Nelly J. Sowa Montenegro, Esq., is the Deputy Director of the Domestic Violence Division of the D.C. Superior Court (Superior Court). In this role, she oversees operations to ensure accessibility and efficiency in the Division. She also led the Division’s transition to remote operations and supported the operational implementation of new rules and laws - including the Extreme Risk Protection and Anti-Stalking Order case types. Previously, Ms. Sowa Montenegro served as an Attorney Negotiator in the Division and negotiated thousands of cases involving domestic violence and family law, using trauma-informed negotiation strategies. She has also served on several court-wide committees, including the Mental Health Committee, Training & Onboarding Committee, and city-wide committees such as the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board.

Before joining the Superior Court, Ms. Sowa Montenegro was a National Training and Policy Attorney at the American Bar Association’s Commission on Domestic and Sexual Violence. She led multi-day, national litigation training institutes designed to assist legal-service attorneys with the skills to engage in trauma-informed, client-centered litigation, using an accessibility lens to ensure diverse populations can access high-quality legal services. Ms. Sowa Montenegro also served as a Staff Attorney at Ayuda, a DC-based nonprofit organization, where she practiced domestic violence, family, and immigration law.

Ms. Sowa Montenegro received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Political Science and a minor in Latinx Studies from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. She received her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the University of Illinois College of Law. Ms. Sowa Montenegro is an active member of the Hispanic Bar Association of the District of Columbia.