VIRTUAL: DIY Adoption Workshop • 6 - 8 PM |

 This event is virtual, you will receive the Zoom link after registering for this event!

Please do not share this Zoom link with others. We appreciate you sharing our programs, we just ask that every attendee registers before joining.

Thank you.

What:

Join OFC in this virtual workshop to learn about the process surrounding adoption for LGBTQ+ parents. Hear from and ask our experienced adoption attorneys who specialize in LGBTQ+ adoption and law your questions about the procedures involved in this process. In this workshop, we will be completing the paperwork together and you will have the opportunity to leave with this aspect of the process complete. 

Prior to the workshop, we will send you the packet of forms that need to be completed under California Adoption Law. We encourage you to fill out as much as possible before attending so that you are able to ask specific questions if needed. Our lovely attorneys will go over the adoption process and provide a general logistics overview for the first half of the workshop. From there, we will separate into breakout rooms and go over that paperwork packet in smaller groups.

This packet will be sent in a separate email than your registration confirmation. 

We can't wait to see you there!

Meet Our Experts!

Emily Doskow

Emily Doskow has been practicing family law in the Bay Area since 1989. She specializes in family formation matters including adoption and parentage cases, sperm and ovum donor agreements, surrogacy agreements, and prenuptial and post-nuptial agreements, and consults with clients going through an uncontested divorce. She is the author or co-author of numerous books published by Nolo, including Nolo’s Essential Guide to Divorce and The Legal Guide for Lesbian & Gay Couples, and is a frequent speaker on LGBTQI family issues. Emily is a member of the Academy of California Adoption Lawyers, a member of the National Family Law Advisory Council of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, and a former member of the Boards of Directors of Women Lawyers of Alameda County and NCLR, where she is past co-chair. Emily also teaches mindfulness meditation to lawyers.

Deborah Wald

Deborah Wald is a Certified Family Law Specialist whose legal work focuses almost entirely on children. Her practice is divided between family formation – including egg, sperm and embryo donation, surrogacy, and adoption – and child-centered litigation including parentage disputes, guardianships, and child custody cases. She is the President of the Academy of California Adoption-ART Lawyers, and is the standing Chair of the National Family Law Advisory Council of the National Center for Lesbian Rights. She was named the Family Lawyer of the Year in 2022 by the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association. She has been involved for many years in both legislation and litigation that has helped frame California’s approach to determining parentage in general, determining parentage in cases involving assisted reproduction, and protecting the rights of LGBTQ parents and their children. A graduate of Northeastern University School of Law in Boston, Massachusetts, Deborah lives in San Francisco with her partner of 42 years – except for the late summer and early fall, when she relocates to the Canadian Rockies to enjoy the turning of the seasons in the mountains and spend time with her younger son who lives there.

Ora Prochovnick

Ora Prochovnick is the Director of Litigation and Policy at the Eviction Defense Collaborative, the lead agency for San Francisco’s Tenant Right to Counsel Program. She joined the EDC in 2020 after over 35 years of working in the San Francisco Bay Area’s legal services community. Ora was a partner and founding member of Bayside Legal Advocates, a community law office in the Mission District of San Francisco, where for ten years her practice focused on tenant advocacy, civil rights litigation and family formation and protection. In 1994 Ora became a professor at New College School of Law, and subsequently served as the Director of Clinical and Public Interest Law Programs and professor of law at John F. Kennedy University, continuing a private practice in queer family law, with a focus on family formation and protection. She has a distinguished history of community service and pro-bono activities and has received many awards from the State Bar and local bar associations in recognition of her expertise and legal assistance, particularly to the low-income community. Ora has been a frequent presenter at workshops and seminars, for both legal professionals and the general public. Ora has been through the adoption process herself, albeit some years go, as the nonbiological parent of two kids who somehow are now in their thirties, together with her partner of 42 years.

When:

Thursday, April 3, 2025 • 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM 

Where:

This workshop is virtual and will be happening via Zoom

For further information:

Contact our Programs Coordinator, Sophia (She/They) at Sophia@OurFamily.org

We strive to make our programs accessible to all families. Please register for accommodations that would help your family participate to the fullest (e.g. ASL interpreter, translator, childcare providers experienced with kids with disabilities, large print materials, gluten-free food options, etc.). If registering within 48 hours of the event, please call 415-981-1960 to ensure receipt of your request.