Dr. Lucy Johnston Walsh

Biography

Lucy Johnston-Walsh is an associate professor of law at Penn State Dickinson Law, where she also directs the Children’s Advocacy Clinic and the Center for Children’s Law. She supervises law students in their legal representation of child clients involved in abuse and neglect court cases, as well as high-conflict custody disputes. The clinic provides an interdisciplinary program, partnering law students with graduate social work interns and pediatric medical residents, offering direct legal representation and advocacy for children's legal interests in complex cases. Johnston-Walsh's work addresses broader systemic policy issues that impact youth in the foster care system, focusing recently on the legal challenges faced by youth aging out of foster care. Her advocacy efforts have included collaborating with the Penn State Child Maltreatment Solutions Network to develop the Fostering Lions Program aimed at supporting foster youth pursuing higher education. Among her past roles, she has served as an attorney with MidPenn Legal Services and as the policy director for the statewide child advocacy organization Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children. Johnston-Walsh’s scholarship has been published in notable law journals, and she has been actively engaged in legislative reform initiatives, serving as co-chair of the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Children’s Rights Committee. She teaches various courses related to child welfare law and juvenile law and participates in several advisory committees focused on child advocacy.

Research Interests

Experience