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The Constant Advocate Podcast · Holding Institutions Accountable
By Constant Legal GroupEducation
The Constant Advocate Podcast · Holding Institutions Accountable episodes
- Dr. Catherine Koverola, Clinical Psychologist and Former President of the University of Pittsburgh - Part 2
Episode 7: When Survivors Seek Justice – Trauma, the Legal Process, and Institutional Response with Dr. Catherine Koverola (Part 2)
On this episode of The Constant Advocate, co-hosts Jasmine Martirossian and Partner Dean Venizelos welcome back Dr. Catherine Koverola, former President of the University of Pittsburgh (Bradford and Titusville) and a clinical psychologist with more than three decades of experience in trauma.Building on Part 1, this conversation follows survivors as they seek accountability through the legal system and examines how institutional responses shape that experience.Dr. Koverola explains why survivors may stay silent for years or decades, including how a negative reaction from the first person they confide in can set the course for long-term silence. She also addresses behavior that can seem counterintuitive to jurors, such as survivors who stay in contact with or speak well of an abuser or the institution that looked the other way, and why coercion and grooming, rather than force, often define these situations.The discussion turns to the demands of a civil case. Dr. Koverola describes how disclosing to an attorney, investigator, or opposing counsel differs from confiding in a loved one, comparing an attorney's role to a surgeon's – caring, but focused and precise. She discusses the impact of defense claims that a survivor isn't telling the truth, the risks of mental health records becoming evidence, how damages can capture a survivor's lost life trajectory, and why a public admission of wrongdoing may not always bring the relief a survivor expects.Dr. Koverola closes with advice for institutions, including independent investigators, strict confidentiality, and trained staff who know how to respond, and for attorneys to be the best advocate possible without losing your humanity.To learn more, call Constant Legal Group at 855-906-2561 or visit constantlg.com.35 min - Carolyn Kinkoph, Co-Founder of the Alliance Against Human Trafficking – Part 2
Episode 6: From Helplessness to Advocacy – Carolyn Kinkoph on Fighting Human Trafficking (Part 2)
On this episode of The Constant Advocate, hosts Jasmine Martirossian and co-host Ryan Cavanaugh, co-founding partner of Constant Legal Group, welcome back Carolyn Kinkoph, co-founder of the Alliance Against Human Trafficking.In her first podcast episode, Carolyn shared the story of her daughter, Courtney, who was trafficked as an adult and lost her life at 29. In this conversation, Ryan, a longtime friend of Carolyn's, explores how she turned grief into a mission to end human trafficking.Carolyn describes the moment she first realized Courtney was a trafficking victim and the diagnostic overshadowing that led medical providers to attribute Courtney's trauma to mental illness. She speaks candidly about the helplessness and anger of watching systems fail her daughter, and how she empowered herself through education, including conducting doctoral research on human trafficking at Cleveland State University.Carolyn explains how the Alliance Against Human Trafficking, co-founded in 2020 with community activist Jenna Bing and forensic nurse Kathy Gelnitz, trains law enforcement, social workers, medical providers, and attorneys, supports demand reduction, and connects victims and families with direct service providers.Carolyn also shares a resource she wishes she had known sooner: Ohio Revised Code 2907.29, which requires hospitals with emergency rooms to offer evidence collection.Looking ahead, Carolyn makes the case for making the purchase of sex a felony in Ohio and beyond, so buyers face real consequences. Her message to anyone who feels helpless – if something seems wrong, report it, and if one agency doesn't help, keep reaching out until someone does.To report suspected human trafficking in Northeast Ohio, contact the Northeast Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force at 216-443-6085. In an emergency, call 911. To learn more about the Alliance Against Human Trafficking, email [email protected].To learn more, call Constant Legal Group at 855-906-2561 or visit constantlg.com.37 min - Ed Kelley, Partner at Constant Legal Group
Episode 5: Survivors' Rights, Revival Windows, and Protecting Children with Constant Legal Group Partner Ed Kelley
On this episode of The Constant Advocate, host Jasmine Martirossian welcomes Partner Ed Kelley of Constant Legal Group, whose practice focuses on representing survivors of childhood sexual abuse and human trafficking. Ed shares why his entire career has been devoted to people harmed by others, and why he never loses sight of the person behind every claim the firm files.Ed explains why so many survivors wait years, often decades, to come forward, noting that many first speak about their abuse in their 50s, and some not until their 60s or 70s. He walks listeners through how statutes of limitations have historically shut survivors out of court and how state legislatures have responded with look-back windows that give survivors a defined period to file claims that would otherwise be dismissed as too old. He also explains that a case can still move forward even when the perpetrator has passed away, because the institutions that allowed the abuse can be held responsible.The