Teresa Fidelis Lancaster

Schochor, Staton, Goldberg and Cardea, P.A.

Teresa Fidelis Lancaster, an attorney at Schochor, Staton, Goldberg and Cardea, P.A., has worked alongside activists to advocate for survivors of childhood sexual abuse, contributing to a significant breakthrough in the pursuit of justice for survivors in Maryland.

Lancaster was part of the effort that led to the passage of the Maryland Child Victims Act in 2023, which she describes as her greatest achievement. The legislation removes the statute of limitations for adults seeking to sue for childhood sexual abuse, empowering survivors to hold abusers accountable and enabling institutions to be held liable — overcoming a legal barrier that had long prevented many survivors from pursuing redress. Her contributions included organizing and participating in rallies, sharing personal testimony to raise awareness and lobbying for legislative change.

Lancaster was also featured in the Emmy-nominated documentary “The Keepers,” which premiered on Netflix in 2017, and was translated into 25 languages, reaching audiences in 175 countries. The widely acclaimed true crime series raised awareness about issues of sexual abuse and has positively impacted survivors worldwide.

As a survivor of childhood sexual abuse herself, Lancaster works with the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests to support fellow survivors. Through the organization, she connects survivors with local support groups, facilitates discussions on resilience, self-care and healing and provides resources focused on trauma recovery and developing healthy coping mechanisms. She also assists survivors in finding specialized professionals who understand trauma and abuse recovery, and is involved in initiatives advocating for broader systemic change in how society addresses and supports survivors of abuse.

This is an honoree profile from The Daily Record’s Top 100 Women awards. Information for this profile was sourced from the honoree’s application for the award. The honoree profiles were written using an artificial intelligence program and supported by honoree nominations, applications and letters of recommendation. Each profile was reviewed, fact-checked and edited for accuracy by The Daily Record’s editorial staff.