Helene M. Snyder is a graduate of the University of Chicago Law School and has a background in both private practice and public interest law, including two years as a guardian ad litem with the Cook County Office of the Public Guardian representing children in abuse and neglect proceedings and supervising courtroom attorneys. Ms. Snyder’s legal practice has included the representation of children as their court-appointed attorney in custody and visitation cases and both parents and foster parents in abuse, neglect, custody, and visitation cases. She has also advised mental health professionals on confidentiality, mandated reporting, and other legal issues. Ms. Snyder has conducted workshops for mental health professionals and other service providers on family law, mandated reporting, confidentiality and juvenile law.

 

Since 1992, Ms. Snyder has taught courses on social work and the law, including mental health law, in the Graduate School of Social Work at Loyola University Chicago, where she is an adjunct professor. Between 2005 and 2014, Ms. Snyder also taught courses on social work and the law and on family policy and the law in the School of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago. Ms. Snyder also provides frequent trainings on various legal topics for mental health professionals as part of the Professional Development Program of the School of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago. She has published articles on effective legal representation of children in custody and visitation proceedings for the Chicago Bar Association and American Bar Association.