Justice For Kids®

Justice For Kids®

Overview

Justice for Kids®, a division of Kelley Kronenberg, is a unique national law practice dedicated to providing legal services to protect abused children. The team includes highly experienced trial lawyers who exclusively serve at-risk and medically fragile children who have been physically, sexually, and emotionally abused or injured or suffered wrongful death in all settings, including family residences, foster homes, group homes, emergency shelters, and residential treatment centers. The team is led by Howard Talenfeld, Justin Grosz, and Stacie Schmerling.

Howard is one of the nation’s preeminent and pioneering children’s rights attorneys. Justin is a former Assistant State Attorney who has tried hundreds of cases, recovering millions of dollars for his clients. A former child welfare investigator and social worker, Stacie today is an attorney representing catastrophically injured children. Together, they have protected the rights of thousands of children, sought recovery for the estates of children who have died, and pushed through systemic reforms designed to improve living conditions and prevent future injury and death to society’s most vulnerable minors.

At Justice for Kids®, we strongly believe that “justice delayed is justice denied,” especially in the life of a child. Litigation can take years, meaning a significant verdict may come too late to help a child in need. Before any lawsuit or claim is filed, we provide expertise in seeking immediate care where necessary from skilled medical, mental health, and planning professionals. This can help prevent or minimize immediate or long-term harm from their trauma and possibly improve their prognosis. At the same time, we seek to negotiate with the social service agencies, insurers, and potential defendants to obtain a fair and timely settlement. Years spent representing insurers have taught us many prefer timely resolution to avoid spending hundreds of thousands of dollars or more defending claims. Our primary goal is to obtain justice – and begin the healing – as early as possible.

When insurers and defendants have refused fair, early settlement offers, our attorneys have secured hundreds of millions of dollars in individual damage cases, federal civil rights claims, and class action relief. We have successfully avoided state sovereign immunity damages caps and limits on damages.

When we prevail through settlement or trial, we call on the expertise of Kelley Kronenberg planning attorneys. They can prepare appropriate estate plans, trusts, and guardianships to implement life care plans for clients whose catastrophic injuries will require structured medical assistance for the rest of their lives.

Our attorneys have received the highest recognition for public service and pro bono work, which have led to judicial decisions, legislative reforms, and significant budgetary appropriations that help protect children. Since 2002, Howard has been the founding President of Florida’s Children First, the state’s premier child advocacy organization which has helped tens of thousands of children in Florida and contributed to national reform.