Amanda Simmons Honored with the Jack Berman Award of Achievement by the California Lawyers Association

Ambika Law is proud to announce that founder Amanda Simmons has been selected as a recipient of the prestigious Jack Berman Award of Achievement from the California Lawyers Association (CLA). This statewide honor recognizes a young lawyer who has dedicated their early career to outstanding service, impact, and leadership within the legal profession and the broader community.

The award celebrates attorneys who demonstrate an exemplary commitment to public service, legal scholarship, advocacy for vulnerable populations, and contributions that advance the administration of justice—qualities that define Amanda’s work and mission.

Amanda was recognized for her pioneering advocacy on behalf of children’s rights, survivors of institutional abuse, and marginalized youth in residential treatment programs. As both a survivor and an attorney, she has transformed her lived experience into national legal reform efforts, scholarly publications, and high-impact presentations. Her work drafting and presenting ABA Resolution 605, which secured unanimous support from the American Bar Association for the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act, was a cornerstone of her nomination and remains one of the most significant child-protection achievements in recent ABA history.

Throughout her early career, Amanda has contributed to key initiatives within the ABA SOGI Commission, the ABA Children’s Rights Litigation Committee, the National Association of Women Judges, and multiple national conferences focused on child welfare, juvenile justice, and civil rights. She has published widely, presenting cutting-edge research on juvenile strip searches, youth rights, and abuse in the troubled-teen industry. Her work has been cited by advocates, legal educators, and judicial leaders across the country.

Amanda’s nomination emphasized her unwavering commitment to trauma-informed advocacy. At Ambika Law, she represents children and families navigating special education, educational neglect, and institutional harm, providing compassionate, survivor-centered representation rarely found in traditional legal settings. Her practice reflects her belief that the legal system should protect—not retraumatize—the most vulnerable, and that attorneys have a moral obligation to confront systemic abuse with clarity and courage.

Receiving the Jack Berman Award of Achievement is a powerful recognition of Amanda’s leadership and the impact she has already made so early in her legal career. It reflects the core values of Ambika Law: dignity, justice, and fierce advocacy for children who have been silenced by the systems meant to protect them.

Amanda is deeply honored to receive this award and remains committed to using her voice, her story, and her legal training to advance reforms that safeguard children and ensure accountability within institutions nationwide.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 claims.  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.