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STEPHANIE GRIFFITH BEARD is a solo practitioner and is owner of Stephanie Griffith Beard, APLC and River Region Adoption Law Services, LLC. She practices in the areas of adoptions and criminal defense. She worked as a public defender in St. Charles Parish for seven years, defending court-appointed criminal cases, as well as OCS, juvenile, and child support enforcement matters. She is certified to defend capital cases. Her adoption law practice focuses primarily on intrafamily adoptions. Ms. Beard not only has legal experience in the adoption field, but also has personal experience as an adoptive mother. Prior to practicing law, Ms. Beard was a high school teacher. She received her B.S. degree from the University of Texas at Tyler and her J.D. degree from Loyola University New Orleans School of Law. LISA P. HARELL is an attorney and a LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker). She has been working in the juvenile justice system since 1996, initially as a social worker and as the volunteer coordinator for CASA, New Orleans, and currently is contracted with the Jefferson Parish Public Defender's Office as an attorney in Juvenile Court. There she represents children in foster care, as well as children who are accused of status offenses (FINS cases) and/or delinquency. Ms. Harell has been a lecturer on numerous topics regarding juvenile justice and adoption law. She also has a private legal practice, in which she specializes in adoption law and has a broad spectrum of experience including cases where she has represented adoptive parents, birth parents, adoption agencies. She has handled opposition to adoption hearings, as well as initiated private termination of parental right's hearings and has been appointed as a curator. Prior to 2007, Ms. Harell was employed as a law clerk for a juvenile court judge and handled all of her adoptions from 2003- 2007. Ms. Harell has been on sub-committees for the Louisiana Children's Code, in which she helped draft legislation for the Juvenile Competency articles, as well as the Voluntary Transfer of Custody Articles. Ms. Harell earned her B.S. degree from the University of New Orleans, her Master of Social Work degree from Tulane University School of Social Work, and her J.D. degree from Loyola University Law School. BERNADETTE ROCCO LEE is a partner in the New Orleans law firm of Morris, Lee & Bayle, L.L.C., where she practices family law. Her firm was awarded the "Pro-Bono Firm of the Year" by the Louisiana Bar Association for 2003. Ms. Lee was a speaker for Women Shaping Law, Law Shaping Women, Juvenile Practice Panel at Tulane University and has given numerous seminars for the New Orleans Bar Association, the Pro Bono Project and National Business Institute. She also has spoken twice for "Recent Developments in Law" at the Louisiana State University Family Law Seminar. She is a board-certified Family Law Specialist by the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization and is a certified Collaborative Professional. A graduate of the University of Florida, Ms. Lee received her J.D. degree, cum laude, from Loyola University in 1993, where she was a member of the Loyola Law Review. She also received her M.E. degree and B.S.E. degree in environmental engineering from the University of Florida. Ms. Lee is a member of the New Orleans, Louisiana State, and American bar associations. Ms. Lee is a former member of the Family Mediation Council of Louisiana and Board of Directors of the Pro Bono Project. NOEL E. VARGAS JR. is an attorney at Law Office of Noel E. Vargas, Jr., where he has specialized in adoption law for more 25 years, helping to create over 1,000 families in Louisiana and across the United States and other countries. Mr. Vargas has assisted members of the Louisiana Legislature in the composition and passage of several of the state's adoption statutes. He is the author of the "Adoption Forms" of the West Civil Law Practice. He has been a lecturer at numerous adoption CLE seminars and has served on the faculty of the Baton Rouge College Paralegal Institute. Mr. Vargas is a Fellow of the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys and is certified by them as an adoption mediator. In 2005, he served as a Judge Pro Tempore for the Juvenile Court for the Parish of Orleans. He currently is executive counsel for A.B.L. Adoptions Louisiana and is on the adoption agency's Board of Directors. He also serves on the Board of Directors for Danielle Inn, which is a non-profit maternity home in Covington, LA. Mr. Vargas was presented the 2006 Leadership in Law Award by New Orleans City Business as one of the 50 outstanding lawyers in New Orleans. In 2007, he was presented the Angels In Adoption Award by the U.S. Congress.
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