Feerick Center Leadership and Staff

Jojo Annobil and Mary Ellen Kris serve as the co-chairs of the Feerick Center’s advisory council. The advisory council helps guide program development at the Center. Advisory council members include the following individuals:

o    Jojo Annobil – Executive Director, Immigrant Justice Corps
o    Jennifer Jones Austin – Chief Executive Officer Executive Director, Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies
o    Jane Booth – General Counsel, Columbia University (Retired)
o    Tim Brosnan – Managing Member TimBrosnanLLC
o    Eleanor Brown – Professor of Law, Fordham Law School
o    Norrinda Brown – Associate Dean, Fordham Law School
o    Bradley J. Butwin – Partner and Chair, O'Melveny & Myers LLP 
o    Honorable Denny Chin – United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit 
o    Denis F. Cronin – President, Royalnest Corp.; Former President, Fordham Law Alumni Association
o    Kevin J. Curnin – Retired Partner and Public Service Director, Stroock
o    Robert W. Gaffey – Retired Partner, Jones Day
o    Bruce A. Green (Ex Officio) – Louis Stein Professor of Law, Fordham Law School; Director, Louis Stein Center for Law and Ethics, Fordham Law School
o    Peggy A. Healy – Retired Senior Vice President, Covenant House 
o    Maria Imperial – Vice-President, Barbara McDowell Social Justice Center
o    Seymour W. James, Jr. – Partner, Barket Epstein Kearon Aldea & LoTurco, LLP; Former President, New York State Bar Association
o    Constantine N. Katsoris – Wilkinson Professor of Law, Fordham Law School
o    Mary Ellen L. Kris – Consultant, United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries
o    Maura Kathleen Monaghan – Partner, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
o    Joseph Niciforo – Chairman and CEO of HC Technologies
o    Carlos G. Ortiz – Vice President and General Counsel, Goya Foods, Inc.
o    Timothy G. Reynolds – Retired Partner, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates
o    Thomas J. Schwarz – Interim President, Drew University
o    Robert C. Sheehan – Retired Partner, Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates
o    Michael K. Stanton, Jr. – Partner, Ferguson Cohen LLP; Former President, Fordham Law Alumni Association
o    George N. Stavis – Vice President and General Counsel, Bilibaby LLC
o    Irene A. Sullivan – Retired Partner, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates
o    Susan E. Welber – Staff Attorney, The Legal Aid Society

John D. Feerick, the Founder and Senior Counsel of the Feerick Center for Social Justice, was the Dean of Fordham Law School from 1982-2002. He has held the Sidney C. Norris Chair of Law in Public Service since 2004 and was the Leonard F. Manning Professor of Law from 2002-2004. John began his career at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom; he spent 21 years (1961-1982) there, developing and heading up their labor department.

He has been a dedicated public servant throughout his career. Most recently, he has served as a member of the three-person Special Master Panel in the McCain homeless family rights litigation (2003-2005); was appointed to a three-member Referee Panel in Campaign for Fiscal Equity v. State of New York (concerning education equity; 2003); and was the Chair of the Commission to Promote Public Confidence in Judicial Elections (2003).

From April 2007 to February 2009, John served as Chair of the New York State Commission on Public Integrity. He is the co-chair of the Chief Judge Advisory Council in the Attorney Emeritus Program. Previously, John was the President of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York (1992-1994); Chair of the New York State Commission on Government Integrity (1987-1990); and President of the Citizens Union Foundation (1987-1999).


Matthew Diller, Professor of Law and Senior Co-Counsel of the Feerick Center for Social Justice, is a prominent scholar of social welfare law and policy. He has served as dean of two major law schools. In July 2025, Diller joined the John D. Feerick Center for Social Justice as Senior Co-Counsel, along with the Center's founder, John D. Feerick.

