Jessie Slafter - Oakland, CA

Ms. Slafter, Esq., LCSW is a Senior Associate at Christy, Keith & Donnell Family Law Group, practicing in all areas of family law, including marital dissolutions, property characterization and division, child and spousal support, high conflict custody disputes, domestic violence, and post-judgment enforcement and modification proceedings. She brings a unique perspective and skillset as both a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a Family Law Attorney. Ms. Slafter has particular expertise in navigating the challenges of mental health, mental health systems, as well as the complexities inherent in family law. Her dual competencies aid in custody and visitation issues, parents helping children in the most challenging settings, and where interpersonal dynamics and family law cases are impacted by mental health and personality disorders.

Ms. Slafter obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Utah in 2008, where she served as the Community Service Coordinator at the Bennion Community Service Center. After graduating, she began her professional career working with children in mental health and foster care in Utah. She thereafter obtained her Master’s Degree in Social Work from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. in 2011, where she practiced as a family therapist for youth caught up in the juvenile justice system. After being exposed to complex legal barriers facing many of her clients, Ms. Slafter decided to enroll in law school to better advocate for families in need.

Ms. Slafter obtained her J.D. from Golden Gate University School of Law, where she graduated with Highest Honors and was the Managing Editor of the Golden Gate Law Review. While in law school, Ms. Slafter received numerous awards for her legal acumen, including the ALI CLE Scholarship & Leadership Award, the Faculty Merit Scholarship Award, the Public Interest Scholarship Award, the Honors Lawyering Program Award, and the Witkin Award.

After graduating law school third in her class, Ms. Slafter was awarded the prestigious and highly competitive Equal Justice Works Fellowship with East Bay Children's Law Offices (“EBCLO”) sponsored by Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton and Clorox, where she represented children in dependency and juvenile justice proceedings. During her five years there, Ms. Slafter was in court daily, zealously advocating on behalf of her clients at review hearings, trials, briefings, and settlement negotiations. She also served as a delinquency court liaison for foster youth facing criminal charges. Additionally, Ms. Slafter provided trainings across California to parents and providers on topics such as mental health law, boundaries, and trauma-informed practice.

Ms. Slafter ultimately transitioned her practice to family law, where she applies her unique background in litigation and mental health to her daily practice. Immediately prior to joining Christy, Keith & Donnell Family Law Group, Ms. Slafter was an associate at Wapnick Family Law.

Ms. Slafter has sat on the boards of a number of organizations, including the Mental Health Advisory Board of Alameda County, the Statewide Survivor’s Advisory Board of the California Action Team for Commercially Sexually Exploited Children, and the Aspire Education Project Board of Directors. She has also published a number of relevant pieces related to her work, including Supporting the Mental Health of Youth in Juvenile Court: Resource Guide and Bench Cards, Effective Representation of Children Who Have Been Sexually Exploited, and A New War on Drugs: Fighting State-Sponsored Overmedication of California’s Foster Youth.