EDUCATION
Indiana University: Bloomington, Indiana
J.D. 1978, M.S. Counseling & Guidance, 1973, B.A. Psychology, 1971
EXPERIENCE
Delaware Law School Director of Youth Courts and Adjunct Professor
2015-Present
Trained 130 DLS students- placing them in school-based youth courts. Coordinated
judicial/public interest externships and oversaw Directed Research course resulting
in youth court and systems change white papers. Member of Trauma Informed Education
Coalition. Authored 3 youth court training manuals for teachers, students, and volunteers.
Instructor/Director of the Youth Courts-Harcum College
September 1, 2017 - Present.
Co-designed curriculum and taught first youth court college course in PA. Provided
training to school district staff in Allegheny, Dauphin, Lancaster and York counties.
Co-founded Philadelphia Region Youth Court Advisory Board. Member of the PA
Joint State Government Commission Youth Court Advisory Committee - which issued
a report in 2019. Led ongoing effort to implement recommendations of that report.
Director Youth Court Initiative, Community College of Philadelphia
March, 2017 – September, 2017
Designed the first youth court course for higher education students in Pennsylvania.
Developed a fundraising strategy to secure financial resources for Youth Court Initiative.
Director-Youth Court Support Center at EducationWorks
September, 2012-February, 2017
Created structure to train undergraduate and law students to operate Philadelphia region
elementary/middle/high school youth courts. Organized youth court seminars for law
students, lawyers, and educators at U.S. Attorney’s Office and U. Penn Law School.
Designed/implemented more than 25 youth courts in SE PA, New Jersey, and Delaware.
Fellowship-Stoneleigh Center Foundation
January, 2009 to September, 2012
Designed and implemented 4 youth courts within the Chester-Upland School District.
Initiated and led PA youth court movement. Drafted youth court bill for Pennsylvania.
Associate-Foehl & Eyre, P.C., Media, PA
September, 2007 to December, 2008
Divided time between corporate litigation and youth court development.
Executive Director-Delaware County Legal Assistance, Chester, PA
May, 1997 – June, 2008
Oversaw regulatory compliance, fundraising, community/workforce advocacy.
● Raised $1.2 million for new staff; attorney fundraising campaign was the most successful in the U.S. for programs of our geographical size;
● Created new community economic development/welfare to work programs;
● Drafted a community economic development needs assessment for Chester;
● Drafted the first workforce development plan for the City of Chester;
● Implemented the first youth court in Chester City.
Director-Community Development Initiative, Evansville Legal Services, 1993-1997
● Created a Legal Services community economic development project funded by Ford Foundation and Indiana Department of Community Development;
● Drafted a “Needs Assessment” of Evansville, Indiana - the basis for a work plan used as a model at national community development conferences;
● Prepared a report for Vanderburgh Co. Commissioners on innovative ways to use $600,000 in annual gambling tax revenue to benefit low income workers, eventually led to a program helping citizens transition from welfare to work;
● Incorporated and provided assistance to a client organization that received $1,250,000 from a casino based in Indiana to create a job assistance program.
Staff Attorney-Legal Services of Indiana, Inc. Evansville, Indiana, 1987-1993
Provided housing, public benefits, and community economic development legal counsel.
● Helped develop 3 non-profit corporations providing medical, housing, and case management services to homeless citizens. All 3 are still functioning serving 15,000 medical patients a year and housing 200 families.
● Founder and first President of the Evansville Coalition for the Homeless;
● Co-chaired a committee that conducted the first local childcare survey to assess business interest in providing childcare services to employees;
● Represented a citizens group’s successful Community Reinvestment Act challenge to Indiana’s largest bank holding company’s merger with IL bank.
Appeals Referee - Indiana Employment Security Division, Evansville, IN 1980-1987
Conducted hearings to assess unemployment compensation eligibility.
AWARDS AND HONORS
Citizen of the year, Chester, PA. Awarded by Epsilon Pi Fraternity, 2019.
Youth Court Award for Eastern PA. Awarded by Pennsylvania Bar Association, 2016.
President’s Award. Awarded by the Pennsylvania Council of Social Studies, 2009.
Pro Bono Award. Awarded by the Pennsylvania Bar Association, 2008.
Special President’s Award. Presented by the Pennsylvania Council of Social Studies, 2007.
Staff Member of the Year. Presented by the Indiana Association of Community Economic Development, 1993, (for founding the Evansville, Indiana Coalition for the Homeless).
Person of the Year. Presented by the Southern Indiana Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, 1991, (for advocating for, and helping create, homeless programs).
PUBLICATIONS
Gregory L. Volz, et al. “Youth Courts: Lawyers Helping Students Make Better Decisions” (University of Pennsylvania Journal of Law and Social Change, Edward V. Sparer Symposium, Spring, 2012.
G. Volz “Youth Courts: An Idea Whose Time Has Come?” (The Pennsylvania Lawyer, (2011).
Hirschinger-Blank, Simons, Volz, et. al, “A Pilot Assessment of a School-Based Youth Court in a Resource-Poor African American Urban School District: Lessons Learned From Youth Court Volunteers”, (Juvenile and Family Court Journal 60, Number 2 (Spring 2009).
Gregory L. Volz, et. al, “Poverty in the Aftermath of Katrina”, Reimagining Citizen Leadership in the Context of Federalism”, Tennessee Journal of Law and Policy, (2007).
Scott Cummings and Gregory Volz, “Toward a New Theory of Community Economic Development”, Clearinghouse Review, Journal of Poverty Law and Policy, (2003).
Gregory L. Volz, et. al. “Higher Education and Community Lawyering: Common Ground,
Consensus, and Collaboration for Economic Justice”, Wisconsin Law Review, Symposium Volume, Number 2, (2002).
Gregory L Volz and Brad Caftel, “Job Strategies in the Era of Welfare Reform: A Community
Based Model of Legal Services”, Clearinghouse Review, Journal of Poverty Law & Policy, 2000).
Gregory L. Volz, “Making a Difference in the Attack on Homelessness”, Economic Development and Law Center Report, (1993).