Laura is Junior Grant Writer, working closely with each of NYLAG’s units to develop fundraising proposals, midterm grant reports and award nominations. Prior to joining NYLAG, Laura spent two years as a reporter for the New York Law Journal, covering pro bono and legal services, law schools, court decisions and corporate mergers. Additionally, she has worked as a News Assistant for CNN Washington, and held internships with WCBS and the U.S. Senate. She received her B.A. in Politics from The Catholic University of America.
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Laura Haring
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Erica Kyzmir
Erica Kyzmir is a staff attorney for NYLAG’s Consumer Protection Project, where she is the Coordinating Attorney for the Bronx and Queens Volunteer Lawyer for a Day – Consumer Credit Project. Erica supervises volunteer attorneys, law graduates and law students who provide limited scope representation for pro se consumer debtors who have been sued by debt collectors. She is also a project attorney for the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs Office of Financial Empowerment (OFE) program, providing legal support, advice, and referrals to OFE financial counselors and assisting clients with complex consumer financial issues with a particular focus on student debt. Prior to joining NYLAG, Erica interned with the Brooklyn Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project and NYLAG’s Foreclosure Prevention Project. Erica received her J.D. from Brooklyn Law School in 2011 and her bachelor’s degree in Cultural Anthropology from Haverford College in 2004.
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Elizabeth “Ez” Cukor
Elizabeth “Ez” Cukor is a Kaufman Fellow in the Justice at Work and LGBT law projects at NYLAG, representing low wage workers in employment matters. Ez focuses on outreach and providing culturally competent representation to transgender, gender non-conforming, lesbian, gay, and bisexual workers. During law school she was a co-chair of the Tenant Advocacy project and participated in employment law and family law clinics. She also interned at New York Lawyers for the Public Interest and Gay and Lesbian advocates and defenders. Prior to law school, Ez was a community outreach organizer at Planned Parenthood of Northern New England. Ez received her JD from Harvard Law School in May 2012, and her BA from Wesleyan University in 2005.
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Brian Hilburn
Brian, a staff attorney with NYLAG’s LegalHealth Unit, runs the legal clinics at Harlem Hospital and Maimonides Medical Center. Prior to NYLAG, he was a Peace Corps volunteer in Paraguay. While in law school, he interned for the Honorable Robert B. Collings of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, the San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office, LatinoJustice PRLDEF, and South Brooklyn Legal Services (SBLS). Brian did a post-graduate fellowship at SBLS focusing on unemployment law and foreclosure prevention. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree from Arkansas Tech University and his Juris Doctorate from Northeastern University School of Law.
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Margarita Guidos
Margarita is a staff attorney for the Immigrant Protection Unit (IPU), with a specific focus on deferred action and removal defense. As part of her role in the IPU, she teaches community outreach workshops on immigration law for under-served communities. Before joining NYLAG, she worked in English as a Second Language and adult education with a distance learning company and volunteered with low-income schoolchildren. Margarita earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago and her Juris Doctorate from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.
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Pamela van der Meulen
Pamela, a staff attorney with LegalHealth, runs a full-time legal clinic at the Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center, where she helps adolescents with a wide variety of legal problems. The Adolescent Health Center provides free medical care to children and young adults ages 10 – 24. In 2010 Pamela received the New York Regional Chapter award of the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM), for her outstanding contributions in this area. Prior to joining NYLAG and the Adolescent Health Center, Pamela practiced commercial real estate law in New York City for almost twenty years. She is a graduate of Wesleyan University and received her JD from Hofstra University School of Law, where she was Notes & Comments Editor of the Law Review.
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Deborah Berkman
Deborah is a staff attorney with NYLAG’s General Legal Services Unit with a focus on elder law. She advises and represents senior clients regarding access to public benefits, health care and home care, consumer law issues, and advanced planning, including drafting Wills, Health Care Proxies, Living Wills and Powers of Attorney. Deborah works directly with many of her clients in their local community centers or in their homes. Earlier, Deborah was a staff attorney in NYLAG’s Special Litigation Unit. Before joining NYLAG, Deborah spent her career fighting on behalf of the disenfranchised at the New York Civil Liberties Union, the Sylvia Rivera Law Project and in private practice. Deborah received her undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin at Madison and her J.D. from Fordham School of Law.
