A former client : There is no shortage of lawyers who will represent you, I learned, even in the draining work of child custody and abuse. (I went through six attorneys before finding Alan, an attorney who would have the patience to listen and the abilty to understand, as well as the integrity to represent us with conviction). Yet is has been my experience that a rare few truly understand not only the law, but how the system works, and the intricacies and subtleties that can either serve to protect your child or literally send her back to her abuser. Alan is one of those few. In this type of case you are playing with fire, for the lives of a child, and her or his protective parent, are often in jeopardy. The stakes are extraodinariy high. It requires much clarity, insight preparation , knowledge and commitment to remain in this battle and to win.
Another former client : Then we found Alan. He let us know, in word and deed, that we were not alone and that he was not forgetting us. He entered into our suffering, and was always “there”, giving us confidence, even though he was across the country or traveling for work. He was always there. And he cared, genuinely cared. He lent us his voice, as ours had been stifled. And he stood by us, not afraid of these terrible waters, and knowing exactly how to navigate them. Within a few months, he had steered our little ship out of danger. And now, two years later, we are on dry land. We are safe; we are safe; we are safe. Our case has been closed, and my son runs happily on the beach with his friends. Alan is and always will be our hero. If it were not for him, for his genuine caring, his tireless and constant leadership, and his supreme understanding of these treacherous waters, we would most certainly have drowned.
Another former client : In desperation, I turned to the Internet and tapped as many resources and networks that existed for abused women that I could find. Alan Rosenfeld’s name kept coming up as someone who could help. Upon receiving yet another recommendation from Justice for Children, I called Alan, and immediately felt a wave of relief upon talking to him. He took the time to explain his background and expertise, and laid out a strategy for working my case. His emphasis on honest attorney-client communication and placing the children’s needs as a top priority were a perfect fit for me.
Another former client : This is what makes him special from his extraordinary insights, wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of everybody in the case. He knows the pain of his client so well, that there have been times I could have sworn if there is another life, he has lived one as a battered woman or troubled child. But in this life he turned out to be a good man, a lawyer who stands for you while you can’t. Who’ll fight for you while you don’t know how. His responsibility toward your life and your child is unspeakable; his perfectionism makes you to have this peace of mind that your local attorneys can not make any mistake anywhere since he is your security system
An Expert Witness : Alan Rosenfeld, unassuming and unprepossessing as a person, is a powerful force in court. His modest style never falters, his voice never raises, yet his respectful relentlessness is irresistible. Judges who might ordinarily quash such testimony and who would surely hold his recycling of forbidden argument in contempt seem moved by his evident sincerity to hear him out, opening doors of reconsideration that were closed and locked through earlier decisions.
More than his superior, nation-based legal expertise, more even than his uniquely effective courtroom presentation, Alan succeeds in bringing compassion for the child into potentially obfuscating adult self-assurances. In a world where adults presume that only adults can make sense, Alan Rosenfeld devotes himself to knowing and feeling the sensation of the child, then to illuminating the court with child compassionate mentality.
The director of a not-for-profit : During that time, we watched as Aland did what he does best. In the midst of miserable circumstances, without guarantee of compensation and other resources most lawyers take for granted, Alan utilized every conceivable aspect of the law. He perservered. When prospects seem bleakest, he became more determined, coaxing reluctant lawyers and other professionals to listen to the young children who were depending on them. He never stopped teaching.
Alan’s extensive knowledge and understanding of all issues surounding child sexual abuse allow him to examine and cross examine expert witnesses in exquisite detail. The dialogue he creates often elicits positive testimony from an adverse witness. In the midst of highly charged court proceedings, his quiet resolve and absolute command of the task at hand bring focus to a courtroom where the frequent tendency is to blur the real issue of child protection in favor of the convenience for the adults involved.
He brings to the court the horror of the child victim caught between the cycle of sexual assault and a court system unwiling to grant her full rights under the law. The concept of child rape does not remain an abstract. Alan has the ability to assess cases already complicated by several previous, ineffective lawyers, see what has been missing, and present that to the court. Together with the child’s mother and sometimes the child herself, he tells the story in terms which reflect their pain, confusion, loneliness, betrayal and fear. And he has the audacity to expect the court to grant this child vitim the same protection and adult victim would receive.
I have spoken at length with several children who won court protection, thanks to his dedication to justice for children. They all believe that without Alan, they would be living with their rapist. He is their inspiration. Without exception, they say that Alan was the first adult aside from their mothers who listened, understood and tried to help.
One child, now a teenager told me that when she testified, “Alan held my life in his hands”. She said she felt safe in the courtroom. Alan made her feel brave enough to tell her story to the judge. Although her case ended several years ago, this young woman does not take her freedom and safety for granted. She plans to go to law school and become Alan’s partner. He remains her hero.
A now grown child : “he is an attorney who flies to different states for difficult cases and to help children, mothers, and families.” This is what my mother said in response to who Alan is…but I would think that Alan’s deeds can’t be expressed in words. I was 5 year old when I first met him. Except for his long hair and his beard I don’t remember much. But I do remember, when he came, and my mom had stopped crying out of worry for me. I remember he was the one that helped us to move to new home in different state.
And another now grown child: I just wanted to let you know, how fortunate and grateful I am that you took on my case. You saved my life and I want you to know this. I damn well mean this too with my soul. If you had not been so diligent and committed to me and my mom I would have gone right back to where I was; in the arms of an abuser, my father. I would have basically been sent in to a hell hole which would determine the fate of the rest of my life.
After one of my first “big” cases I was given an award by the staff of the Nashua Rape and Sexual Assault Services that contained this message: “To Alan. You gave us hope when there was none.”