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MU
RIEL BOWSER
MAYOR
February 4, 2026
The Honorable Phil Mendelson
Chairman
Council of the District of Columbia
John A. Wilson Building
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 504
Washington, DC 20004
Dear Chairman Mendelson:
In accordance with section
2 of the Confirmation Act of 1978, effective March 3, 1979 (D.C. Law 2-
142; D.C. Official Code § 1- 523.01), and pursuant to section 4604 of the Child Fatality Review
Committee Establishment Act of 2001, effective October 3, 2001 (D.C. Law 14-28; D.C. Official Code
§ 4-1371.04), I am pleased to nominate the following person:
Ms. Jenny Epstein
W Street, NW
Washington, DC 20007
(Ward 3)
for reappointment as a community representative member of the Child Fatality Review Board for a
term to end July 16, 2028.
Enclosed, you will find biographical information detailing the experience of the above-m entioned
nominee, together with a proposed resolution to assist the Council during the confirmation process.
I would appreciate the Council’s earliest consideration of this nomination for confirmation. Please
do not hesitate to contact me, or Steven Walker, Director, Mayor’s Office of Talent and
Appointments, should the Council require additional information.
Sincerely,
Muriel B owser
Mayor
1
2
3 at the request of the Mayor
4
5
6 A PROPOSED RESOLUTION
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8
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10 IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
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15 To confirm the reappointment of Jenny Epstein to the Child Fatality Review Committee.
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17 RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
18 resolution may be cited as the "Child Fatality Review Committee Jenny Epstein Confirmation
19 Resolution of 2026".
20 Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia confirms the reappointment of:
21
22 Jenny Epstein
23 W Street, NW
24 Washington, DC 20007
25 (Ward 3)
26
27 as a community representative member of the Child Fatality Review Committee, established by
28 section 4603 of the Child Fatality Review Committee Establishment Act of 2001, effective
29 October 3, 2001 (D.C. Law 14-28; D.C. Official Code§ 4-1371.03), for a term to end July 16,
30 2028.
31 Sec. 3. The Council of the District of Columbia shall transmit a copy of this resolution,
32 upon its adoption, to the nominee and to the Mayor.
33 Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately.
JENNY ELIZABETH EPSTEIN
EDUCATION
Suffolk University Law School, Boston, Mass. Juris Doctor, cum laude, May, 1994. GPA: 85.17, Class Rank: 35/312.
Dean's List every semester. Moot Court Executive Board Member. 1993 American Jurisprudence Award for Trial Practice.
Negotiations Competition semi-finalist. Mock Trial competitor.
Research Assistant: Assisted Professor in supplementing a published criminal law manual (Massachusetts Criminal Defense).
Suffolk Voluntary Defenders: Represented indigent clients in Boston Municipal Court from arraignment through
case resolution.
University of Vermont, Burlington, Vt. B.A. in Psychology, cum laude, May, 1988. GPA: 3.43. Dean's List six semesters.
EXPERIENCE
Counsel for Child Abuse and Neglect, Washington, D.C. Attorney, May, 1996– May, 2003, January, 2005 -Present.
Represent parents and children in child abuse and neglect cases from initial hearing through trial, disposition and
appeal. Represent caretakers and adoptive parents in custody and adoption process.
ACLU, National Prison Project, Washington, D.C. Attorney, September 1995 – May, 1996.
Conducted legal research and writing in support of staff counsel for prison civil rights class action litigation. Corresponded
with plaintiffs regarding case status. Monitored defendants' compliance with court orders.
Law Office of Randolph Gioia, Esq., Boston, Mass. Associate, September, 1994 - September, 1995.
Prepared motions and memoranda for civil and criminal law matters. Oversaw civil document discovery process and
assembly of evidence in criminal matters. Met with clients and witnesses regarding factual issues and case status.
Massachusetts Department of Social Service, Central Legal Office, Boston, Mass. Law Clerk, January - May, 1994.
Reviewed case files, conducted legal research, and drafted legal memoranda in preparation for presentment and
appellate review.
Committee for Public Counsel Services (State Public Defender), Boston, Mass. Student Attorney, June - September, 1993.
Personally handled juvenile delinquency cases from arraignment through disposition. Conducted initial client interview,
legal research, case investigation, court presentation, and follow-up.