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Alexandra Moller
Prior to joining the Immigration Protection Unit at NYLAG, Alexandra was the co-founder of Refugee Roadmap, a website that assists Iraqi refugees resettling in the U.S. Her academic and professional experiences have been in the fields of journalism, international relations and law. As a journalist, Alexandra worked at ABC News and Congressional Quarterly. Alexandra is a licensed mediator. She received her JD from Northeastern University Law School, a master’s degree in international relations from the Fletcher School at Tufts University and a master’s degree in print journalism from Stanford University.
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Lauren Israelovitch
Lauren is a Staff Attorney with NYLAG’s Foreclosure Prevention Project. She assists clients with all aspects of foreclosure and the loss mitigation process, including representation at court ordered settlement conferences and negotiation of loan modifications. Lauren also assists litigants with pro se legal representation at the Bronx Foreclosure Clinic. Lauren began her NYLAG career with the Matrimonial & Family Law Unit, representing domestic violence victims in family offense, matrimonial, custody, visitation, and support cases. In addition, Lauren worked as a summer associate at Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP, a Canadian-based law firm, where she assisted corporate clients with mergers and acquisitions. Lauren received both a dual degree in Common Law and Civil Law (LL.B./ B.C.L.) and a Bachelor of Arts from McGill University.
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Therese McNulty
Therese is an attorney with the Immigrant Protection Unit focusing on the Attorney General Project, reviewing cases to assess whether fraud has occurred. She also assists clients with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and Temporary Protected Status. Therese works part-time at Kingsborough Community College representing students on a variety of immigration matters. Her prior immigration and family law experience includes child support and order of protection hearings, asylum and cancellation of removal hearings; motions to reopen and BIA appeals, and U-visas for survivors of domestic violence. Therese is a member of the New York City Bar Association’s Moderate Means Committee. She received her J.D. from CUNY School of Law. During law school, Therese worked on a human trafficking case and assisted the NYU School of Law Clinical Program with its torture and rendition cases. Prior to law school, she worked on a range of social issues including education, child welfare, and reproductive health. She received her B.A. from Fordham University.
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Nadia Hernandez
Nadia, a Staff Attorney with NYLAG’s Matrimonial & Family Law Unit, is responsible for providing legal services and direct representation for victims of domestic violence. She received her J.D. from New York Law School in 2011. During law school, she volunteered as a mentor with the Street Law Program, and as a debate coach with Legal Outreach. She also participated in NYLAG’s Domestic Violence Clinical Center. Prior to law school, she worked as a paralegal at Patton Boggs, LLP. Nadia has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History from Saint Peter’s College.
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Ian Harris
Ian is a staff attorney with NYLAG’s Matrimonial & Family Law Unit where he represents survivors of intimate partner abuse in family, matrimonial, and immigration. He also serves as an Adjunct Professor of Sociology and Gender Studies at Wagner College. Prior to joining NYLAG, Ian served as a staff attorney at Day One, an organization working with youth to end dating violence, where he represented young survivors of intimate partner abuse. Ian is the secretary for the New York City Bar Association Domestic Violence Committee and he regularly conducts trainings on technological abuse and intimate partner violence. He received his J.D. from the American University Washington College of Law and an M.A. from the American University School of International Service.
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Roxana Bernal
Roxana is a staff attorney in NYLAG’s Matrimonial & Family Law Unit, where she represents low-income litigants in matrimonial, custody, visitation, family offense, and support cases in New York State Family and Supreme Court. Roxana also represents clients in immigration cases, including VAWA self-petitions, battered spouse waivers, and U-Visa applications. Before joining NYLAG, Roxana was a staff attorney at My Sister’s Place where she represented victims of domestic violence in family law matters in Westchester County Courts. Roxana has dedicated her career to public interest law and has worked at a variety of non-profit and government agencies at both the state and federal level. Roxana received her JD from Fordham University School of Law, where she was on the Fordham Moot Court Board and was awarded the Archibald R. Murray Public Service Award. Roxana received a Bachelor of Arts in Law, Letters, and Society from the University of Chicago, where she was awarded a Princeton 55 Fellowship after graduation (now called a PIP Fellowship).
