Beth Perez, LSW, Esq. is the Director of Intake and Pro Bono Services at the Support Center for Child Advocates in Philadelphia. Beth is responsible for maintaining a cadre of trained volunteer attorneys and paralegals sufficient to serve over 900 agency clients. She is responsible for recruiting, training and supporting volunteers, for supervising paralegal staff, as well as overseeing Child Advocates’ ongoing outreach to Law Firm practice groups. She manages intake and case assignment to staff and volunteer attorneys of approximately 300 new cases each year, including cases assigned from dependency court, domestic relations court, delinquency court, and criminal court. Additionally, she maintains a small caseload representing children as GAL/Child Advocate in both dependency and criminal matters as victim/witnesses. Additionally, Beth is a member of the Adjunct Faculty at Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law teaching a course in Child Welfare Law. Prior to her work at Child Advocates, Ms. Perez was a Child Advocate Attorney in the Child Advocacy Unit of the Defender’s Association of Philadelphia where she represented children in the child welfare system. She received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Dayton, a Masters degree in Social Services and Masters degree in Law and Social Policy from Bryn Mawr College of Social Work and Social Research, and a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Dayton School of Law. Beth is also a licensed Social Worker. Her activities include Philadelphia Bar Association YLD Executive Committee; Member Family Law Section Philadelphia Bar Association – Community Outreach Subcommittee; Co-Chair to the Pro Bono Subcommittee of the Delivery of Legal Services Committee; Member of Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA); PBA Zone 1 Co-Chair for the YLD 2022 to present; Zone 1 YLD Delegate to the PA House of Delegates; YLD Liaison to the Children’s Rights Committee; YLD Liaison to the Wellness and Well Being Committee; YLD Liaison to the Women in the Profession Committee; Member of Lawyer Assistance Committee; Member of Family Law Section; PBA Family Law Leadership Program 2024-2025; Young Lawyer Life Fellow for the Pennsylvania Bar Foundation; 2022-2023 Bar Leadership Institute.

Jamey Belin, Esq. is a senior associate at Charlton Law and is the chair of the family law group at the firm. In addition to family law, Jamey focuses his practice on guardian ad litem work, estate planning, and general counsel for small businesses. Formerly he served as an assistant district attorney for Armstrong County. He is the president of the Butler County Young Lawyers Division and an active member of the Butler County Bar Association. Jamey serves as the Butler County representative on the board of directors for Neighborhood Legal Services Associations. He is also active in the Hay-Sell Chapter of the American Inn of Courts. Jamey is the head attorney advisor for the Freeport Area High School Mock Trial team, where he helps the students craft their legal theories and foster a stronger understanding for law. Jamey graduated from the University of Dayton School of Law in 2016 where he was heavily involved with many volunteer programs and organizations. He earned a B.A. in Classical Studies from the University of Pittsburgh where he graduated magna cum laude.

Melissa Merchant-Calvert, Esq. owns and operates a small law firm in Mercer, Pennsylvania. Melissa’s primary areas of practice are family law and criminal law; however, Melissa’s practice areas also include civil litigation, estate planning and estates. Melissa is also court-appointed and privately hired as a Guardian Ad Litem in a variety of cases, including child custody, CYS, involuntary termination of parental rights cases, and guardianship actions. Prior to opening her own practice in January 2022, Melissa was employed as an associate attorney at Whalen Law Offices for almost 10 years. Melissa has previously served on the PBA Board of Governors as the Zone-10 Governor and currently holds the position of the Immediate Past Chair in the Young Lawyers Division. Melissa is active in the Mercer County Bar Association, where she currently holds the office of Secretary, as well as sitting on the Mercer County Bar Association Board of Directors.

Kristen Hamilton practices in Franklin County, handling cases in all aspects of family law and additionally has criminal trial experience, including prior capital case certification. Ms. Hamilton served as the Juvenile Public Defender from 2010-2020, Franklin County guardian ad litem from 2010-2024 and now serves as the Juvenile Hearing Officer. Ms. Hamilton received her undergraduate degree from Gettysburg College, gaining employment at Abraxas Youth Center as a Senior Treatment Supervisor working with juvenile firesetters and sexual offenders. Ms. Hamilton graduated from Widener Law Commonwealth, receiving commencement awards from the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and Widener in the areas of Children and the Law and Families. She has served as a panelist for various CLEs with topics ranging from civility within the profession to child advocacy. Ms. Hamilton began as Chair Young Lawyers’ Division of Franklin County, a delegate to the Statewide Children’s Roundtable. She continues to be heavily involved in the FCBA, and currently serves as a Secretary of the Franklin/Fulton Children’s Roundtable, FCBA Committee Chair and is a past-President. Ms. Hamilton continues to be active in the PBA, as its current Vice President and a tri-chair of BLI. Ms. Hamilton serves on multiple other local and statewide committees and organizations to improve the practice of law, as well as positively impact the lives of children and families in Pennsylvania through the juvenile delinquency and dependency systems.