United Law Coalition
Pursuing Accountability. Advancing Justice. Defending Families.
Attorney Christopher Burns
Director, United Law Coalition
The United Law Coalition (ULC) is a national network of attorneys, legal professionals, investigators, subject matter experts, and advocates united by a common purpose: identifying systemic abuses, pursuing strategic litigation, and holding public officials accountable when they violate the rights of the people they are sworn to serve.
Directed by Attorney Christopher Burns, the United Law Coalition was created in response to a growing pattern of reports from families across the country describing similar experiences within family courts, child welfare systems, guardianship proceedings, and other government institutions.
Different states. Different agencies. Different courtrooms.
The same patterns. The same abuses. The same lack of accountability.
What We Do
The United Law Coalition focuses on identifying systemic misconduct and developing legal strategies that address widespread patterns of abuse rather than isolated disputes. We work to:
What We Do Not Do
The United Law Coalition is NOT a legal aid office.
The United Law Coalition does not provide representation for routine legal disputes, divorces, custody battles, probate matters, or individual litigation.
Our focus is on matters involving broader public significance, systemic misconduct, recurring patterns of abuse, and opportunities to create meaningful reform through strategic legal action.
A Different Kind of Legal Coalition
For too long, families across America have been told that what happened to them was an isolated incident.
One bad judge. One bad agency. One bad case.
The United Law Coalition was formed because increasingly, the evidence suggests otherwise.
When the same complaints emerge from multiple families, across multiple jurisdictions, involving the same actors, the same procedures, and the same outcomes, the issue is no longer individual — it is systemic. That is where the United Law Coalition focuses its efforts.
Join the Coalition
We are actively building a nationwide network of:
If you believe accountability matters, justice matters, and families matter, we invite you to join us.
Because no public official should be above the law, and no family should stand alone against a system that has forgotten who it serves.
Join the United Law CoalitionIn Memoriam
Warner Mendenhall
When the United Law Coalition was first taking shape, after Attorney Christopher Burns agreed to help lead the effort, there were three people I immediately called:
Peter Ticktin.
Warner Mendenhall.
Todd Callender.
Each answered the same way: yes.
There was no hesitation. No discussion about recognition or prestige. They understood what was at stake in this country and recognized that ordinary Americans increasingly found themselves standing alone against institutions far larger and more powerful than themselves. They agreed to stand with us.
Today, one of our own is gone.
The passing of Warner Mendenhall is a profound loss, not only to the United Law Coalition, but to the American legal community and to every person who ever needed someone courageous enough to challenge the powerful on their behalf.
Warner was one of the good ones.
He was brilliant without arrogance. Honest without compromise. Fierce without cruelty. He possessed the rare ability to navigate complex legal battles while never losing sight of the human beings at the center of them.
He represented whistleblowers. He fought government overreach. He challenged corporations. He defended property rights. He pursued justice not because it was easy, profitable, or popular, but because he believed it was right.
He never seemed intimidated by the size of the opponent standing across the courtroom. Whether facing government agencies, large institutions, or entrenched interests, Warner had a habit of stepping into the breach when others stepped aside.
He understood that the law exists to protect the people, not the powerful.
For those of us privileged enough to know him, we witnessed not only an exceptional attorney, but a generous colleague and trusted friend. He gave his time freely. He shared his wisdom willingly. He answered the call when he was needed.
The United Law Coalition was built upon the conviction that truth still matters, courage still matters, and that principled men and women can still make a difference.
Warner Mendenhall embodied those ideals.
His voice will be missed. His example will endure.
We honor his life, his service, and the countless individuals whose burdens were lighter because he chose to carry part of them.
May we continue the work with the same integrity, fearlessness, and devotion to justice that he demonstrated throughout his life.
Rest well, counselor.
The watch is ours now.