Diller served as dean of Fordham Law from 2015-2024. Under his leadership, Fordham Law launched the Access to Justice (A2J) Initiative to promote teaching and scholarship in access-to-justice issues while also expanding legal services to vulnerable populations through Fordham Law’s clinics and other programs.

Prior to being appointed dean of Fordham Law, Diller served as dean of the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law from 2009 to 2015. He began his teaching career at Fordham Law in 1993 and was named the Cooper Family Professor of Law and co-director of the Louis Stein Center for Law and Ethics. Diller worked as a staff attorney in the civil appeals and law reform unit of The Legal Aid Society from 1986 to 1993 and was a law clerk to the Honorable Walter R. Mansfield of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. He earned his A.B. and J.D. degrees, both magna cum laude, from Harvard University.

Elizabeth B. Cooper, the Faculty Director of the Feerick Center, has been a professor at the Law School for over 25 years. She currently teaches the Legislative and Policy Advocacy Clinic, and previously has taught litigation/civil rights clinics, the Center’s Social Justice Clinic, Institutional Reform Through the Courts (with Professor Feerick), among other offerings. Her scholarship addresses issues of dignity and autonomy in numerous contexts including bioethics (particularly HIV/AIDS policies), the rights of LGBTQ individuals (especially marriage equality), and the importance of ensuring that BIPOC, LGBTQ, and women students and attorneys do not have to conform their appearances (e.g., clothing, shoes, hairstyles) to dominant culture expectations in the workplace. She also has written about aspects of clinical teaching pedagogy.

Before coming to Fordham, Liz taught briefly at Brooklyn Law School and was an adjunct law professor at Rutgers Law School (Newark). She was a Gibbons Fellow in Public Interest and Constitutional Law at the Newark, NJ law firm of Gibbons, P.C. (1992-1994) and was a Skadden Fellow/Staff Counsel at the ACLU AIDS Project (1990-1992). Following graduation from New York University School of Law, where she was a Root-Tilden Scholar, she clerked for the Hon. Anne E. Thompson, Senior Judge, U.S. District Court of New Jersey. She is a magna cum laude graduate of the University of Pennsylvania.

Emerson Argueta was born in El Salvador, emigrated to the United States with his family in the early 1990s, and settled on Long Island. Emerson’s experience working in immigration started in his first year at Fordham University School of Law when he volunteered with the CARA Family Detention Pro Bono Project. He continued advocating for immigrants through multiple service trips to the family detention center in Dilley, Texas, and internships with the Central American Refugee Center (CARECEN) and Human Rights First.

After graduating Fordham Law in 2018, Emerson was selected for the Immigrant Justice Corps (IJC) Justice Fellowship, placed with IJC's Adults with Children project where he represented vulnerable women and children living on Long Island facing removal to countries where they fear gang and domestic violence. He continued serving the Long Island immigrant community as a supervising attorney for CARECEN's Removal Defense team, mentoring IJC fellows and recent law graduates in removal defense. Emerson joined the staff of the Feerick Center for Social Justice as Associate Director in August 2023. Emerson earned his BA degree from Columbia University.

Email: eargueta[email protected]

Dora Galacatos, the Center’s Senior Program Advisor, is a Fordham Law alumna (1996), with experience working in city government, the not-for-profit sector, and legal services. She joined the Center’s staff in 2006 at its founding. Prior to coming to Law School, Dora worked for the New York City Department of Juvenile Justice and the New York City for Mayor's Office of Drug Abuse Policy from 1989 to 1993, where she focused on program development, program evaluation, and policy analysis. As part of a Skadden Fellowship (1997-1998), Dora helped establish a family day care network at Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation, in Washington Heights, Manhattan.

Dora served as Staff Director to the New York City Family Homelessness Special Master Panel, working alongside former Fordham Law School dean, Dean Emeritus John D. Feerick (2002-2005). Dora also served as a law clerk to the late-Honorable Milton Pollack (1996-1997) and to the Honorable Paul A. Crotty (2005-2006), both District Judges in the Southern District of New York. Dora is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where she received her Bachelor of Arts in History (1987), the New School for Social Research, where she was a Jacob M. Kaplan Fellow and received a Master of Science in Urban Policy (1993), and Temple University Beasley School of Law, where she received an LL.M. in Trial Advocacy (2023).

