Bernadette M. Hoppe, M.A., J.D., M.P.H.
Bernadette Hoppe became an attorney after working for 20 years in the arenas of reproductive health, perinatal health and HIV/AIDS. Her daily practice is in family law, representing parents, children and relatives in custody/visitation, abuse/neglect, family offenses, divorces, child support and related proceedings. She is on the Assigned Counsel Panel of the Erie County Bar Association in Buffalo, NY, representing poor clients who cannot afford to pay for an attorney. She is frequently appointed as Attorney for the Child in custody/visitation, PINS/JD and abuse/neglect proceedings.
Ms. Hoppe participates in the Court Improvement Project of the Erie County Family Court, which addresses strategies to improve the outcomes of families in the child welfare system. She is a co-chair of the Erie County Bar Association’s Family Court Practice & Procedures Committee, a member of the Matrimonial Law Committee, the Women’s Bar Association of NY and the Women Lawyers of WNY. She provides mediation in matters involving abuse and neglect.
Ms. Hoppe serves as Immediate Past President of the Board of Directors of the National Perinatal Association. She serves on the Board of Directors for numerous other community organizations, including Neighborhood Legal Services. She is a frequent speaker on issues including reproductive and perinatal health, legal issues affecting adolescents, and various aspects of the child welfare system. She has been honored by many organizations, including Volunteers Project Divorce Volunteer of the Year Award in 2013, the Assigned Counsel Program Family Law Attorney of the Year in 2014, and Women Lawyers of Western New York Woman Lawyer of the Year in 2014.
Ms. Hoppe holds a M.A. in Women’s Studies, a J.D. with a concentration in health law, and a Master’s in Public Health, all from the University at Buffalo. She is on faculty at the University at Buffalo Law School and also taught in the Department of Community Health Professions at Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, and the Women’s Studies Department at the University at Buffalo, and in the Paralegal Studies Program at Daemen College.
