John graduated cum laude from New York University School of Law, where he was the recipient of a Dean’s Award Scholarship. During law school, he participated in the Federal Defender Clinic representing indigent clients charged with misdemeanors in the Eastern District of New York. He was also a member of the OUTLaw LGBT student organization and Law…
Jessica Horan-Block graduated from Temple University Beasley School of Law where she was the Executive Editor of the Political and Civil Rights Law Review. Jessica received Temple’s 2011 Henry Kent Anderson Human Services Award for her exemplary social justice work. Jessica spent her second summer in law school as an intern with the Family Defense…
Avery received her J.D. from New York University School of Law, where she served in the Equal Justice and Capital Defender Clinic, representing men on Alabama’s death row. Through NYU’s Racial Justice Clinic, she worked for the ACLU on national criminal justice reform campaigns. Avery spent the summer after her first year of law school…
George received his J.D. from Fordham University School of Law, where he coordinated the efforts of the Student Hurricane Network to assist legal services providers and other non-profits in the Gulf Coast. While at Fordham, George worked in the Immigrants’ Rights Clinic and upon graduation was awarded the Eugene J. Keefe award, given to the…
Emma is a graduate of Northeastern University School of Law. Upon graduation, she clerked first in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine and then at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Emma started at The Bronx Defenders as a criminal defense attorney and is now the Managing Director of the Family Defense Practice….
Lindsay Ferguson received her MSW from Fordham University’s Graduate School of Social Service, where she concentrated in Clinical Social Work and specialized in Social Work and the Law. While working towards her graduate degree, Lindsay held an assistantship facilitating a Grandparents Empowerment Training Program and interned with the Children’s Law Center and Kirby Forensic Psychiatric…
Stacey Kennard graduated from Harvard Law School, where she was a Sumner Redstone Fellow. While in law school, Stacey was the Co-Executive Director of the Prison Legal Assistance Project, President of Child and Youth Advocates, and a member of the Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review. Additionally, Stacey was a clinical student in the Criminal Justice…
Keith Baumann earned his J.D. from Brooklyn Law School. During his career, he’s led Continuing Legal Education trainings on litigating termination of parental rights cases, including defending against permanent neglect, abandonment, mental illness and mental retardation; severe and repeated abuse; and notice and consent cases. He’s also led trainings on the legal issues in Article…
Ruben graduated magna cum laude and Order of the Coif from Cardozo School of Law in June of 2010. At Cardozo, he was the Articles Editor for the Cardozo Journal of Public Law, Policy, and Ethics, as well as a student attorney in the Cardozo Criminal Defense Clinic. Ruben was a member of the Cardozo Advocates…
Lorraine has been working at The Bronx Defenders since 2001. As the first person to greet those who enter our doors, she is invested in making our clients feel welcome and connecting them to the appropriate resources where they can obtain the help they need. Prior to joining The Bronx Defenders, Lorraine worked as an Administrative Assistant…
Chastity was born and raised in The Bronx. Prior to joining The Bronx Defenders, she worked as the Office Manager at Phipps Houses. She is fluent in English and Spanish.
Runa received her J.D. from the Washington College of Law, American University where she was a student attorney in the Civil Practice Clinic and received an award as Outstanding Clinical Student. Prior to joining The Bronx Defenders, Runa was a Senior Staff Attorney for the Mental Health Law Project at MFY Legal Services, Inc. where…
Jenny graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School, where she was Kaufman Public Interest Fellow and a member of the Harvard Defenders. Jenny has been a public defender throughout her legal career, having been at The Bronx Defenders for over a decade. She is now a senior attorney handling advanced felony cases. Upon law school…
Yolanda Cruz graduated from Manhattan Community College with a degree in Accounting. Prior to joining The Bronx Defenders, Yolanda worked as the Payroll Manager at Saint Agnes Hospital and the Accounts Payable Clerk at Our Lady of Mercy Medical Center.
Jessica is Immigration Practice Legal Counsel, where she represents immigration clients in a variety of federal litigation. Prior to this role, Jessica was the Director for The Bronx Defenders’ Center for Holistic Defense and a Supervising Attorney in the Immigration Practice of the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project. She started at The Bronx Defenders…
Annette received her J.D. from University of California, Hastings College of Law. She started her career as a criminal defense attorney at the Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem. She has also worked at the Legal Aid Society, NYC Transit Authority, Romano & Kuan and had her own solo practice for over ten years. In her practice, she handled…
Robyn Mar is the Chief Practice Officer at The Bronx Defenders. In that capacity, Robyn oversees the office’s direct service practice areas, including criminal defense, family defense, immigration, social work, and advocacy in housing, employment, and other civil matters. Before becoming Chief Practice Officer, Robyn served in a variety of roles in the Criminal Defense…
Karla returns to The Bronx Defenders from The Legal Aid Society where she supervised a team of NYIFUP attorneys and paralegals and assisted in managing the program. Before joining the management team, she represented detained adults and children in deportation proceedings. Karla was previously a staff attorney and an Immigrant Justice Corps fellow at The…
Angeline graduated from Columbia Law School where she was a staff member of the Journal of Law & Social Problems. During law school, Angeline interned for the Legal Aid Society. She was also an extern for The Bronx Defenders and the Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem. Angeline graduated from the University of Minnesota, where she…
After receiving her B.A. from George Washington University, Elena worked as a health outreach worker on a mobile medical bus throughout Washington, DC administering HIV and pregnancy testing and counseling in under-served communities. She also worked at Casa de Maryland fighting for Immigrant Rights and at XM Satellite Radio as an on air traffic, weather,…
Ann Mathews graduated magna cum laude from New York University School of Law. While at NYU, she participated in the New York Capital Defender Clinic and was an Articles Editor for the NYU Law Review. Before joining The Bronx Defenders, Ann clerked for the Honorable M. Blane Michael of the United States Court of Appeals…
Lourdes is a graduate of the College of the Desert, where she earned her Associate’s in Biology. Prior to joining The Bronx Defenders, she worked as an Office Manager at The Law Office of Christopher L. Esposito and as a Legal Assistant for James Kousouros.
Noemi received her Masters in Social Work from Hunter College Social of Social Work in 2011. Prior to joining The Bronx Defenders, Noemi was an adoption coordinator, then was promoted to social worker in the Treatment Family Foster Care division, and later on became a family therapist focusing in the Brief Strategic Family Therapy evidence-based…
