Credentials

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Attorney and Consultant

New York, NY—1976-2021
Individual practice limited to matters concerning children and youth: abuse/neglect, delinquency, custody/visitation, related tort litigation. Formerly specializing in juvenile defense, parole, pre-sentence.
Martindale-Hubbell: “AV Peer Review Rated” | Who’s Who in American Law

Director, Juvenile Justice Planning Project

New York, NY—1975-1985
Full supervisory and day-to-day management responsibilities for multi-disciplinary planning and design of service-delivery projects for life-style violent juvenile offenders. National consultant on linkages between child abuse and juvenile delinquency.

Director, Advocacy Associates

New York, NY and Jersey City, NJ—1973-1975
Day-to-day management of organization of criminal justice professionals. Prepared criminological and legislative analysis of the NJ Parole Board in cooperation with maximum security prisoners in NJ penal facilities.

Planner-Analyst, Crime Control Coordinator’s Office

New York, NY—1974-1975
Responsible for evaluation and monitoring of DCJS projects; designed and analyzed proposals for novel DCJS projects.

Project Director, Department of Youth Services

Boston, MA—1972-1973
Chief designer and manager of deinstitutionalization models for state’s juvenile “training schools” and detention centers.

Director, Intensive Treatment Unit (ANDROS II)

Roslindale, MA—1972-1973
Full supervisory and day-to-day management responsibilities for special maximum security institution focusing on treatment of “aggressive-violent” juvenile offenders. Planning and oversight of entire operation including staffing, training, programs, and treatment.

Deputy Director, Medfield-Norfolk Prison Project

Medfield, MA—1971-1972
Supervisory and management responsibilities for experimental resocialization and medical services program for state prisoners on-site at state mental hospital.

Director, Libra, Inc.

Cambridge, MA—1971-1972
Full supervisory and day-to-day management responsibilities for community-based re-entry program serving former federal, state, and juvenile prisoners returning to area.

Director, Uptown Community Organization

Chicago, IL—1970-1971
Full supervisory and day-to-day management responsibilities for private advocacy and social service agency, offering community-based services to urban migrant population.

Organizer/Coordinator, Calumet Community Congress

Calumet, IN—1970
Field organization and coordination of founding convention for county-wide, non-aligned political organization focusing on community action addressing local social concerns.

Urban Coordinator, Community Development Foundation

Norwalk, CT—1969-1970
Training Department: multiple assignments, including direct services and preparation of materials, from print to video, following return from special international assignment to war zone of Biafra (now Nigeria).

Unit Supervisor, Department of Social Services

New York, NY—1966-1969
Full supervisory and day-to-day management responsibilities for multi-faceted urban casework team (promotions from prior field positions: caseworker, senior caseworker).

Program Representative, U.S. Public Health Service

OH—1965-1966
Field investigator/interviewer for Task Force on Eradication of Syphilis; special investigative assignments for clinic, hospital, and institutional data-gathering.

EDUCATION

New England School of Law, Boston, Massachusetts
J.D., magna cum laude, June, 1975

  • Editor-in-Chief, New England Law Review, 1974-1975
  • Amos L. Taylor Graduation Award for Scholastic Excellence, 1975
  • Board of Trustees Full Scholarships: 1973-1974, 1974-1975
  • Moot Court Board (Post-Conviction Section) 1973-1975
  • American Jurisprudence Awards:
  • Criminal Law, Contracts, Domestic Relations, Administrative Law
  • West Annual Hornbook Student Award (First-in-class rank) 1973

Case Western Reserve University
LLD (hon.), 2004

Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
B.A., 1965

PROFESSIONAL FELLOWSHIPS

  • John Hay Whitney Foundation Fellow, 1976-1977
  • Industrial Areas Foundation Training Institute Fellow, 1970-1971
  • United States Public Health Service Interviewing School, 1965

HONORS & AWARDS

A/V Peer Review (highest rating) by Martindale-Hubbell
LL.D. (Hon.) Case Western Reserve University, 2004
First Annual Harvey R. Houck Award (Justice for Children), 2003
First Annual Illuminations Award (St. Vincent’s Center National Child Abuse Prevention Program), 2003
Childhelp Congressional Award, 1994
John Hay Whitney Foundation Fellow, 1976
Industrial Areas Foundation Training Institute Fellow, 1970

LITERARY AWARDS

  • Grand Prix de Littérature Policiére, 1988, for Strega [as La Sorciere de Brooklyn (Albin Michel)]
  • The Falcon Award, 1988, Maltese Falcon Society of Japan, for Strega (Hayakawa)
  • Deutschen Krimi Preis, Die Jury des Bochumer Krimi Archivs, 1989, for Flood [as Kata (Ullstein)]Raymond Chandler Award (per Giurìa a Noir in Festival, Courmayeur, Italy), 2000, for body of work

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

  • Board of Counselors:
    ChildTrauma Academy
    Houston, TX
  • (Past) Member, Expert Advisory Panel on Catastrophic Child Abuse
    New York State Office of Mental Health

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

  • PEN American Center
  • Writers Guild of America

AFFILIATIONS

Legislative Drafting Institute for Child Protection, Founding Member

WRITTEN WORKS

Texts

Novels (Also available as ebooks and audiobooks)