In 2009, Dora was honored by the New York County Lawyers Association with their Public Service Award. In 2011, Manhattan Legal Services awarded her its Medal of Honor. In 2013, MFY Legal Services, Inc. recognized Dora with its Partner in Justice Award. In 2025, Dora received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association of American Law School’s Section on Pro Bono and Access to Justice, Fordham Law School’s Eugene J. Keefe Award, and the Feerick Center’s Champion of Justice Award. Dora is a former chair of the New York City Bar Civil Court Committee.

Email: [email protected] | Tel. 212-636-7747 | Pronouns: She, Her, Hers

Lisa Landau, the Executive Director to the Feerick Center, is a consummate public interest attorney with over thirty-five years of experience working in civil legal services, government, and the nonprofit sector in an array of fields and leadership roles. Lisa has lived the motto of Fordham Law—as a lawyer in the service of others. Throughout her career, she has shown a deep commitment to using her energy and skills to protect the rights of those in need—especially vulnerable New Yorkers. Lisa started her career in international human rights working at the International Rescue Committee, Human Rights First, and Asia Watch. Lisa then joined The Legal Aid Society, where she served as a staff attorney at the Harlem Neighborhood Office and represented area residents in housing, public benefits, consumer, and employment matters.

Lisa’s deep litigation experience has focused on civil rights and health law, including at the ACLU and the New York State Office of the Attorney General. Lisa also served as executive director of the innovative Nurse-Family Partnership Program for the New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene, which provides critical support for low-income pregnant women and new mothers. Over a pivotal five-year period, the program expanded dramatically under Lisa’s leadership.  

For over a decade, Lisa has served in two key leadership roles in state and local government, first as chief of the Health Care Bureau of the New York State Office of the Attorney General and then as general counsel of the New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene.

Lisa brings exceptional skills to her role as the center’s executive director, including building partnerships, leading teams, and engaging in program innovation, policy advocacy, impact litigation, and problem solving.

Email: [email protected] | Pronouns: She, Her, Hers

Clementine Schillings, Senior Project Researcher and Assistant to Dean Feerick, has a background in Human Rights Law and International Law having completed a Bachelor’s Degree at the University of the West of England, Bristol and a Master’s Degree at Queen Mary University of London. Since graduating she has interned at various institutions, such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime working in their New York office, Eurojust (the European Agency on Judicial Cooperation), and VluchtelingenWerk Nederland (The Dutch Refugee Council).

Email: [email protected] | Tel. 646-346-5169 | Pronouns: She, Her, Hers

Feerick Center Fellow Bios 
2024-2025 

Luke Lee 
Luke Lee is a 2L at Fordham University School of Law and serves as the Feerick Center’s 2024-2025 Economic Justice Fellow. Before law school, Luke developed an interest in consumer protection and public interest law while working as a paralegal at a small law firm focusing on civil litigation. To expand his knowledge of issues challenging underserved communities, Luke has volunteered with CLARO, the Legal Hand Call-in Center serving East Harlem, and the New York Legal Assistance Group, assisting visitors facing a wide range of problems, including credit card debt collection, housing, and immigration issues. After the Economic Justice Fellowship and law school, Luke intends to pursue a career in public interest law.

Noelia B. Vasquez
Noelia B. Vasquez is a 2L at Fordham University School of Law and serves as the Feerick Center’s 2024-2025 Immigrant Justice Fellow. She is also a Judicial Intern for the Honorable Kelly Conlon in Bergen County, Public Interest Chair for Fordham’s Latin American Law Students Association (LALSA), Treasurer for the Fordham Non-Traditional Law Students Association (FNTLSA), and a Brendan Moore Trial Advocate. Additionally, Noelia serves as a DEI Assistant Editor and Events Assistant Editor for the Fordham Environmental Law Review and is a member of the Fordham Law School Committee on ABA Section 208. 

