Cristen Conley

Cristen Conley, JD, CWLS

Cristen Conley is the Director of the Corinne Wolfe Center for Child and Family Justice. A graduate of Baylor University School of Law she has been an attorney since 1988. With certification by the American Bar Association and the National Association of Counsel for Children as a Child Welfare Law Specialist, she designs and develops resources and trainings in child and family welfare for professionals and volunteers. She was in private practice for 22 years serving as counsel for parents, families, and children in child and family welfare cases and as a Guardian ad Litem for allegedly incapacitated parents in that field.  Cristen was also a Guardian ad Litem for adults in guardianship proceedings.

She was awarded a Certificate Recognizing Excellence in Service as a Child/Youth Law Advocate in 2018. Cristen has been a local and national trainer on the law for her entire career.  She is a commissioner on the Children’s Court Improvement Commission and was the chair of the Children’s Code Reform Task Force in 2024 and 2025.  She also values her work with NM Partners, a group providing a platform for collaboration between the Tribes, Nations, and Pueblos of NM and various child and family welfare-involved organizations. For many years, Cristen was a board member for Casa Q – a transitional living home for LGBTQ youth and still supports their good work.  She is married, misses her sweet dog, and snowshoes, hikes, and travels when she can (sigh) – and knits, watches old movies, and reads for fun.