Lauren A. Cerri

Attorney Lauren A. Cerri is committed to achieving justice for sexual abuse victims and holding accountable those individuals and institutions responsible for allowing the abuse to occur. Ms. Cerri has represented numerous victims in high-profile sexual abuse cases, including one that gained worldwide attention: the Audrie Pott case. Audrie was a high school student who was sexually assaulted in 2012 by three male classmates and later bullied and shamed. She took her own life eight days later. Audrie’s case changed California law by increasing penalties for teens convicted of sexual acts against individuals who are incapable of giving their consent. "We’re not just getting money for the victims, we’re changing laws, we’re changing policies and procedures, and training schools, churches and other institutions to prevent abuse," Ms. Cerri said. "The reason we pursue these cases is to try to eradicate the problem." In a case against the Morgan Hill Unified School District that settled for $8.25 million for three victims of sexual abuse perpetrated by their fifth-grade teacher despite numerous red flag warning signs, Ms. Cerri represented one of those victims. As part of the sexual abuse lawsuit settlement, the school district was required to implement a child protection system including programs to train students to recognize and prevent sexual abuse and to train staff on grooming signs and predator identification. Mc. Cerri was trial counsel for one of four victims in two separate sexual abuse cases that settled during trial against the Evergreen School District for a total of $15 million and against a childcare provider for a total of $9 million. She was named to the California Super Lawyers Rising Star list for four consecutive years beginning in 2015 and was named the Santa Clara County Trial Lawyer of the Year in 2016.