Ifeanyi graduated from the University of Maryland in 2015 with a Bachelor’s Degree in English. His interest in the legal field grew during his time in college. Prior to joining the Bronx Defenders, he interned with the Public Defenders Service in Washington, D.C. He strives to be an asset in our pursuit of justice for…
Edie Joseph (she/her/hers) graduated cum laude from New York University School of Law, where she was awarded the Dean John Sexton Prize for outstanding service to the law school and was an Arthur Garfield Hays Civil Liberties Fellow. While at NYU, Edie represented clients in the Juvenile Defender Clinic and the Family Defense Clinic, and…
Sophia Elena Gurulé (she/her/hers) has worked at The Bronx Defenders since 2017. As a NYIFUP staff attorney, she handles both detained and non-detained removal cases defending immigrant New Yorkers from deportation. As part of her representation, she has pursued participatory defense campaigns and trained immigration attorneys nationwide on developing these campaigns as part of their…
Christopher received his J.D. from Pace University. During law school, he participated in the Criminal Defense Clinic, several moot court and mock trial teams, and was a research assistant to The Fifth Edition of Rights of Prisoners. During his summers, Christopher interned with The Legal Aid Society in the Bronx, Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation’s immigration department, and The Bronx…
Tahanee received her J.D. from St. Thomas University School of Law in Miami, FL. During law school, she interned at the Miami-Dade School Board Attorneys Office, Legal Services of Greater Miami Tenants Rights Unit, and the Miami-Dade Public Defenders Office. Tahanee was the recipient of the Gwen S. Cherry Black Women Lawyers Association Fellowship and…
Antonio received his J.D. from New York University School of Law, where he was a Root Tilden Kern Scholar. At NYU, Antonio participated in two year-long clinics: the Criminal Defense and Community Reentry Clinic and the Immigrant Rights Clinic. He spent his summers interning with the Orleans Public Defenders and the Mecklenburg County Public Defender’s Office…
Matt received his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law, where he was a fellow in the Law and Public Service Program and served on the board of the Public Interest Law Association. During law school, he participated in the Criminal Defense Clinic and volunteered at the St. Lawrence County (NY) Public Defender’s Office…
Tanisha is a graduate of Lehman College, where she studied Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resource Management.
Andrew Jimenez attended Bronx Community College where he majored in nursing and was as a member of the National Honor Society. He is originally from East Harlem and the Bronx.
Falon Rainer (she/her/hers) received her J.D. from New York University School of Law, where she was awarded the Vanderbilt Medal for her outstanding contributions to the law school community. While at NYU, Falon participated in the Juvenile Defender Clinic and the Criminal Defense and Reentry Clinic. She also served on the Black Allied Law Students…
Lizzie graduated cum laude from Northwestern University School of Law, where she served as co-president of the school’s LGBTQ organization Outlaw, executive editor on the Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology (JCLC), and member of the moot court team. Lizzie’s article on gender non-conforming prisoners won the annual Leigh Bienen prize for best student note…
Kaitlyn Hartmann (she/her/hers) received her J.D. from George Washington University Law School. She joined the Bronx Defenders as a 2018 Equal Justice Fellow, sponsored by KPMG LLP and The Sidley Austin Foundation. In law school, Kaitlyn participated in the International Human Rights Clinic where she assisted in litigation against a major international corporation. During her…
Maggie earned her Masters in Social Work with a specialization in Child Welfare from The Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College. Prior to working as a social worker, she worked as a Parent Advocate in The Bronx Defenders’ Family Defense Practice, a staff member at Barrier Free Living Family Shelter’s domestic violence program, and…
As the Director of Strategic Partnerships, Amy Crawford (she/her/hers) will oversee the Development Department and provide strategic advice and leadership to the organization in order to maximize impact, increase support, and elevate the innovative justice reform work of Bronx Defenders. Previously, Amy was the Deputy Director of the National Network for Safe Communities at John…
Imani Waweru (he/him/his) received his J.D. from Georgetown Law School. During law school, he participated in the Criminal Defense and Prisoner Advocacy Clinic representing indigent D.C. residents charged with misdemeanors, where he received the Greenfield Trial Practice Award. He also spent a semester interning at the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs,…
Alexandra Katz received her J.D. from U.C. Berkeley School of Law. While in law school, Alex represented young people in delinquency and school discipline proceedings in the East Bay Community Law Center’s Youth Defender Clinic and was a Submissions Editor of the Berkeley Journal of Criminal Law. Alex was a law clerk at the Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem and the…
Dave received his J.D. from Harvard Law School. Prior to joining the Bronx Defenders, he worked as a public defender with the Nassau County Legal Aid Society. While in law school, Dave represented people incarcerated in Massachusetts prisons disciplinary proceedings as a student attorney with the Prison Legal Assistance Project, where he was also a Policy…
Yessi graduated from John Jay College of Criminal Justice with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and a Minor in History with a concentration in Urban Politics and Public Policy. Before coming to The Bronx Defenders, Yessi worked as a Court Navigator for Bronx Housing Court, a Human Resources Associate at a home care agency, a Clerical…
Michelle Bello (she/her/hers) graduated from Mount Holyoke College with a B.A. in Politics and Spanish. While at Mount Holyoke, she studied abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina where she took Advanced Spanish courses at Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales. During her undergraduate career, she worked with various Mount Holyoke Community-Based Learning programs serving both Spanish-speaking parents…
Daniella Brito (she/her/hers) recently earned her MSW from the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College. During her first year, she interned at a residential facility that supported adults with addictions and other mental health needs. She provided individual and group sessions for her clients and implemented treatment plans. In her last year at…
Michael Gradess (he/him/his) comes to The Bronx Defenders after nearly a decade working for the ABA Criminal Justice Section in Washington, DC. From 2007 to 2009, he was the Juvenile Justice Program Assistant for The JEHT Foundation in Manhattan. From a very early age, he has been passionate about social justice and fighting for the rights…
Marvin España (he/him/his) received his J.D. from Brooklyn Law School. During law school, he worked with the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES) to create Promoting Justice for Immigrants Facing Detention, a pro bono project that allows students to provide legal services to women and families seeking asylum at a Karnes,…
Emily Friedman (she/her/hers) is an attorney in our Civil Action Practice. During law school, she was a member of the Death Penalty Clinic, where she worked on behalf of clients on death row, and the Policy Advocacy Clinic, where she worked to end the imposition of court-ordered debt in juvenile justice systems across the nation….
Jonathan Howe (he/him/his) graduated cum laude from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University where he was a Public Service Scholar and a David Berg Fellow. During law school, he participated in Cardozo’s Criminal Defense Clinic as well as the Manzier Family Defense Clinic at the Bronx Defenders. He spent his 1L summer…
Jellisa Grant (she/her/hers) received her J.D. from the City University of New York School of Law where she received the Vice Chancellor’s Excellence in Leadership Award. During law school, Jellisa served as the Executive Articles Editor of the CUNY Law Review and participated in the Family Law Practice Clinic. She was also a member of the…