Professor Dr. Jessica Heldman

Biography

Jessica Heldman is a Fellmeth-Peterson Associate Professor at the University of San Diego School of Law, specializing in Child Rights and Juvenile Law. She obtained her Juris Doctor in 2004 from the University of San Diego and her Bachelor of Science in 1995 from Northwestern University. Her professional experience includes serving as the Associate Executive Director of the Robert F. Kennedy National Resource Center for Juvenile Justice, where she provided technical assistance and training to state and local jurisdictions on law and policy development in child welfare and juvenile justice systems. She has also consulted for organizations such as Children’s Rights and the Child Welfare League of America, and contributed to various publications on juvenile justice reform and representation of dual status youth. As an advocate, Heldman is recognized for her expertise, having presented expert testimony to U.S. Congressional staff and contributed to important toolkits for information sharing among youth and family-serving systems. Her scholarly work has been published in prominent legal journals, focusing on critical issues affecting vulnerable children in the legal system.

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