Marja Plater joined the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs as the John E. Nolan Youth Justice Counsel in July 2021. Her primary focus is litigation and advocacy on behalf of the rights of youth especially in the areas of education and policing.
Prior to joining the Committee, Ms. Plater worked as a staff attorney with Maryland Legal Aid ensuring that low-income individuals had access to justice. There, she advocated for families by representing clients in a range of family law matters involving issues like custody, visitation, divorce, and domestic violence in Baltimore City District and Circuit Courts and the Maryland Court of Special Appeals.
Ms. Plater first began advocating for families and youth as child’s counsel in child welfare proceedings in Maryland. As child’s counsel, she often represented youth in the foster care system in Maryland Circuit Courts and the Maryland Court of Special Appeals. In addition to litigation, she also advocated for her youth clients on issues of placement, education, school discipline matters, mental health supports and for services to assist with transitioning out of foster care. Along with her commitment to youth rights advocacy, Ms. Plater possesses a passion for advancing racial and social justice.
Education
- JD, American University Washington College of Law
- BA, cum laude, Hampton University
Bar Admissions
- Maryland
- District of Columbia
- U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
- District of Columbia State Bar
- U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
Court Admissions
- U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
