Honors in the Family

Lisa Sbrana, Supervising Attorney of the Health Law Unit, was honored by the Commission on the Public's Health System (CPHS) on April 22, 2010 at the Marshall England Memorial Public Health Award Gala. The CPHS is a community-based, city-wide membership health advocacy organization fighting to ensure that all New York residents - particularly low-income individuals, immigrants, communities of color and the under and uninsured - have access to quality health care. Lisa’s advocacy and expertise benefits the entire non-profit legal services community who focuses on health care access in the entire state of New York.

Luz Hernandez, a member of the Support Staff in the Bronx Criminal Office, was honored March 24, 2010, during the Women's History Month celebration at The Legal Aid Society for four decades of outstanding service and as the woman with the longest service in the Society. She will be celebrating her 42nd anniversary in July.

Marie L. Washington, Director of the Society's Rikers Island Paralegal Program, was honored March 24, 2010, by the New York City Correction Guardians Association, Inc., during the Grand Council of Guardians 4th Annual Women's History Month celebration.

Deborah McGee, a social worker in the Queens office of the Juvenile Rights Practice, was honored on March 8, 2010, as the 11th recipient of the Charles Schinitsky Award for Outstanding Service to Children. The award is named after Charles Schinitsky who was the founder and first Attorney-in-Charge of the Juvenile Rights Division in 1962.

Adriene Holder, Attorney-in-Charge of the Civil Practice, and Seymour W. James, Attorney-in-Charge of the Criminal Practice were honored November 19, 2009 by The Foundation for the Judicial Friends, Inc. for their outstanding commitment to make access to justice a reality for all New Yorkers.

Judy Stern and Claire Merkins, staff attorneys in the Stays and Writs Project of the Juveneile Rights Practice and their supervisor, Judy Waksberg, Director of the Juvenile Rights Appeals Bureau, received the SOul (Stepping Out of Line) Award November 4, 2009 which is presented annually to a team or group in JRP that has stepped out of the box in providing service to our clients by thinking of new and creative ways to offer them legal or social service assistance.

April Newbauer, the Attorney-in-Charge of the Queens Neighborhood Office of the Civil Practice, and Shilpy Goswami, a staff attorney in the Bronx Criminal Office of the Criminal Practice, were recipients of public service awards presented by the New York County Lawyers' Association on September 24, 2009.

During the last several months, the following staff members have been honored for outstanding service to clients and the community.

Susan Bahn, a staff attorney in the Civil Practice, was honored by the Emergency Rent Coalition for her assistance to low income tenants during her 25 years as a Legal Aid attorney on May 20, 2009.

Lisa Sbrana, Supervising Attorney of the Civil Practice's Health Law Unit, received the New York City Bar Association's Legal Services Award on May 14 for her outstanding work and dedication.

Emily Kitay, a staff attorney in the Brooklyn office of the Juvenile Rights Practice, received the Kathryn A. McDonald Award from the New York City Bar Association on Wednesday, May 13.

Maria Navarro, Supervising Attorney in the Immigration Law Unit of The Legal Aid Society's Civil Practice, was honored on March 27 by the Puerto Rican Bar Association for her many achievements and contributions to the Latino community in the area of immigration law.

Eileen McCann, the Domestic Violence Project's attorney in the Civil Practice's Staten Island Neighborhood Office, received the "In the Trenches" award from the Lawyers' Committee Against Domestic Violence at its annual domestic violence forum held at Fordham Law School on March 2, 2009.

Robin Karasyk, a staff attorney in the Juvenile Right Practice's Brooklyn Office, received the 10th annual Charles Schinitsky Award for Outstanding Service on behalf of Children, February 23, 2009.

Monyca White, a staff attorney in the Manhattan office of the Criminal Practice, and Kenneth Stephens, an attorney in the Civil Practice Law Reform Unit, received public service awards from the New York County Lawyers' Association during the Public Service Awards Reception September 25, 2008.

Katie Kelleher, a staff attorney in the Civil Law Reform Unit, and Juanita Cruz-Cataquet, a paralegal in the Harlem Community Law Office, were recipients of the 2008 Legal Services Awards presented by The Association of the Bar of the City of New York.

Margaret O'Mara, Senior Supervising Social Worker in the Manhattan Office of the Juvenile Rights Practice, received the Kathryn A. McDonald Award for Excellence in Service to the Family Court from The Association of the Bar of the City of New York.

Marshall Green, the Attorney-in-Charge of the Bronx Neighborhood Office of the Civil Practice, received the Living Legends of the Bronx award from the Citizens Advice Bureau as well as an outstanding service award from The Robin Hood Foundation for the Single Stop Program funded by the foundation.

Mimi Rosenberg, a staff attorney in the Civil Practice’s Brooklyn Neighborhood Office, was honored by the New York County Lawyers’ Association for her outstanding work with the tenants of the Noble Drew Ali complex.

Steven Banks, Attorney-in-Chief, was honored by Information for Families, Inc, for his outstanding contributions to the lives of homeless families in New York City.

Katherine Mullen, a supervisor in the Juvenile Rights Brooklyn Office, was the recipient of the 2007 National Association of Council for Children Outstanding Legal Advocacy Award for excellence in the field of children’s law.

Dennis Murphy, Director of Training for the Criminal Practice, received the prestigious Kutak-Dodds Prize from the National Legal Aid and Defender Association for accomplishments by a public defender to enhance human dignity and the quality of life of those persons unable to afford legal representation.

Emily Ruben, Attorney-in-Charge of the Brooklyn Neighborhood Office, received a Legal Services Award from The Association of the Bar of the City of New York for outstanding civil legal assistance to New York’s poor individuals and families.

Judith Goldiner, a supervising attorney in the Civil Law Reform Practice, was honored by GOLES for outstanding service and dedication to the preservation of affordable housing for low-income New Yorkers.

Seymour W. James, Jr., Attorney-in-Charge of the Criminal Practice, received the New York State Bar Association’s Michele S. Maxian Award which recognizes an Outstanding Public Defense Practitioner. The award was renamed to honor the memory of Michele Maxian, a Legal Aid attorney.

John Boston, Director of the Prisoners’ Rights Project, received the Haywood Burns Memorial Civil Rights Award from the New York State Bar Association.