  • A Bomb Built in Hell, 1973
  • Flood, 1985; Strega, 1987
  • Blue Belle, 1988
  • Hard Candy, 1989
  • Blossom, 1990
  • Sacrifice, 1991
  • Shella, 1993
  • Down in the Zero, 1994
  • Footsteps of the Hawk, 1995
  • Batman: The Ultimate Evil, 1995
  • False Allegations, 1996
  • Safe House, 1998
  • Choice of Evil, 1999
  • Dead and Gone, 2000
  • Pain Management, 2001
  • Only Child, 2002
  • The Getaway Man, 2003
  • Down Here, 2004
  • Two Trains Running, 2005
  • Mask Market, 2006
  • Terminal, 2007
  • Another Life, 2008
  • Haiku, 2009
  • The Weight, 2010
  • That’s How I Roll, 2012
  • Blackjack, 2012

Graphic Novels

  • Hard Looks, 1996, 2002, 2012
  • Batman: The Ultimate Evil, 1995
  • Another Chance To Get It Right, 1993, 2003

Collected Short Stories

  • Born Bad, 1994
  • Everybody Pays, 1999
  • Mortal Lock, 2013

Collected Articles and Essays

Index

Presentations: Speeches, Lectures, Training

  • Ad Hoc Parole Committee, NJ State Prisons
  • Alaska Statewide Juvenile Justice Conference
  • American Academy of Forensic Sciences, Jurisprudence Section
  • American Society of Criminology
  • Arca Foundation
  • Arizona Governor’s Juvenile Justice Conference
  • Arthur D. Little, Inc.
  • Association of Judges of the Family Court of the State of New York
  • Boston University School of Law
  • Child Placement Review Board (NJ)
  • Cheshire County (NH) Chiefs of Police Association
  • Child Welfare League of America
  • Children’s Justice Conference (6th Annual), Washington State (CLE)
  • CUNY Adaptor Program
  • Cleveland Federation for Community Planning
  • Columbia University School of Social Work, Child Sexual Abuse Training
  • Community Development Foundation, (Norwalk, CT)
  • Community Research Center (Champaign, IL)
  • Connecticut Department of Personnel, Corrections Division
  • Crimes Against Children Conference, Children’s Advocacy Centers of Texas (Dallas, TX)
  • Eastern Regional Conference on Abuse and Multiple Personality (CME)
  • Eastern Virginia Medical School
  • Economic Development Council
  • Elmcor Narcotics Program
  • Exchange Club/Dick Webber Center, Mock Trial (CLE)
  • Florida Network of Youth and Family Services
  • Fordham University
  • Georgia Center for the Book
  • Georgia Institute of Continuing Judicial Education
  • Hostos Community College
  • Inter-Association Child Care Conference
  • John Jay College of Criminal Justice
  • Johns Hopkins University
  • Kirby Forensic Psychiatric Center (Grand Rounds, CME)
  • La Raza Unida (South Bronx, NY)
  • Law Guardian Training Program, NYS Ninth Judicial District (CLE)
  • Juvenile Defense and Child Protective Litigation (CLE)
  • League of Women Voters (NY)
  • Lenox Hill Hospital (NY)
  • Louisiana Agenda for Children
  • Maryland Governor’s Conference on Child Abuse & Neglect
  • Mercy College
  • Mississippi Committee for the Prevention of Child Abuse (CLE)
  • National Association of Counsel for Children (CLE)
  • National Center on Institutions and Alternatives
  • National Association of Counties Research
  • National College of Juvenile Justice
  • National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse, New York State Chapter
  • National Conference of Black Lawyers
  • National Council of Juvenile & Family Court Judges
  • National Office for Social Responsibility
  • National State Advisory Groups on Juvenile Justice
  • National Symposium on Child Sexual Abuse
  • National Children’s Advocacy Center
  • National Youth Work Alliance
  • New Hampshire Department of Corrections Field Service Unit
  • New York County Lawyers’ Association (CLE and Trial Demonstration Programs)
  • New York State Bar Association
  • New York State Bureau of Forensic Services
  • New York State Bureau of Prosecution and Defense Services
  • New York State Council of Voluntary Family and Child Care Agencies
  • NYU School of Law
  • New Orleans Writers’ Conference
  • Northeastern Family Institute
  • Oklahoma State Bar Association (CLE)
  • Oregon’s Agenda for Children, Youth, and Families
  • Oregon Youth Authority
  • Pennsylvania Office of Children, Youth, and Families
  • Redd Barna [Save the Children, Norway]
  • Save Our Children Organization (MN)
  • Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NY)
  • South Carolina Youth Services
  • Southeastern Network of Runaway, Youth and Family Services
  • Southern Legislators Conference
  • St. Luke’s (IA) Hospital Child Protection Center (CLE)
  • Support Center for Child Advocates
  • Texas Child Protective Services, Statewide Conference
  • Touro College of Law, Women’s Bar Association
  • United Way of Central Maryland
  • University Medical Center Mississippi (CME)
  • University of Northern Colorado Writer’s Conference
  • U.S. Campaign to End Child Prostitution in Asian Tourism (ECPAT)
  • U.S. Congressional Subcommittee on Libraries and the Internet
  • U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Regional Workshops
  • Virginia Juvenile Officers Association
  • Wake County (NC) Department of Social Services Coalition
  • Westinghouse National Issues Center
  • Youth Services Alliance of Pennsylvania

Representative List: Not Comprehensive