conversation turns to what trauma-informed lawyering looks like in practice: letting survivors share their stories at their own pace, respecting their choices about who knows, and balancing that care with legal deadlines. Ed also offers practical advice for parents, including talking openly with children and teaching them the correct names for body parts so they are empowered to speak up.Finally, Ed explains how individual misconduct connects to institutional responsibility. Predators gravitate toward places where children gather, and schools, churches, camps, and youth organizations without proper policies, training, and oversight create the opportunity for abuse to occur.To learn more, call Constant Legal Group at 855-906-2561 or visit constantlg.com.29 min - Carolyn Kinkoph, Co-Founder of the Alliance Against Human Trafficking - Part 1
Here's the summary for the episode with Carolyn:
Episode 4: A Mother's Story Dealing with Human Trafficking, Siloed Systems, and the Fight for Accountability with Carolyn Kinkoph
On this episode of The Constant Advocate, host Jasmine Martirossian speaks with Carolyn Kinkoph, a human trafficking survivor parent and co-founder of the Alliance Against Human Trafficking.Carolyn shares the story of her daughter, Courtney, who was exploited as an adult over several years while living with mental illness and substance use challenges, and who lost her life at age 29.Carolyn explains what human trafficking actually looks like, from sex trafficking in exchange for a meal, a phone, or a place to stay, to labor trafficking in restaurants, construction, and private homes. She describes how traffickers often appear as friends, partners, or trusted visitors, and how one of Courtney's traffickers gained access to the entire family, even joining them for dinner.The conversation reveals how the systems meant to protect Courtney often failed to connect. Carolyn recounts law enforcement agencies that didn't understand legal guardianship, medical providers who attributed Courtney's crisis to mental illness rather than trauma, and the absence of any facility able to treat medical, mental health, substance use, and trauma needs together.Carolyn also celebrates those who made a difference, including a trucker trained by Truckers Against Trafficking, a police chief who changed his department's approach, and Renee Jones of the Renee Jones Empowerment Center, whose outreach meets survivors where they are.Carolyn closes with a call to action requesting to reduce demand through stronger laws against buyers, hold complicit businesses accountable, and educate attorneys, judges, and juries so that survivors are believed.To learn more, call Constant Legal Group at 855-906-2561 or visit constantlg.com.37 min - Ryan Cavanaugh, Partner at Constant Legal Group and ESPN Color Analyst
Episode 3: Meet the Co-Founding Partner Ryan Cavanaugh: Why Institutional Accountability Is His Calling
On this episode of The Constant Advocate, host Jasmine Martirossian sits down with Ryan Cavanaugh, co-founding partner of Constant Legal Group, who will also be joining the show as a co-host in future episodes. It's a chance to meet the trial attorney behind much of the firm's work and hear why holding institutions accountable has become his life's calling.Ryan shares his unconventional road to law, from growing up with an attorney father who told his sons not to follow him, to playing a season of professional football in Germany and working in sales and financial planning before entering law school at 27. He explains how those diverse experiences help him connect with clients from every walk of life, and why that trust is the foundation of good representation.With more than 75 jury trials as first chair, Ryan built his courtroom experience in toxic tort and asbestos litigation before turning to defective medical devices, dangerous prescription drugs, and, increasingly, representation of survivors of childhood sexual abuse and human trafficking. He describes what it means to be a trauma-informed attorney, why survivors often wait decades to come forward, and how state revival windows are giving them a renewed path to justice.Ryan also explains why accountability doesn't stop with the perpetrator. From religious institutions and youth organizations to schools and universities, he discusses how cover-ups, missing oversight, and quiet reassignments allow abuse to continue, and how survivors' courage shines a light into the darkest corners of society. As he puts it, a stolen wallet can be replaced, but innocence cannot.Stay tuned for future episodes with Ryan as co-host of The Constant Advocate.To learn more, call Constant Legal Group at 855-906-2561 or visit constantlg.com.27 min - Dr. Catherine Koverola, Clinical Psychologist and Former President of the University of Pittsburgh - Part 1
Here's the full updated summary:
Episode 2: Trauma, Moral Injury, and Institutional Accountability with Dr. Catherine Koverola (Part 1)
