November 20, 2023

Amanda Simmons is Featured as a Panelist on the American Bar Association Webinar Entitled “Traumatizing and Unnecessary: Ending the Practice of Juvenile Strip Searches

Attorney Amanda Simmons of Ambika Law presented her research on juvenile strip searches in a webinar with the Children’s Legal Rights Division alongside attorneys from Children’s Law Institute and Abolitionist Law Center.  This complimentary webinar was sponsored by the American Bar Association Litigation Section Children’s Rights Litigation Committee

Strip searches are harmful and traumatizing to children and youth, however they happen regularly in a wide-variety of settings such as jails and detention centers, residential facilities for “troubled teens,” schools, before visits to incarcerated family members in correctional facilities, and by child protective services workers as part of child welfare investigations. Speakers on this webinar will discuss the traumatizing long-term effects of strip searches and share tips and tools that can be used to advocate against strip searches so that fewer children and youth will be subjected to this degrading and dehumanizing practice. 

Other panelists included: 

  • Riya Saha Shah, Senior Managing Director, Juvenile Law Center (moderator)

  • Tanisha Long, Community Organizer, Abolitionist Law Center, Pittsburgh, PA

  • Jessica Feierman, Senior Managing Director, Juvenile Law Center, Philadelphia, PA

  • Amanda Simmons, Ambika Law, PC, Corona del Mar, CA

About Ambika Law: 

At Ambika Law, PC, we deliver comprehensive legal services for families with special needs children, focusing on educational law, children’s rights and institutional child abuse. Guided by our core values of trauma-informed, compassionate, responsive, and resourceful lawyering, we create a supportive and proactive legal environment, ensuring our clients feel heard, understood, and effectively represented. 

About Amanda: 

Amanda Simmons is a lived experience advocate and founder of Ambika Law, an educational law firm focused on special education and school injury.  She is also a 2024-2025 American Bar Association Fellow focusing on institutional child abuse and has presented at conference including the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, the National Association of Women Judges, National Association of Counsel for Children and frequently publishes on legal topics related to the troubled teen industry.  She is passionate about protecting youth and devotes her practice to ensuring the safety of our most vulnerable children. 

Links and additional information: 

Citation: 

“Traumatizing and Unnecessary: Ending the Practice of Juvenile Strip Searches.” American Bar Association Webinar (Feb. 21, 2024). Available at: https://www.americanbar.org/groups/litigation/resources/on-demand/ending-the-practice-of-juvenile-strip-searches/.

Ambika Law is committed to inclusive representation by offering low bono, sliding scale, and contingency fee agreements. This approach ensures that we can represent your child regardless of your financial situation. We specialize in addressing educational needs, advocating for children’s rights within the school system, and ensuring they receive the appropriate support and education they deserve. Contact us today to see how we can help you navigate your child’s educational challenges and secure their right to a free and appropriate public education.