Noelia holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science, with a minor in Psychology, from Concordia University - Chicago. She attended full-time while working as a paralegal and navigating her status as a DACA recipient. Immigration law is a deeply personal cause for Noelia, having been an undocumented immigrant and the daughter of formerly undocumented parents. Her experiences shaped her commitment to providing dignified and respectful legal representation to underserved communities.

Matthew Winter 
Matthew is a third-year student at Fordham Law School. After graduating from Bates College, he was an AmeriCorps member at the Providence Children's Museum before working at Advocates for Children of New York--one of the leading education advocacy organizations in the city--in the operations team. 

At Fordham Law School, Matthew has been very involved with the Suspension Representation Project (SRP), a coalition of New York City law school students who represent students in suspension hearings, where he supervises the organization's direct services operations. Matthew is also involved in Fordham's OUTLaws chapter and Advocates for Trans* Law Students organization. 

Matthew has interned with the Center for Public Research and Leadership, at the New York City Council with the Education Committee, and then again at Advocates for Children. Matthew has also participated in Fordham’s Criminal Defense Clinic and Legislative Advocacy Clinic.

Past Fellows

2019-2020
Ellen McCormick, Class of 2019

2018-2019
Shirin Dhanani, Class of 2018
Elizabeth Snyder Wood, Class of 2018

2017-2018
Elizabeth Perez, Class of 2017

2016-2017
Sara Purvin, Class of 2016

2015-2016
Justin Brown, Class of 2015
Sofia Linarte, Class of 2015

2014 - 2015
Michelle Lee, Class of 2014

2013-2014
Anna Stallmann, Class of 2013

2012-2013
Deena Schwartz, Class of 2012
Andrea Vazquez, Class of 2012

2011-2012
Marcie Kobak, Class of 2011
Anitoshia Johnson, Class of 2011
Damian Treffs, Class of 2011

2010-2011
Tamara Alexander, Class of 2010
Joe Costello, Class of 2010
Gerrald Ellis, Class of 2010
Paolo Meireles, Class of 2010
Lynda Tooker, Class of 2010
Scott Wagner, Class of 2010

2009-2010
Shireen Ahmed, Class of 2009
Mary Cox, Class of 2009
David Friedman, Class of 2009
Brandon Gershowitz Class of 2009
Yelena Kozlova, Class of 2009
Kathryn Newman, Class of 2009

2008-2009
Suzana Carlos, Class of 2008
Michael Higgins, Class of 2008
Emilio Justiniano, Class of 2008
Jessica Selman, Class of 2008

2007-2008
Nyssa Fajardo, Class of 2007
Gerard Haskins, Class of 2007
William Lim, Class of 2007
Erynne Novetsky, Class of 2007
Elisabeth Prael, Class of 2007
Leigh Tuccio, Class of 2007

2006-2007
Jonathan Benovitz, Class of 2006
Adonaid Casado, Class of 2006
Stephen Cincotta, Class of 2006
Carrie Loewenthal, Class of 2006

2026-2027 AmeriCorps VISTA Members

Ashley Garcia, 2026-2027 AmeriCorps VISTA Member & CLARO Coordinator

Ashley Garcia is a NYC Consumer Advocacy Project Coordinator at the Feerick Center for Social Justice. After serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA with another NYC-based organization, she was so moved by her experience that she chose the Feerick Center for her second year of service. Ashley holds a degree in legal studies from Pepperdine University and a degree in social policy from the University of Melbourne, and brings professional experience in nonprofit and higher education communication and project management. She is committed to promoting social justice and advocating for New Yorkers across the five boroughs.

