Executive Director

Rick Jones is the executive director and a founding member of the Neighborhood Defender Service. He is a distinguished trial lawyer with 30 years experience in multi-forum litigation. Rick served as the 59th president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) and is an inaugural member of the steering committee of the National Association for Public Defense (NAPD). He is the vice-chair of the International Legal Foundation (ILF) and a trustee of Fair Trials International. He has served on the faculties of both Columbia Law School and the National Criminal Defense College (NCDC) for more than a decade.
Senior Management

Alice Fontier
Managing Director, NDS Harlem

Andrea Bridgewater
Chief Operating Officer
Chantá Parker
Managing Director, NDS Detroit
Emily Ponder Williams
Managing Attorney, Civil Defense Practice, NDS Harlem
Matthew Knecht
Chief of Staff
Mike Smith
Chief Financial Officer
Roxanna Gutierrez
General Counsel, NDS Harlem

Zainab Akbar
Managing Attorney, Family Defense Practice, NDS Harlem
Detroit Staff

Alan Fields
Client Advocate

Alexzandria Poole
Staff Attorney

Andrew Sullivan
Assistant to the Managing Director

Brandy Robinson
Supervising Attorney

Blase Kearney
Senior Trial Attorney

Brian Gagniuk
Attorney, Felony Non Support

Cait De Mott Grady
Staff Attorney

Cheryl Quick
Supervising Attorney

Daisha Hill
Social Work Supervisor

Dalton Roberson
Client Advocate

Dante Taylor
Human Resources Manager

Devon Milner-Young
Investigator

Don Johnson
Attorney, Felony Non Support

Earl Washington
Staff Attorney

Elizabeth Young
Staff Attorney

Eunice McCall
Team Adminstrator

Glen Oh
Staff Attorney

Holly Wickham
Social Worker

Henry Schneider
Staff Attorney

Hunter Jones
Investigator

Jackie Pilcowitz
Staff Attorney

James O’Donnell
Senior Trial Attorney

James Parker
Staff Attorney

Jeff Knoche
Staff Attorney

Joan Morgan
Staff Attorney

Joe Bruce
Investigator

Jonathan Hordos
Staff Attorney

Kat Layton
Social Worker

Kristine Longstreet
Supervising Attorney

Kim Basen-Mishon
Senior Trial Attorney

KeAndra Hollis
Client Advocate

Ken Riggins
Staff Attorney

Kenneth Jackson
Investigator

Luke Beyer
Investigator

LaBonnie Woodard
Receptionist

Mark Procida
Supervising Attorney

Melissa Kliemann
Attorney, