At SB 1190’s second Assembly policy hearing, Amanda Simmons testified in support of the Safe Passage for Youth Act before the Communications and Conveyance Committee, which voted 9–0 to pass the bill as amended. Testifying at both policy committees meant making the same case in two different registers: to a child-welfare committee, why the trip is part of the placement; to a transportation committee, why the passenger changes the duty of care.

At the bill’s first Assembly hearing, Amanda Simmons testified in support of SB 1190, the Safe Passage for Youth Act, which would license and regulate youth transportation companies in California. The Human Services Committee voted 7–0 to pass it. SB 1190 would require the Department of Social Services to license and regulate youth transportation companies operating in the state to prevent serious harm.

Amanda Simmons testified in support of SB 1111 (Ashby), which clarifies that a person’s voice or likeness includes a digital replica. The Assembly Public Safety Committee voted 9–0 to pass the bill. SB 1111 addresses digital replicas — computer-generated, highly realistic representations that are readily identifiable as a real person’s voice or visual likeness, depicting that person saying or doing something they never said or did.

A Tulare County court dismissed the misdemeanor child abuse complaint against a former Visalia Unified special education teacher on statute-of-limitations grounds. Amanda Simmons appeared on camera in the coverage alongside co-counsel Leigh Anne Hodge. The criminal case has ended; the families’ civil claims continue.

Amanda Simmons was quoted in ABC30 Fresno’s coverage of the arraignment in the Visalia Unified special education abuse case, as families of nonverbal students spoke publicly for the first time. Ambika Law represents families of nonverbal students with disabilities who allege that Visalia Unified School District failed to act on reports of physical abuse in a self-contained special education classroom at Highland Elementary School — and did not tell parents for more than a year.

Ambika Law is proud to share that founder and children’s rights attorney Amanda Simmons has been selected to serve as a member of the California Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) Special Education Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee provides non-binding recommendations to improve California’s special education hearing and mediation processes, helping shape how disputes between families and school districts are handled throughout the state.

Ambika Law, PC is proud to announce that our founder, Amanda Simmons, served as a contributor to the newly released Illinois “Conversion Therapy” Legal Accountability Guide, a comprehensive resource designed to help survivors, attorneys, and mental health professionals understand their rights and pursue accountability when harmful conversion practices occur. This guide marks a significant step forward in protecting LGBTQ+ individuals and strengthening the legal tools available to challenge these discredited and dangerous practices.

In August 2025, the Orange County Bar Association’s Mommy Esq. Committee selected Amanda Simmons, founder of Ambika Law, to present her program, “Bullies & Mean Girls: Protecting Your Child Online and at School.” The session was designed for attorneys, parents, and advocates seeking a deeper understanding of the legal landscape surrounding bullying in both traditional school settings and online environments.

Ambika Law is honored to announce that Amanda Simmons has been appointed to the American Bar Association’s Commission on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) for the 2025–2026 bar year. The appointment, formally confirmed by SOGI Chair Hon. Kristin Rosi, places Amanda among a national group of distinguished leaders working to advance LGBTQ+ equality within the legal profession and the justice system.

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.

Ambika Law, PC is proud to announce that founder and attorney Amanda Simmons presented "Understanding and Enforcing Conversion Therapy Legislation: An Illinois Pilot Project" for The Chicago Bar Association on May 21, 2025. Amanda's presentation was one of six sessions in the CBA's fourth annual Professional Responsibility Overview — a full-day virtual program hosted by the association's Continuing Legal Education Committee.

Amanda Simmons, founder of Ambika Law, PC, co-authored “IDEA, ADA and 504: Effective Representation of Youth in Residential Treatment Centers,” a whitepaper published by the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA) and presented at the organization’s 2025 Annual Conference. She wrote the piece with fellow attorneys David German and Leigh Anne Hodges.

Amanda Simmons, founder of Ambika Law, PC, authored “Judicial Solutions to End Institutional Child Abuse,” published in the American Bar Association’s Judicial Division Record (Winter 2025). Written for a judicial audience, the article pairs a candid account of the “troubled teen industry” with a practical Judicial Bench Card for Congregate Care Placements — a checklist judges can use to protect children before and during placement in a residential treatment facility.

Amanda Simmons, founder of Ambika Law, PC, co-authored “Congregate Care, Collective Trauma,” the lead feature of the Winter 2024 issue of The Guardian, the quarterly law journal of the National Association of Counsel for Children (NACC). She wrote the piece alongside survivor-advocate and journalist Chelsea Maldonado, lived-experience advocate Kayla Muzquiz, and Oregon family defender Annette Smith. Written for the child-welfare bar, the article gives judges and attorneys a grounded overview of the “troubled teen industry” and practical guidance for protecting youth at risk of congregate-care placement.

On December 11, 2024, the National Association of Counsel for Children (NACC) hosted a national webinar titled “Congregate Care & Collective Trauma,” featuring a multidisciplinary panel of experts examining the troubled-teen industry. Panel hosts included Attorneys Amanda Simmons and Annette Smith, as well as survivor advocates Chelsea Maldonado and Kayla Muzquiz.

On November 12, 2024, the American Bar Association’s Judicial Division hosted a national program titled “Judicial Solutions to Institutional Child Abuse,” a timely and highly attended discussion addressing the urgent need for judicial leadership in responding to abuse within youth residential treatment facilities. The program, moderated by Amanda Simmons, founder of Ambika Law, brought together distinguished judges and national experts to examine the legal, structural, and ethical challenges surrounding institutional child abuse—and the critical role judges play in protecting vulnerable youth.

At the 2024 Annual Meeting of the National Association of Women Judges (NAWJ) in San Diego, Amanda Simmons, founder of Ambika Law, joined an esteemed panel of judicial leaders, prosecutors, survivor-advocates, and national anti-trafficking experts for the session “What Every Judge Needs to Know: Best Practices for Hidden Faces and Forms of Human Trafficking.”

Attorney Amanda Simmons of Ambika Law, PC was recently honored with a prestigious appointment as a Presidential Fellow for the American Bar Association representing the SOGI Committee. This prestigious appointment will allow Amanda to focus on her advocacy efforts for institutional child abuse and the troubled teen industry on behalf of the American Bar Association.

This 3-part ABA webinar series explores the history, policy solutions, and legal challenges and presents practical solutions for effective change.  Resolution 605 was adopted by the American Bar  Association in 2023 because of decades of well-documented abuse within the Troubled Teen Industry and youth residential treatment centers.  Despite this awareness, little has been done to protect children in institutional settings.

This 3-part ABA webinar series explores the history, policy solutions, and legal challenges and presents practical solutions for effective change.  Resolution 605 was adopted by the American Bar  Association in 2023 because of decades of well-documented abuse within the Troubled Teen Industry and youth residential treatment centers.  Despite this awareness, little has been done to protect children in institutional settings.