Staff
The Child Advocate and Director of the OCA: Gail Garinger
Gail Garinger served as a Juvenile Court judge for 13 years before her appointment as The Child Advocate. After receiving her J.D. from Harvard Law School, she specialized in children's health and welfare law at Children's Hospital Boston as well as in private practice. She has extensive legal as well as clinical and research experience in the area of child abuse and neglect and children's welfare. Read more biographical information.
Deputy Director: Elizabeth Armstrong
Elizabeth Armstrong was a registered nurse before becoming an attorney (B.S.N., University of Iowa; J.D. with Honors, University of N.C. at Chapel Hill). She brings her experience as a prosecutor in child maltreatment, domestic violence, and sexual assault cases to this position, including working with child fatality review and child protection teams. Before joining the OCA, she represented children and families in both the Juvenile and Probate and Family Courts in Massachusetts.
Program Assistant: Julianna Brody-Fialkin
Julianna Brody-Fialkin, a Boston native, received her BA from Oberlin College. She comes to the OCA with knowledge of the Massachusetts legal services system from her years working at the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation and the Massachusetts Bar Foundation. Prior to that, she worked at day and residential shelters for homeless women and families, where she assisted families in accessing housing, education, jobs, and state services and ran the youth services program.
Clinical Specialist: Susan Cummings
Susan Cummings, MSW, LCSW, gained extensive knowledge of the child welfare and juvenile justice systems during her eight-year tenure at the Department of Social Services (now DCF). While there, she investigated, assessed and managed cases, worked with adolescents, and acted as the Court Liaison between the Department and the juvenile courts.
Interns for 2008-2009:
- Samuel Edandison
- Olivia Grant
- Annie Iglehart
- Johanez Maliza
- Raviv Murciano-Goroff