Melissa Trent Email and Phone Number

Represent parents in abuse and neglect proceedings.

Increased access to life saving opioid addiction medication for people under court supervision through impact litigation, national legal services, outreach, and policy advocacy.

Worked on issues of equality in the workplace and schools for women and girls. Offered direct legalservices through a national advice and counseling line, conducted legal research for ongoing litigationregarding class actions, Title IX, and Title VII. Assisted with community education and outreach reportson equal pay and sex discrimination and worked with clients to prepare media campaigns.

Provided legal aid to help low-income clients overcome healthcare barriers, interviewed and counseledclients, developed cases for hearing, represented clients in disability hearings and education settings,drafted legal documents such as briefs and demand letters, and collaborated with healthcare providers. Worked in a Medical-Legal Partnership with Oakland Children’s Hospital to meet the needs of children and their families dealing with a wide variety of healthcare and legal issues including housing, public benefits, education, and criminal justice.

Assisted the legal and policy teams at the ACLU. Wrote legal memoranda on state and federal law regarding pregnant and parenting youth, incarcerated women, and hospital mergers’ impact on reproductive rights. Facilitated “Know Your Rights” trainings for pregnant and parenting youth in the Central Valley of California. Conducted interviews with pregnant and parenting youth, revised and updated “Your Health Your Rights” materials for women and youth. Worked in coalition with other civil rights groups in California to advocate for repealing the Maximum Family Grant policy. Drafted informational and demand letters asking school districts about their confidential medical release policies

Assisted in preparing the first Reproductive Rights Casebook. Collected sources and performedresearch for chapters, aiding authors in blue booking and organization of the casebook. Wrote annotations for the Reproductive Rights Virtual Library, which will serve as a resource for academics, community organizers, and litigators working on reproductive rights.

Researched and collected sources for a future law review article on ethics in class action settlements. Drafted outlines for law review articles and book chapters. Summarized findings in oral presentations, memoranda, and provided edits for drafts of book chapters and law review articles.

Facilitated events on campus around equal pay, gender violence, and alcohol and drug abuse, including speaking to student and Greek campus groups. Managed the front desk, doing intake with individuals struggling with domestic violence, homelessness, and academic challenges and provided referrals to appropriate providers.

Managed a 24/7 help desk in the dormitories, oversaw security and alarms. Resolved emergency situations after hours, coordinated with police, resident advisors and security. Customer service, helped students and parents with complaints or problems.