Signore to Work on Child Protection Issues
Shannon Signore, Special Assistant Attorney General and Chief of the Child Abuse Unit in the Rhode Island Attorney General's Office, has been chosen to serve as the first Beau Biden Foundation fellow. For the next three months she will work on child protection issues in the Washington, D.C. office of the National Attorneys General Training and Research Institute (NAGTRI), a branch of the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG).
The fellowship is named for Beau Biden, who served as Delaware attorney general from Jan. 2, 2007 to Jan. 6, 2015, and passed away in May 2015. While he worked to combat identity theft, street crime and elder abuse, his biggest priority during his two terms was protecting children.
"Prosecuting cases of child physical and sexual abuse are extremely challenging and emotionally difficult. As the chief of our Child Abuse Unit, Special Assistant AG Shannon Signore has proven herself to be one of the greatest advocates for children in and out of the courtroom. I am honored that she was chosen as the first Biden fellow, and confident she will continue Beau's mission to protect our children."
"The Beau Biden Foundation for the Protection of Children is pleased to be able to fund this fellowship and continue Beau's work with an organization he loved so much. There is nothing more important than protecting our children, and we are very lucky to have been able to find an attorney who embraces the Foundation's mission," said Patricia Dailey Lewis, executive director, Beau Biden Foundation for the Protection of Children. "We are grateful to Attorney General Kilmartin, a colleague of Beau's, for his support in ensuring children all across our country are safe from the threat of abuse."
"I am extremely honored to have been chosen by the Beau Biden Foundation for this amazing opportunity, and I want to thank Attorney General Kilmartin for recommending me for this position. I can't wait to get started working in DC, helping to craft national model policies and best practices to keep children safe from abuse and hold those who harm children accountable," said Special Assistant Attorney General Signore.
Special Assistant Attorney General Shannon Signore has served as a prosecutor in the criminal division of the Rhode Island Office of Attorney General since 2002. In 2011, after serving seven years in the Office's Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Unit, Signore was named Chief of the newly created Child Abuse Unit. Comprised of highly trained prosecutors, victim advocates and support staff, they handle the emotional and psychological effects associated with physical and sexual abuse of children. The Child Abuse Unit prosecutes all cases involving child physical and sexual abuse as well as child murder. This Unit is specifically trained to prosecute cases using detailed medical evidence when the youngest of victims can't speak for themselves.
Prior to joining the Office of Attorney General, Signore served as a judicial law clerk in the Rhode Island Supreme and Superior Courts. She earned her bachelor of science and juris doctor degrees from Roger Williams University in Bristol, RI. She has served as an Adjunct Professor for several years at Johnson and Wales University (Providence, RI) teaching business and criminal law, and consistently presents on law enforcement issues including domestic violence and child abuse around the State.
Signore is a resident of Pawtucket, RI.
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The National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG), was founded in 1907 to help attorneys general fulfil the responsibilities of their office and to assist in the delivery of high-quality legal services to the states and territorial jurisdictions. The National Attorneys General Training & Research Institute (NAGTRI), a NAAG branch, provides innovative legal trainings and comprehensive research to state and territorial attorneys general offices.
The Beau Biden Foundation for the Protection of Children was established in June 2015 as an operating non-profit to continue Beau Biden's commitment to protecting the most vulnerable among us, especially children who have fallen victim to abuse and neglect. We believe that no child should be threatened by a predator – either an adult or a peer. We believe that child abuse can be prevented through effectively educating adults and children, developing the next generation of child welfare professionals and strengthening child protection laws around the country. To learn more about the Foundation, visit www.beaubidenfoundation.org. Follow the Beau Biden Foundation on Facebook (facebook.com/BeauBidenFdn) and Twitter (@BeauBidenFdn).