On this episode of The Constant Advocate, co-hosts Jasmine Martirossian and Partner Dean Venizelos welcome Dr. Catherine Koverola, former President of the University of Pittsburgh (Bradford and Titusville) and a renowned clinical psychologist whose work with trauma survivors spans several decades.Dr. Koverola traces her path from a child sexual abuse clinic in East Los Angeles to work with survivors of domestic violence, community violence, and institutional abuse, including residential school survivors in Canada and Alaska.She then shares what she learned from the other side of the desk as a university executive, where she observed a recurring gap between an institution's stated mission and how it actually responds when someone is harmed. That gap, she explains, often reflects a performative commitment to the people an organization claims to serve, and it gives rise to what researchers call moral injury.The conversation then turns to the courtroom. Dr. Koverola explains how trauma affects memory and emotional expression, why survivors may struggle to give a consistent account, and why a calm or flat demeanor is too often mistaken for dishonesty. She also speaks directly to attorneys about vicarious trauma and moral injury as occupational hazards, and why firms serving survivors need real support systems in place for themselves as well.She closes with advice for institutional leaders – consult your own moral compass before the first allegation arrives, ask how you would want your own family treated, and refuse to let reputational self-protection override your humanity.Stay tuned for Part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Koverola.To learn more, call Constant Legal Group at 855-906-2561 or visit www.constantlg.com.27 min - Introducing The Constant Advocate Podcast
What Institutional Accountability Really Means
Welcome to the inaugural episode of The Constant Advocate, a podcast by Constant Legal Group. Co-hosts Jasmine Martirossian and Partner Dean Venizelos open the series by explaining institutional accountability and why it matters to anyone harmed by an organization that had the power to prevent it.
Dean describes the two broad fronts where Constant Legal Group holds institutions accountable. The first involves well-funded corporations, such as drug and medical device manufacturers, that learn their products cause harm and fail to warn the public or work to conceal it. The second involves schools, churches, medical facilities, and other institutions that knew or should have known about sexual abuse and chose silence over action.The conversation turns to human trafficking and abuse survivors, and why so many come forward years or decades later. Jasmine and Dean discuss how trauma is processed differently than physical injury, how social stigma has kept survivors silent, and how state and local legislatures are responding with look-back windows that temporarily reopen expired civil claims. Because those windows close on fixed deadlines, awareness is critical.They also explore the duty of care institutions owe the people in their charge, especially children, and why abuse within religious organizations extends well beyond any single denomination.Upcoming episodes will feature national experts on trauma, abuse, and institutional accountability. Subscribe and join the conversation.To learn more, call Constant Legal Group at 855-906-2561 or visit constantlg.com.14 min
About The Constant Advocate Podcast · Holding Institutions Accountable
From the publisher's feed
The Constant Advocate Podcast by Constant Legal Group
Powerful institutions, such as churches, corporations, schools, hotel chains, pharmaceutical companies, and government agencies, have spent decades perfecting the art of protecting themselves. They have legal teams, communications teams, and long institutional memories for what works when something goes wrong and needs to
disappear quietly.
The Constant Advocate exists because those institutions should not have the last word. Hosted by the attorneys and experts of Constant Legal Group, a national plaintiffs firm representing survivors of sexual abuse, human trafficking, and victims of dangerous drugs and defective medical devices, The Constant Advocate brings together the people who know this world most deeply – the legal experts who litigate against these institutions, the policy advocates who fight to change the laws that protected them for too long, the researchers and journalists who exposed what was being hidden, the psychologists who know how deeply the wounds of the trauma cut, and the survivors who lived it and chose to speak.
Every episode is a conversation about accountability. It’s a conversation about what it takes to hold a powerful institution responsible for the harm it caused. It’s about the legal tools that exist, and the ones that still need to be built. Ultimately, this podcast is about the human beings at the center of every abuse and negligence, and what justice
actually looks like when it finally arrives.
We talk about clergy abuse and the dioceses that covered it up. We talk about hotel chains and online platforms that profited from human trafficking. We talk about pharmaceutical corporations that concealed what they knew about dangerous drugs, and medical device manufacturers who rushed products to market without telling patients what could go wrong. We talk about the lookback window legislation that has given survivors a second chance at accountability, and the fights still ahead.
We believe that informed people change things. We know that survivors who understand their legal rights are harder to silence. We have seen that institutions which know they are being watched behave differently than institutions that operate in the dark. And we are convinced that every conversation that names what happened, clearly, publicly, with specificity (yet always protecting confidentiality), makes the next one a little easier.
We are The Constant Advocate. Because someone has to be.
New episodes available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and wherever you listen.
Free consultations available, contact us at www.constantlg.com · 855-906-2561