Public Interest Resource Center Staff

Center Staff

Leah Horowitz (she/her/hers)
Assistant Dean for Public Interest and Social Initiatives

As Assistant Dean, Leah leads and coordinates much of the law school's public interest and social justice efforts. Before becoming Assistant Dean, she was the Director of Public Interest Student Engagement in PIRC, working closely with public interest students and student leaders of our pro bono projects. Before coming (back) to Fordham, Leah worked as a public defender at The Bronx Defenders for almost a decade. While at The Bronx Defenders, in addition to zealously representing clients, she created the Client Library to provide books to incarcerated and non-incarcerated clients and started an initiative to address solitary confinement. Leah will always be a public defender at heart. Leah received her law degree from Fordham Law School and her undergraduate degree from Cornell University. During her years at Fordham, Leah was a Stein Scholar and served as the president of two PIRC student organizations.

Leah is admitted to the Bar in New York and Connecticut.

Mia Jackson-Rosenthal (she/her/hers)
Director of Public Interest Student Engagement and Counseling

Email: [email protected]

In her role as the Director of Student Engagement and Counseling Mia advises students interested in pursuing public interest internships and careers. Furthermore, she supports PIRC student-led groups and coordinates public interest-focused events and panels. Mia is also the point person for diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, and outreach within PIRC.

Before going to Fordham, Mia spent eight and a half years as a Staff Attorney in the Criminal Defense Practice of The Bronx Defenders, where she represented indigent clients on misdemeanor and felony cases. In addition to her role as a Staff Attorney, she was the Pro Bono Coordinator for her practice, helping to facilitate pro bono legal partnerships between her colleagues and firm associates. Throughout her time at The Bronx Defenders, Mia engaged with law students through her role as a supervisor in the Summer Internship Program and the Desk Appearance Ticket Marijuana Project. While at BXD she also participated in hiring and recruiting new attorneys as part of the Fellowship Interview Committee and represented her former organization at various public interest career fairs and law school panels. Mia received her J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law and her Bachelor’s degree from Boston College.

Mia is admitted to the Bar in New York.

Laura Hecht-Felella (she/her/hers)
Public Interest Resource Center Counselor (Part-Time)

Email: [email protected]

Before joining PIRC, Laura was the George A. Katz Fellow with the Brennan Center’s Liberty and National Security Program. She focused on issues related to civil rights and technology, content moderation, and online speech. Laura authored or coauthored three Brennan Center reports The Fourth Amendment in the Digital Age (2021); Double Standings in Social Media Content Moderation (2021); and Government Access to Mobile Phone Data for Contact Tracing (2020). She regularly testified at the NYC Council to support various police oversight policies. She litigated public records requests in five cities seeking information on police use of social media surveillance.

Previously, Laura was an attorney at Brooklyn Legal Services, representing low-income New Yorkers in litigation seeking to prevent displacement and preserve affordable housing. Before that, she worked on reproductive justice issues at National Advocates for Pregnant Women. Laura graduated from New York University School of Law and the Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College.

Tina O'Neale (she/her/hers)
Public Interest Resource Center Counselor (Part-Time)

Email: [email protected]

Tina O'Neale is a native New Yorker who received her J.D. from Fordham University School of Law in 2016. During law school, Tina’s dedication to serving low-income clients led to an internship at the New York City Bar Association’s Justice Center and Legal Hotline and her participation in Fordham’s Consumer Litigation Clinic. During her last year at Fordham, Tina was a Pro Bono Scholar and served as co-director for the Consumer Law Advocates and YouthLaw organizations.

After graduation, Tina went on to become a Poverty Justice Solutions Fellow at New York Legal Assistance Group. As a part of the Tenants' Right Unit, Tina represented hundreds of New Yorkers in New York City housing court and worked tirelessly to preserve affordable housing. Tina went on to work in NYLAG's Consumer Protection Unit where she assisted taxi medallion owners to alleviate crushing debt burdens. Tina currently works at DC37 Municipal Employees Legal Services as a family law attorney.

Adiaha Foglino (she/her/hers)
Office Manager

Email: [email protected]

Adiaha Foglino is the Office Manager for The Public Interest Resource Center. She will be able to help with any administrative task you may need, such as helping with email accounts, petty cash, student group space, and listing opportunities in PIRC UP!