2017. Judge Washington, a past President of the Conference of Chief Justices of the United States, is a nationally recognized leader on access to justice issues and works tirelessly to raise awareness of the importance of the rule of law and the role of the courts in our democracy. Presently, he is championing criminal justice reform efforts across the country and is working on an effort to develop effective ways for courts to engage with communities of color on issues affecting court performance.

Attorney | Westport, CT

Ken Wirfel

Ken Wirfel is a retired attorney with extensive civil and criminal litigation experience. A former federal prosecutor, Wirfel was elected and served from 2007 to 2011 on Westport, Connecticut’s Board of Finance. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Jewish Senior Services, a leading provider of skilled nursing and elder care services in Southern Connecticut. Wirfel is also a co-founder, former Board Chairman, and current Trustee of the Cooke School and Institute in New York City. The Cooke School provides quality special education services to over 350 students with developmental disabilities. He received his J.D. from Boston University School of Law.

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Address: The Arc of Washington State, 2638 State Avenue NE Olympia, WA 98506

Phone: (360) 357-5596 | Toll Free: (888) 754-8798 | Fax: (360) 357-3279 | Email: info@arcwa.org

Who We Are

Parent to Parent

Advocacy

Programs

Board & Staff

Meet the Panel

Leadership

Elizabeth Kelley

Peter Berns

Elizabeth Kelley

Peter Berns

Members

Dennis K. Burke

Patricia Cummings

Louann Cutler

Maureen Del Duca

The Honorable Bernice Donald

Eric Drogin

Mark Dupree, Sr.

Lisa Greenman

Caitlin Halligan

Mat Heck

Jennifer Johnson

Peter Keisler

Lisa Landau

Honorable Jonathan Lippman

Parvin Moyne

The Honorable Karen Romano

Eleanor Roos

Pippa Scarlet

Larry Shtasel

Cliff Sloan

Neal Sonnett

Andre Vitale

The Honorable Eric Washington

Ken Wirfel

Dennis K. Burke

Patricia Cummings

Louann Cutler

Maureen Del Duca

The Honorable Bernice Donald

Eric Drogin

Mark Dupree, Sr.

Lisa Greenman

Caitlin Halligan

Mat Heck

Jennifer Johnson

Peter Keisler

Lisa Landau

Honorable Jonathan Lippman

Parvin Moyne

The Honorable Karen Romano

Eleanor Roos

Pippa Scarlet

Larry Shtasel

Cliff Sloan

Neal Sonnett

Andre Vitale

The Honorable Eric Washington

Ken Wirfel