Legal Insights 2026: Key Issues in Sexual Violence Law

Sexual Assault Awareness Month Virtual Panel

Legal Insights 2026: Key Issues in Sexual Violence Law

“25 Years Stronger: Looking Back, Moving Forward” is the theme of this year’s Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Watch the panel discussion recording below and see Victim Rights Law Center (VRLC) connect with a national audience  to explore key issues and updates in sexual violence law in the current political climate.

Legal Insights Panelists

• Mary Liu, Esq., joined Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis, & Overholtz (AWKO) in 2012 and focuses her practice on sexual assault, social media addiction, and online sexual abuse and exploitation of children litigation. She leads AWKO’s nationwide sexual assault and online sexual abuse cases, representing survivors against institutions including churches, schools, youth organizations, and detention facilities. Mary serves on the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in the Social Media Addiction Litigation in both the Northern District of California and Los Angeles County Superior Court, helping lead litigation against Meta, Snap, TikTok, and YouTube.Prior to joining AWKO, Mary served as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Florida, handling civil prosecutions involving child abuse, abandonment, and neglect. She also founded a family law practice and served as an Assistant Professor of Law at Irvine University College of Law. Mary is licensed in Florida and California and serves on the Board of Directors for Child USA. She holds a B.S. from the University of Florida and a J.D. from Nova Southeastern University School of Law.
• Kate Peterson, Esq., is a Senior Attorney with Democracy 2025 at Democracy Forward. She is a federal policy and grants expert with more than a decade of experience advancing justice for crime victims.Previously, Kate served as a Senior Policy Advisor at the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), advising leadership on national policy and legal issues affecting federal crime victim programs. She led DOJ’s rulemaking to modernize the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Compensation Rule and previously served as Director of OVC’s State Victim Resource Division, overseeing more than 350 VOCA programs totaling $7.8 billion in funding. Kate also held leadership roles within OVC’s National Program Division, Human Trafficking Team, Tribal Team, and Mass Violence Response Team.Earlier in her career, Kate worked in the DOJ Criminal Division and the Office on Violence Against Women and practiced law focusing on domestic violence cases. She holds an LL.M. from Georgetown University Law Center, a J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law, and a B.A. from the University of Colorado, Boulder.
• Amanda Walsh, Esq., is VRLC’s Deputy Director of External Affairs. In this capacity, she is responsible for spearheading the organization’s communications and national policy initiatives. She leads VRLC’s training and consultation program, supporting thousands of attorneys, campus administrators, advocates, and law enforcement professionals. Amanda oversees VRLC’s education practice and is a Title IX and campus gender-based violence expert. From 2015-2017, Amanda was the Title IX Program Officer at Brown University. She was responsible for implementing Brown’s sexual and gender-based harassment and violence policy and complaint procedures, building Brown’s flagship Title IX Office, and overseeing all related complaint investigations. Amanda is a graduate of Northeastern University and Roger Williams University School of Law.

…and moderated by Stephanie Friends Holt, Esq., the Deputy Director of Operations at the Victim Rights Law Center (VRLC).

Stephanie represents survivors of rape, sexual assault, and stalking throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, with a focus on employment law, workplace retaliation, privacy and confidentiality protections, criminal justice advocacy, and safety planning. She regularly trains on employment rights, privacy, safety, and legal matters affecting the nonprofit sector. She also oversees VRLC’s national and statewide pro bono initiatives, recruiting, training, and mentoring volunteer attorneys to expand access to legal representation for survivors. Stephanie began her work with VRLC in 2013 as a volunteer attorney and later joined the organization full time. She is a graduate of Virginia Tech and the University of Illinois College of Law.