Bluebell Ward, 2026-2027 AmeriCorps VISTA Member & CLARO Coordinator

Bluebell is a NYC Consumer Advocacy Project Coordinator at the Feerick Center for Social Justice. She is a December 2025 graduate of McGill University, where she earned a B.A. in Honors History. Bluebell volunteered with the Feerick Center’s CLARO Programs in the summer of 2025 and returned to work as a part-time CLARO coordinator in early 2026. She is excited to become a full-time staff member and continue to advocate for economic justice in New York.

Past Members

2025-2026 AmeriCorps VISTA Members

• Alex Alexakos, AmeriCorps, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, CLARO Coordinator
• Charlie Baker, AmeriCorps, AmeriCorps VISTA Member & CLARO Coordinator
• Huntley Pizzarelli, AmeriCorps, AmeriCorps VISTA Member & CLARO Coordinator

2024-2025 AmeriCorps VISTA Members

• Alex Alexakos, AmeriCorps, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, CLARO Coordinator
• Khadija Bangura, AmeriCorps, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, CLARO Coordinator
• Galib Kabir, AmeriCorps, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, CLARO Coordinator
• Robert (Wes) Mahony, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, Attorney Emeritus Program Coordinator (ended service in February 2025)
• Renée Sanacora, AmeriCorps VISTA Member & Immigrant Justice Project Coordinator
• Kaitlyn Schauer, AmeriCorps VISTA Leader
• Olivia Tafs, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, Attorney Emeritus Program Coordinator (ended service in February 2025)

2023-2024 AmeriCorps VISTA Members

• Monique Boamah, AmeriCorps VISTA Leader
• Princess Dang, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, Attorney Emeritus Program Coordinator
• Liz McMillan, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, CLARO Coordinator
• Mitchell Taylor, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, CLARO Coordinator
• Spencer Wang, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, Attorney Emeritus Program Coordinator

2022-2023 AmeriCorps VISTA Members

• Isabela Coppler, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, Consumer Assistance Project Coordinator
• Jordan Eady-Lee, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, Greater NYC Attorney Emeritus Coordinator
• Madeleine Foley, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, Consumer Assistance Project Coordinator
• Shannon Porter, AmeriCorps VISTA Leader
• Sean Tan, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, Greater NYC Attorney Emeritus Coordinator

2021-2022 AmeriCorps VISTA Members

• Kelsey Benjamin, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, Greater NYC Attorney Emeritus Coordinator
• John Kauffman, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, Feerick Center Veterans Rights Project (FCVRP) and the COVID Response Project (CRP) Project Coordinator
• Kimberly Martinez, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, Consumer Assistance Project Coordinator
• Theresa Mahoney, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, Consumer Assistance Project Coordinator
• Ashley Ramsay, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, Greater NYC Attorney Emeritus Coordinator
• Alero Simon, AmeriCorps VISTA Leader

2020-2021 AmeriCorps VISTA Members

• Kelsey Benjamin, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, Greater NYC Attorney Emeritus Coordinator
• Patrice A. Bryan, AmeriCorps VISTA Leader
• Molly Miller, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, Consumer Assistance Project Coordinator
• Matty Motylenski, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, Feerick Center Veterans Rights Project (FCVRP) and the COVID Response Project (CRP) Project Coordinator
• Ella Shlonsky, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, Greater NYC Attorney Emeritus Coordinator
• Jordan Williams, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, Consumer Assistance Project Coordinator

2019-2020 AmeriCorps VISTA Members

• Katherine Alonzo, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, LEEAP Consumer Debt Program Coordinator
• Taylor Bessinger, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, Volunteer Lawyers for Veterans Program, Project Coordinator
• Dilon Goncalves, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, LEEAP Education Program Coordinator
• Maris Moon, AmeriCorps VISTA Leader
• Daniella Torres, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, LEEAP Greater NYC Attorney Emeritus Program Coordinator

