For Immediate Release
Reading, Pa. – Barley Snyder is pleased to announce that attorney Zachary D. Griffith has been elected Vice President and attorney Caitlin M. Long has been appointed to the board of directors of the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Berks County.
CASA works to provide competent and caring court-appointed community volunteers to advocate for children facing abuse, neglect, and/or abandonment. The organization aims to restore their well-being and ensure the eminent right to a safe, nurturing, and permanent home. With over 1,000 programs across 49 states, CASA has helped bring 2 million abused children to justice since its establishment in 1977. CASA of Berks County was formed in 2015. Presently, there are 55 CASA of Berks County volunteers who dedicate their time to help change children’s lives every day.
Griffith Deepening his Dedication to CASA
Since 2021, Griffith has been involved with CASA of Berks County serving as a board member and was appointed chair of its governance and nominating committee in 2022. In his new officer position, Griffith will have a more active role with board responsibilities including fiscal oversight, ensuring legal and ethical integrity, recruiting prospective candidates for the board of directors, and increasing the organization’s public standing.
“I am incredibly humbled to have been chosen to continue my involvement with CASA of Berks County as Vice President of the board,” said Griffith. “I look forward to furthering the organization’s mission, alongside Caitlin and fellow board members, to help provide a safe and positive future for all children in Berks County facing abuse.”
Griffith is a member of Barley Snyder’s Trusts & Estates Practice Group representing clients on matters such as estate planning, estate administration, trust formation, guardianships and adoptions, in addition to handling all stages of Orphans’ Court litigation matters. Aside from CASA of Berks County, he volunteers his time as a tour guide with the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum.
Long Becoming Further Connected to CASA
Prior to being named to the board, Long served as a CASA of Berks County committee member. Her involvement with CASA of Berks County continues her history of volunteerism and helping youth in our community. Long has volunteered with the Bench Mark program in Lancaster City, a nonprofit organization helping under-served youth transform their futures through fitness. During law school, she assisted with teaching lesson plans about constitutional rights to students in the juvenile justice system in Washington D.C.
“As an attorney, I know firsthand how difficult it is to understand the legal system as an educated adult, let alone as a child,” Long said. “As someone with the time, resources, connections within the community, and education on our legal system, I believe it is my responsibility to use those skills to make a positive difference in the reality of the children in the Berks County dependency system.”
Long is a member of Barley Snyder’s Business and Creditors’ Rights practice groups. She previously worked as a law clerk at the firm as she completed her final year of law school. Prior to that, she was worked as a summer associate at the firm and clerked for the Office of Maryland Attorney General’s Antitrust Division.
About Barley Snyder
Barley Snyder is a law firm based in Pennsylvania with more than 130 attorneys practicing from offices located in Lancaster, York, Reading, Harrisburg, Lebanon, Malvern, Hanover, Gettysburg and Schuylkill Haven, Pa., and Hunt Valley and Columbia, Md. The firm serves businesses, individuals and organizations in all major areas of civil law including business, employment, immigration, employee benefits, finance & creditors’ rights, intellectual property, litigation, estate planning and administration, real estate, tax, construction, environment and energy, health care, education, municipal authority, hospitality, senior living, cybersecurity and food and agribusiness. www.barley.com | @BarleySnyder
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