Grace M. Lopes

Grace M. Lopes has served for over two decades as a court-appointed Special Master, Arbiter, and Monitor, in a series of class action lawsuits related to child welfare, public education, mental health, juvenile justice, and adult corrections. Throughout the course of these appointments, she has mediated relatively minor disputes as well as major disputes with substantial public and/or monetary impact.

Ms. Lopes currently serves as a court-appointed Special Arbiter in a class action lawsuit concerning the District of Columbia juvenile justice system. During this appointment, she also served as a court-appointed Monitor in a class action lawsuit related to the reform of Mississippi’s child welfare system.

Earlier in her career, Ms. Lopes was employed as the managing director of the D.C. Appleseed Center for Law and Justice; the general counsel, and as special counsel for receiverships and institutional reform litigation, to former District of Columbia Mayor, Anthony Williams; and as the executive director of the D.C. Prisoners’ Legal Services Project, Inc. Ms. Lopes also has worked as a clinical law professor and as a litigator specializing in class action and criminal defense matters.

She has authored journal and law review articles and been active in community and pro bono projects. In addition to awards for outstanding government service, Ms. Lopes was awarded the John A. Wilson Community Service Award by the Trial Lawyers Association of Washington, D.C.