Meet the Founder,

Dawn J. Post

Dawn J. Post is a nationally recognized children’s rights attorney, legal reformer, and advocate for youth. She is the founder and executive director of Themis Youth Law & Advocacy, a nonprofit legal and policy organization dedicated to providing trauma-informed legal advocacy, emergency intervention, and systemic reform strategies for children, youth and young adults impacted by adoption, harmed in institutional settings, or failed by the very systems meant to protect them.

With over two decades of experience in nonprofit legal services, Dawn has served as the “attorney for the child” in hundreds of cases involving child welfare with an emphasis on broken adoptions, high conflict custody and visitation, and youth legal rights. Her work bridges litigation, policy reform, and public education, with a focus on elevating the voices and legal needs of youth often fall throrugh the gaps of the child welfare and juvenile justice systems experiencing legal invisibility: no advocate, no plan, and no oversight.

Before founding Themis, Dawn held senior roles in public interest legal organizations in New York City, taught as an adjunct professor, and co-authored multiple publications on child advocacy and legal ethics. Her approach is grounded in a child-centered, trauma-informed framework that holds institutions accountable while championing systemic change.

Dawn continues to serve as a national thought leader on youth law and frequently advises policymakers, educators, and child welfare professionals nationwide.