2018-2019 AmeriCorps VISTA Members

• Julia Cummings, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, LEEAP Consumer Debt Program Coordinator
• Azalea Capers, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, LEEAP Education Program Coordinator
• Kaitlyn Filzer, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, Volunteer Lawyers for Veterans Program, Project Coordinator
• Camilla Leonard, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, LEEAP Veteran's Program Coordinator
• Evan Mullen, AmeriCorps VISTA Leader
• Cora Vasserman, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, LEEAP Attorney Emeritus Program Coordinator

2017-2018 AmeriCorps VISTA Members

• Azalea Capers, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, LEEAP Education Program Coordinator
• Naama Hod, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, Attorney Emeritus Program Coordinator
• Camilla Leonard, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, LEEAP Veteran's Program Coordinator
• Cora Vasserman, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, LEEAP Attorney Emeritus Program Coordinator

2016-2017 AmeriCorps VISTA Members

• Luigi Bonifacio, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, LEEAP Education Program Coordinator
• Brian Bowen, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, Attorney Emeritus Program Coordinator
• Shannon Litvin, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, LEEAP Consumer Debt Program Coordinator

2015-2016 AmeriCorps VISTA Members

• Christine Brathwaite, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, LEEAP Education Program Coordinator
• Yolanda Garcia, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, LEEAP Consumer Debt Program Coordinator
• Donita Krasniqi, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, Attorney Emeritus Program Coordinator

2014-2015 AmeriCorps VISTA Members

• Liza Carroll, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, LEEAP Education Program Coordinator
• Matthew Q. English IV, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, Attorney Emeritus & LEEAP Education Program Coordinator
• Kyle Giller, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, LEEAP Consumer Debt Program Coordinator

2013-2014 AmeriCorps VISTA Members

• Priscilla Alabi, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, LEEAP Education Program Coordinator
• Katie McConnell, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, Attorney Emeritus Program Coordinator
• Sara Trongone, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, LEEAP Consumer Debt Program Coordinator

NYC Civic Corps Members

2014-2015 NYC Civic Corps Members

• Donita Krasniqi, NYC Civic Corps Member, Attorney Emeritus Program Coordinator
• Chelsea Wilson, NYC Civic Corps Member, Attorney Emeritus Program Coordinator

2013-2014 NYC Civic Corps Members

• Nicholas Macri, NYC Civic Corps Member, Attorney Emeritus Program Coordinator
• Samantha Varn, NYC Civic Corps Member, Attorney Emeritus Program Coordinator

2012-2013 NYC Civic Corps Members

• Laura Backus, NYC Civic Corps Member, Attorney Emeritus Program Coordinator
• Brandon Ruben, NYC Civic Corps Member, LEEAP Education Program Coordinator
• Anting Wang, NYC Civic Corps Member, LEEAP Consumer Debt Program Coordinator

2011-2012 NYC Civic Corps Members

• Ayanthi Gunawardana, NYC Civic Corps Member, Attorney Emeritus Program Coordinator
• Joanna Laine, NYC Civic Corps Member, Attorney Emeritus Program Coordinator

On the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the Center, we note with gratitude that thanks to a historic gift to the Feerick Center by the New York Women's Bar Association (NYWBA) Foundation, from 2010 to 2016, an extraordinary group of Fordham Law School women students served as NYWBA Foundation Fellows and provided instrumental support to the Center's work.

Fellows for the Year 2015-2016
Karen Ansong '16
Virginia Brown Anderson '16
Tzipora Zeines '18

Fellows for the Year 2014-2015
Laura Wooley ‘16
Razeem Zaman ‘16

Fellows for the Year 2013-2014
Lauren Irby ‘15
Sofia Linarte ‘15

Fellows for the Year 2012-2013
Chrissie Cahill ‘13
Jennifer Puchalski ‘14

Fellows for the Year 2011 -2012
Zohra Ahmed ‘13
Marisa Menna ‘13

Fellows for the Year 2010 -2011
Donella Green ‘12
Andrea Vazquez ‘12