About Morgan Cox

Morgan started her legal career interning in a domestic violence shelter in Pennsylvania.  The internship allowed her to experience, even before finishing law school, what it was like to work with families in crisis and how to use her law degree to positively impact people’s lives.  Immediately after law school, Morgan clerked for three family court judges in the Family Court of the State of Delaware.  For two years, Morgan assisted in the writing of judicial opinions, including custody, visitation, support, and termination of parental rights. Morgan’s desire to do child advocacy work was prompted by her time as a law clerk.  She knew that ultimately she would like to focus her career on being a voice for children.

After her clerkship, Morgan worked as an associate attorney at Maddox & Gerock, P.C. (formerly The Maddox Law Firm, PC).  Morgan was honored to train under Marcia Maddox, Esquire, who taught her the practice of family law and how to be a trial attorney. Marcia was a friend and mentor for many years.  While at The Maddox Law Firm, Morgan handled custody, support, equitable distribution, protection from abuse, and stepparent adoption cases in Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Courts and Circuit Courts in Northern Virginia.

Morgan became qualified as a guardian ad litem for children in 2008.  Morgan represented children as a guardian ad litem in abuse & neglect (foster care), adoption, custody, visitation, and child in need of services cases in Arlington and Alexandria.  She also represented parents in abuse & neglect (foster care) cases, both in court and in administrative appeals before the Commissioner of Social Services.

After learning of the need for lawyers to represent unaccompanied minors, Morgan started doing pro bono work with Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) in Washington D.C.  Specifically, she was trained and represented children in Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) cases, both in the Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Courts and Immigration Courts in Northern Virginia.

Morgan received recognition for her skills by being selected as a Rising Star Virginia Super Lawyers Magazine from 2009-2012.

In 2012, Morgan’s husband received a great career opportunity in Northern California and so her family relocated to Livermore, CA for four years.  While in California, Morgan became certified as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA).  She was a CASA for two medically fragile children.  After passing the California bar exam, she was able to continue practicing family law at Family Law Group in Livermore, CA.  She also continued to do pro bono work on behalf of unaccompanied minors through Legal Services for Children in San Francisco.  Her pro bono work extended to children seeking asylum.

Morgan and her family permanently relocated back to Virginia and are happy to call Charlottesville their forever home. Morgan is thrilled to have the opportunity to focus again on child advocacy. It is Morgan’s purpose to ensure that children get the highest level of advocacy for what is in their best interest.

Morgan and her husband have two children, ages 5 and 7.  Morgan and her husband are involved in the local community.  Morgan’s husband is a soccer coach with SOCA and Morgan volunteers time with her homeowner’s association and church.  Morgan and her husband are also licensed foster parents for the City of Charlottesville, Albemarle County, and Greene County.

Bar Admissions

Commonwealth of Virginia, October 2003
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, June 2004
State of California, January 2014

Education

Regent University School of Law, Juris Doctorate
Dickinson College, Bachelor of Arts

Published Articles

Finding Social Justice at the Point Where Christianity and the Legal System Meet, 15 Regent U.L. Rev. 1 (2002).

A Case Study on the Protection Afforded Children Under the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act, The VTLA Journal Vol. 21, No. 4 (2010).

Honors and Awards

Selected as a Rising Star in the Virginia Super Lawyers Magazine (2009-2012).

Professional Associations

California State Bar, Member (Inactive)

Charlottesville-Albemarle Bar Association, Member

National Association of Counsel for Children, Member

Pennsylvania State Bar, Member (Inactive)

Virginia State Bar, Member

Past Employment Positions

Family Law Group LLP, Senior Associate Attorney
Maddox & Gerock, P.C. (formerly The Maddox Law Firm, P.C.), Associate Attorney
Family Court of the State of Delaware, Law Clerk
Eastern Virginia Legal Aid Society Senior Law Center, Summer Law Clerk
YWCA of Greater Harrisburg Domestic Violence Legal Clinic, Equal Justice Works Summer Fellow

Pro Bono & Volunteer Experience

California

Alameda County’s Volunteer Legal Services Corporation
Bay Area Legal Aid, Oakland, CA
Court Appointed Special Advocate, Alameda County, California
Legal Services for Children, San Francisco, CA

Virginia

Kids In Need of Defense, Washington D.C.
Northern Virginia Pro Bono Law Center, Fairfax, VA