A Prosecutor’s Heart Finds a New Way to Serve
As a sex offense prosecutor in the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, Julie Grohovsky spent years standing in courtrooms, fighting for justice for children and women who had survived violence. She also prosecuted domestic violence cases, and while at the law firm of Crowell & Moring contributed considerable pro bono work on behalf of domestic violence victims. As a Partner at Wu Grohovsky, Julie represented whistleblowers and victims of crime.
“It’s hard-earned knowledge,” she says, “and the kind of knowledge most people don’t want to have — many of those cases were awful.”
From the Courtroom to the Cause
Julie’s path to Champions for Children began with a deep respect for the work of Safe Shores, a child advocacy center, and Champions for Children 2025 grantee, she calls “the gold standard” in child assessment services. Julie had worked alongside Safe Shores during her prosecutorial career, watching them care for children in their most vulnerable moments. Her path crossed with The Lourie Center, another Champions for Children 2025 grantee, where she met Paula Widerlite, Champions for Children’s president, and they were off to the races to do good work together!
For Julie, joining Champions for Children was more than just volunteering — it was about leveraging her professional background and connections to make a difference in ways that overburdened nonprofits often can’t do for themselves.
A Different Kind of Impact
She explains that many direct-service nonprofits operate in a constant state of urgency, focused almost entirely on getting the work done for their clients. “They’re just so busy, heads down, doing the work — and the work is overwhelming,” she says.
That’s where Champions for Children steps in. “We have a lot of really smart women with great executive functioning and fundraising ability,” Julie says. “We can give nonprofits suggestions, connect them to resources, and introduce them to each other — because they’re often too busy to do that themselves.”
This difference in approach — fundraising, awareness-building, relationship connecting — frees nonprofits to focus on what they do best while benefiting from Champions for Children’s networks and strategic thinking.
The Power of Connection and Education
Julie has always been a connector. She loves meeting people, introducing them to others, and sparking collaborations. “When I see people doing good things, I get excited,” she says. “I think, how do we not know about that?
Through Champions for Children, she gets to indulge that instinct — she invited Safe Shores to apply for a grant. She values the group’s intentional relationship-building among nonprofits in the children’s mental health space.
Julie also appreciates the educational programs Champions for Children offers — high-quality sessions that draw providers, parents, clinicians, and community members. While she wishes more parents had time to attend, she understands why service providers and clinicians make time for them: “The programs are just that good.”
Staying Engaged, Making a Difference
Now, Julie sees Champions for Children as a way to channel her skills and passions into something meaningful, without the emotional toll of direct casework. Being a member is both personal and purposeful. It’s a way to honor the survivors she once represented, to uplift the professionals serving them today, and to keep building connections that strengthen the safety net for children in the community.
“It’s important to highlight organizations doing great work,” she says. “Because when you do, more people know about them, more people support them — and more lives are improved, particularly from a mental health standpoint.”
Julie is currently a Partner at Cohen Seglias Pallas Greenhall & Furman.