Federal Public Defender Service, Washington, D.C. Law Clerk, June - August, 1992.
Researched legal issues and drafted preliminary pleadings for matters pending in Federal District Court, D.C.
Circuit.
Participated in trial proceedings as "second chair."
Allen, Sparks & DeBerardinis, Washington, D.C. Investigator / Legal Assistant, May, 1990 - July, 1991.
Investigated criminal and civil matters. Researched, interviewed and subpoenaed witnesses in neighborhoods, prisons and
at municipal agencies. Prepared deposition and pre-trial materials and trial exhibits, and assisted counsel at trials.
Sidley & Austin, Washington, D.C. Legal Assistant Administrator, November, 1988 - April, 1990.
Recruited, interviewed, and coordinated 28 legal assistants. Conducted orientation and performance reviews. Assisted
in determination of assignments and salaries. Legal Assistant, June - November, 1988. Organized discovery files for anti-
trust litigation. Researched and cite-checked briefs. Participated in trial, with responsibility for exhibits, pleadings and
depositions.
VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES
Volunteer Lawyers Project, Boston Bar Association, Boston, Mass. Pro Bono Attorney , December, 1994 - September, 1995.
Represented tenant in an eviction action; attended seminars regarding landlord/tenant law and SSI and other benefits.
Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless, Washington, D.C. Caseworker, December, 1988 - July, 1991.
Conducted initial interviews of homeless persons desiring legal assistance. Resolved substantive administrative
problems through factual and legal investigation and action.
Executive Office of the Mayor – Mayor’s Office of Talent and Appointments
John A. Wilson Building | 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 600 | Washington, DC 20004
Jenny Epstein
Ms. Jenny Epstein has lived in the District for close to 30 years. She
currently serves as an attorney with the Counsel for Child Abuse and
Neglect, a branch of the Family Court of the District of Columbia
Superior Court. She began her professional career as a paralegal at a large
law firm in Washington, DC, where she was promoted to paralegal
administrator. Ms. Epstein has always been driven by a desire to serve the
public interest. After her tenure as a paralegal administrator, and before
attending law school, she chose to work for a small law firm in D.C. as an
investigator, handling both criminal and civil matters. In her role as an
investigator, she met with witnesses and clients across all eight wards,
gaining an in-depth understanding of the city. At that time, the District
utilized facilities in Lorton, Virginia, to house convicted inmates, and she often met clients and
witnesses at Lorton Prison.
During her time in the District in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Ms. Epstein volunteered with the
Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless. Following law school, she worked for a criminal
defense attorney in Boston before returning to the District to serve as a lawyer with the ACLU
Prison Project. In 1996, she continued her career as a court-appointed lawyer through the Counsel
for Child Abuse and Neglect at the D.C. Superior Court, representing parents, children, and other
caregivers. Ms. Epstein believes this experience provides her with a well-rounded perspective on
the issues and challenges faced by families in child abuse and neglect cases, ultimately making her
a more effective lawyer.
Ms. Epstein has maintained this work since 1996, except for a brief period from 2003 to 2005
when she lived in London with her family. As a mother of two adult sons who were raised in DC,
are successful college graduates, and attended a D.C. public charter school, Ms. Epstein is now
eager to give back to the community by serving in a volunteer capacity.
A Ward 3 resident, Ms. Epstein earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of
Vermont and her Juris Doctor from Suffolk University Law School.
GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Executive Office of Mayor Muriel Bowser
Office of the General Counsel to the Mayor
______________________________________________________________________________
The John A. Wilson Building • 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW • Suite 300 • Washington, D.C. 20004 • Office (202) 724-7681
To: Kimberly A. Bassett, Steve Walker
From: Betsy Cavendish
Date: January 16, 2026
Subject: Legal sufficiency review of a resolution reappointing Jenny Epstein as a member
of the Child Fatality Review Committee
This is to Certify that this office has reviewed the above-referenced resolution and
found it to be legally unobjectionable. If you have any questions in this regard, please do not
hesitate to call Michael Porcello, Deputy General Counsel, Executive Office of the Mayor, at
202-727-0872, or me at 202-724-7681.
______________________________
Elizabeth Cavendish