NCLEJ's Benefit Awards Dinner is just around the corner, with an illustrious group of honorees and co-chairs. The Dinner will be held on Wednesday evening, October 26, at The Lighthouse, Pier 61 at Chelsea Piers.
Our honorees include one of the nation's foremost mediators, arbitrators, and experts in alternative dispute resolution and negotiation strategy,
Kenneth R. Feinberg; Founder and Executive Director of the Resilience Advocacy Project,
Brooke Richie-Babbage; and law firm
Constantine Cannon LLP, which we are recognizing for its groundbreaking pro bono assistance protecting the rights of Florida’s farmworkers.
Our terrific roster of Dinner Co-Chairs includes: MetLife Executive Vice President and General Counsel
Ricardo A. Anzaldua, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan
Partner
Sheila L. Birnbaum, JPMorgan Chase Vice Chairman
Stephen M. Cutler; former NCLEJ Executive Director
Henry A. Freedman, and BNY Mellon Senior Vice President and General Counsel
J. Kevin McCarthy.
In addition,
Caitlin J. Halligan, a partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP and a former Solicitor General for the State of New York, will serve as the evening's emcee.
The Honorable Laura Safer Espinoza, who serves as Director of the Fair Food Standards Council, will also be in attendance to present Constantine Cannon with the Pro Bono Leadership Award.
To support the dinner,
click here.
NCLEJ Brief Opposes Counting Food Stamps as Income in Determining Child Support
In a case that will have a big impact on low-income New York parents, NCLEJ filed an amicus brief with the New York State Court of Appeals in Lattuca v. Lattuca. The case addresses the issue of whether food stamps should be counted as income in calculating child support obligations.
Our brief, which was joined by a number of legal aid and hunger advocacy organizations, argues that both state law and the federal Food Stamp Act expressly prohibit counting these subsistence benefits, which were meant to serve nutritional needs of low-income households, as income for purposes of setting child support amounts. Resolution of this issue will be critical to the administration of New York's food stamp and child support programs. We are awaiting the court’s decision. NCLEJ thanks volunteer attorney J. Kelley Nevling, Jr. for providing pro bono assistance on this matter.
Greg Bass Serves as a Trainer for the Shriver Center’s Affirmative Litigation Training
Senior Attorney Greg Bass participated as a trainer in the Affirmative Litigation Training offered by the Chicago-based Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law in September. This training focuses on federal court practice for legal aid attorneys, and is offered through a combination of online webinars and an onsite conference combining lectures and workshop skills components.
Greg has served as a trainer for the Shriver Center for more than 15 years. He has designed and updated significant portions of the online and onsite Affirmative Litigation Training modules and manuals. Senior Attorney Fran Fajana also attended and participated in this year’s onsite training, which was conducted in Pittsburgh for 48 legal aid advocates attending from across the country.
Rebecca MacKay and Casey Lee Join NCLEJ as Volunteer Attorneys
NCLEJ is pleased to welcome two volunteer law graduates, Rebecca MacKay and Casey Lee. Rebecca (pictured left) is a graduate of The London School of Economics. She also holds an LLM from New York University School of Law. While in the United Kingdom she was a Barrister at Lamb Chambers in the Temple, London, and is a member of Lincoln’s Inn. She also volunteered with the Free Representation Unit, Victim Support, and the Bar Pro Bono Unit.
Casey is a recent graduate of the Rutgers School of Law, where she received the Sera Ramcharitar Memorial Award for work on behalf of the underprivileged women, children and families, and was recognized as a Legal Services NYC 2015 Pro Bono Top 10 Law Student. She was an intern for Manhattan Legal Services, and worked at Rutgers’ Child Advocacy and International Human Rights Clinics.
“I am thrilled to have Rebecca and Casey here to help with the important work that NCLEJ is doing to combat economic injustice,” says Executive Director Marc Cohan. “They both bring incredible talent and diverse experience to our team.”
Seeking Legal Interns for Summer 2017
If you are a law student looking to make a real impact on the lives of low-income people, join our dynamic team to fight for economic justice while honing your legal skills. NCLEJ is seeking legal interns for the summer of 2017. Our interns work closely with NCLEJ staff attorneys to support ongoing impact litigation, policy analysis, and advocacy.
Click here to learn more.
