CAP Volunteer of The Month – December 2021

Alisa Steinhauer – ALL-NET Resort & Arena

Alisa Steinhauer was born and raised in Southern California then attended Cooley Law School in Lansing, Michigan. While in law school, she worked with the Ingham County Prosecutor’s Victim Witness Unit, where she assisted kids who were victims of sexual abuse. She provided guidance and prepared them to testify against their abusers. Once Alisa graduated, she returned to Los Angeles and began volunteering with the Children’s Rights Committee of Public Counsel. She took numerous pro bono cases representing children in family law, guardianship, child abuse, and school cases. She also worked as a contract law clerk. Upon passing the bar, Alisa became a contract attorney at Rykoff Sexton.

While in California, Alisa advocated tirelessly for children in various ways. She had the opportunity to become a Panel Attorney for Ed Edelman Children’s Court in Monterey Park, where she worked in the presiding Judge Michael Nash’s courtroom. She was a member of the committee that put on the Dependency Court, Juvenile Law, & Procedures seminar for two years.  She put together the workshops “Bones, Brains, Burns & Bruises” and “Cultural Rituals & Practices, and How They Relate to Child Abuse.” In 1995, she created and put on “Protect Your Child Day” in collaboration with the Children’s Rights Committee of the LA County Bar. Her “Protect Your Child Day” was given a key to the City of Los Angeles by Mayor Richard Riordan, and in 1995, at the ABA National Conference, “Protect Your Child Day” won second place for Public Service Awards throughout the United States.

Alisa is currently In-House Counsel for the ALL-NET Resort & Arena and has multiple CAP cases with Legal Aid Center’s Pro Bono Project. Alisa became involved with Legal Aid Center after she moved to Las Vegas and was volunteering as a CASA in 2002. In 2003, she adopted her daughter from China. When her daughter was in middle school, she was in Trial by Peers and Alisa met Judge Frank Sullivan. She spoke to him about becoming involved in CAP and, although she was not yet licensed in Nevada at the time, she was able to become a CAP Pro Bono Attorney through the Emeritus License Program. Whenever Alisa is not busy at work, she enjoys her involvement with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as the Hospitality chair for the Run/Walk Auction Chair for the Heart of Fashion.

When asked why she does pro bono work, Alisa indicated that she has always loved working with and to protect children. She has seen children fall through the cracks of the system in so many situations and kept in homes they are not comfortable in or do not feel safe living in. Whether it is being a trustworthy adult they can count on or an advocate that will listen to them and fight for their interests, she said it is important to her to help make life easier for these children.

One of Alisa’s memorable cases was one in which she represented two preteen girls who had been placed in a very emotionally charged and complicated situation. Her minor clients were living with their grandmother and, unfortunately, the Social Worker was contributing to her clients’ anxiety issues. Her clients wanted to remain with their maternal grandmother or return to their mother’s home. The case became very contentious and, thankfully, her clients’ mother completed her case plan and the girls were able to return home to the family unit of their mother and stepfather. Alisa indicated that they are genuinely happy and grateful she fought to continue representing them when the social worker tried to put a wrench in her attorney-client representation. Their stress and anxiety has decreased and their grades have improved tremendously.

Alisa’s eagerness to help others and her selflessness, dedication, passion, and conviction for children is what makes her an extraordinary pro bono volunteer. For her commitment to pro bono, we honor Alisa Steinhauer as our December 2021 CAP Volunteer of the Month.