Elli Marcus (she/her/hers) graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania Law School where she was a Levy Scholar, received the Lipman Redman Prize in Legal Writing and was elected to the Order of the Coif. While at Penn, Elli participated in the Criminal Defense Clinic, co-directed the Penn Law Equal Justice Foundation and…
Nathan Karnovsky (he/him/his) received his J.D. from UC Berkeley School of Law. During law school he participated in Berkeley Law’s Education and Justice for Youth Clinic and externed for the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California. During his Summers, Nathan interned for the Bronx Defenders and the Contra Costa County, California Public Defenders. Before…
Marisa Caño-Carey (she/her/hers) holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from St. Louis University in Madrid, Spain. Before joining The Bronx Defenders, she worked with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Ecuador, where she assisted in refugee status determination cases and the resettlement of Colombian refugees. She also worked with UNHCR along Mexico’s southern border…
Freddy Baez (he/him/his) was born and raised in the Bronx community, where he developed his love for helping others in need. Freddy’s work experiences have led him to believe that everyone deserves honesty, integrity, and reliability. He seeks to provide that to the clients we work with every day.
Babatunde Aremu (he/him/his) received his J.D. from Duquesne University Law School in 2014, where he was a Summer Public Interest Fellow at the Allegheny County Solicitor’s Office and the Vice President of the Black Law Students Association. While in law school, Babatunde participated in the Civil Rights Law Clinic where he worked closely with the Pittsburgh…
Jennifer Villafuerte (she/her/hers) comes to The Bronx Defenders with 10 years of experience working in the nonprofit sector. Growing up in the South Bronx, she witnessed the devastating impact the criminal legal system has on families. She’s now excited to use her extensive background in administrative work and data collection to help those in need in…
Kanny Rodriguez-Reyes (she/her/hers) is an experienced Human Resources professional with a passion for helping organizations manage, engage and retain talent. Kanny holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Sciences from Manhattan College as well as a Certificate of Human Resources Management from Pace University.
Urooj Khan (she/her/hers) received her J.D. from Columbia Law School, where she graduated with honors. In law school, Urooj was a member of the Challenging Consequences of Mass Incarceration Clinic, where she worked in removal defense, and the Bronx Defenders externship, where she worked in family defense. Urooj spent her 1L summer as an intern…
Kyla Kuvach (she/her/hers) received her J.D. from the City University of New York School of Law. While in law school, Kyla worked with the Criminal Defense Clinic and the Parole Preparation Project to represent individuals charged with misdemeanors in Queens Criminal Court and individuals applying for parole and clemency in New York State prisons. Kyla…
Lecelott (she/her/hers) is a graduate of Lehman College, where she studied Business Administration with a Concentration in Marketing and a Minor in Italian. She has extensive experience in human resources and is fluent in both English and Spanish.
Travis J. Tolbert (he/him/his) has worked in building operations at non-profit organizations for over a decade. He is committed to applying his problem-solving and interpersonal skills to help support the needs and further the mission of The Bronx Defenders.
Isamaris (she/her/hers) was borned and raised in The Bronx. She graduated from The Bronx School for Law Government and Justice. This led her to pursue a path in helping others, receiving certification to become a nursing assistant in 2012, where she worked in the health field serving patients for over 6 years. She is fluent in…
Maryann (she/her/hers) was born and raised in The Bronx and it is her passion for community work that brings her to The Bronx Defenders. She has worked in various capacities in government and community-based organizations, most recently as the Community Outreach Coordinator for the NYC Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO where she helped build coalitions for…
Elica (she/her/hers) was born and raised in the Bronx. She joins The Family Defense Practice with extensive administrative experience under her belt.
Annie Costanzo (she/her/hers) comes to The Bronx Defenders with over 20 years of experience working at The Legal Aid Society. She is excited to continue working in indigent defense and lead The Bronx Defenders’ Homicide Practice Group.
In 2005, Archana Prakash (she/her/hers) started her career as a public defender at The Bronx Defenders. She moved to the Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem in 2008 where she worked for over a decade. While at NDS she held positions as a Staff Attorney and a Supervisor. She ended her time at NDS as a Senior…
Tom (he/him/his) is a seasoned public defender. Prior to joining The Bronx Defenders, he spent over 36 years working at the Legal Aid Society in Manhattan. During his time there, he was a staff attorney, supervising attorney, co-head of the Manhattan trial office, Director of Litigation, and Senior Homicide Attorney. He has also conducted trainings on…
Ashley C. Agosto (she/her/hers) obtained her Masters of Social Work from Rutgers University in 2011, and holds her LMSW in New York. Ashley was born and raised in East Harlem and has a passion for impacting change in her community and empowering the low-income families. Ashley is bilingual in Spanish, which allows her to assist…
Ruth Hamilton (she/her/hers) received her J.D. from Harvard Law School. After graduation, Ruth spent five years as a criminal defense attorney at the Bronx Defenders before moving to Tulsa, Oklahoma to help build Still She Rises, the country’s first public defender office devoted exclusively to representing women. Ruth is excited to rejoin the Bronx Defenders after her…
Orayne ( he, him, his) earned his MSW from Fordham University’s Graduate School of Social Service. In his first year, Orayne interned in ADP at the Bronx Defender where developed his passion for forensic social work. Both the internship at The Bronx Defenders and being a homeless youth advocate, charge Orayne’s interest in working with…
Chenisvel Nunez (She, her, hers), earned her MSW from New York University Silver School of Social Work in 2019. During her first year of graduate school, Chenisvel interned at Wediko Children’s Services. She provided individual and group counseling to middle and high school students at suspension sites and collaborated with a multi-disciplinary team to assist…
Ruddy (she/her/hers) is a recent graduate of Binghamton University, where she double majored in Political Science and Latin American/Caribbean Area Studies. During her time at Binghamton, Ruddy participated in a Latin-based sorority whose goals were to serve the community, spread knowledge about Latino culture and empower women from diverse backgrounds. Through Hermandad de Sigma Iota…
Gillian Stoddard Leatherberry (she/her/hers) graduated from Boston University School of Law where she was awarded the Warren S. Gilford Humanity in Law Prize following her work on civil and human rights, access to justice, gender & reproductive justice, institutional accountability, access to medicine, and indigenous rights. During law school, Gillian had the pleasure of holding intern…
Maria Matute (she/her/hers) received her bachelor’s from Binghamton University, where she double majored in Sociology and Latin American/Caribbean Studies. During her time at Binghamton University, Maria was a Resident Assistant and member of Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha Inc., a Latin-based sorority that focused on philanthropy, community service, spreading knowledge about Latinx culture and empowering…
Darnell (he/him/his) is a Williams College graduate majoring in Political Science. Before joining The Bronx Defenders, Darnell worked at Brooklyn Legal Services, where he worked to secure retirement income for pensioners, save homes in danger of foreclosure, and clear the names of childcare providers wrongly accused of abuse and maltreatment. While at Brooklyn Legal Services,…