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Samantha Steingard
Samantha is the Volunteer Coordinator for NYLAG’s Pro Bono and Volunteer Unit. In this role, she manages NYLAG’s in-house volunteer program. Samantha joined NYLAG in 2011 as an AmeriCorps Volunteer Coordinator, engaging volunteers in hunger relief and job readiness projects. Prior to joining NYLAG, Samantha served as a Legislative and Policy Intern at the Executive Office of Health and Human Services in Massachusetts and as an Advocate at LIFT-Boston, a program to combat poverty. She studied Politics and French at New York University and has a background in public policy and social service.
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William Friedman
William is a staff attorney in the Storm Response Unit, where he provides legal assistance to Long Island victims of Superstorm Sandy. He directly represents clients in housing court and before administrative agencies, and provides advice and advocacy services to clients at local outreach events and via the Storm Response Hotline. Prior to joining NYLAG, William practiced landlord-tenant and foreclosure defense litigation at Nassau-Suffolk Legal Services. He earned his J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law and his B.A. from Muhlenberg College.
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Matthew Kutner
Matt is a staff attorney in the Storm Response Unit where he primarily advises Long Island clients on Foreclosure prevention and benefits, and provides direct client representation. Prior to joining NYLAG, Matt worked with complex financial instruments, corporations and represented clients before government agencies. He also represented elderly clients, as well as clients with disabilities, with MFY Legal Services’ Adult Home Advocacy Project. He has also done pro bono work on behalf of clients with mental disabilities with Mental Hygiene Legal Services, First Department, and has served as a clerk and judicial fellow with the trial and appellate courts of the State of New York. Matt is a graduate of Columbia Law School, where he earned an LL.M. and was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. He earned his J.D., cum laude, from Hofstra University School of Law, where he served as a Research Editor for the Hofstra Law Review. He earned his B.B.A.,cum laude, from George Washington University.
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Christopher Fasano
Chris is a Staff Attorney in the Storm Response Unit. In addition to providing general disaster relief assistance, Chris specializes in foreclosure prevention for clients affected by Superstorm Sandy. Before joining NYLAG, Chris volunteered in the Foreclosure Prevention Project at MFY Legal Services, and prior to MFY, he was a tax associate at Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP. Chris received his law degree with honors from Columbia Law School and his B.A. summa cum laude from Columbia College.
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Lana Kleiman
Lana is NYLAG’s Interim Director of Pro Bono. In this capacity, Lana coordinates the recruitment of volunteer attorneys from law firms and corporate legal departments to represent NYLAG clients. Prior to joining NYLAG, Lana was a litigation associate at DLA Piper, LLP. Lana was also a deferred associate at NYLAG in the Immigration Protection Unit where she represented clients in immigration cases including deportation, asylum and status for survivors of domestic violence. Lana graduated from Brooklyn Law School.
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Jordan Ballard
Jordan is a staff attorney in the Storm Response Unit. He advises and represents Long Island victims of Superstorm Sandy on disaster relief issues, including FEMA appeals and flood insurance claims. Before joining NYLAG, he was an Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Legal Fellow with Legal Aid of West Virginia, where he provided civil legal services to homeless and housing-insecure veterans. Jordan graduated from Fordham University School of Law, where he served as Senior Articles Editor of the Fordham Environmental Law Review and received the Archibald R. Murray Public Service Award summa cum laude for completing over 1,000 hours of public service. He received his B.A. from Fordham College at Rose Hill.
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Tavia Seymore
Tavia is the Online Marketing Coordinator at NYLAG and focuses on social media management and promotion, website and online presence management, and email marketing. As part of the development team, she supports the general marketing, public relations and communications efforts of the organization to promote NYLAG and reach target audiences. Prior to joining NYLAG, Tavia worked as a generalist at a public relations agency and a freelance copy writer. Tavia graduated from Colorado State University with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism.
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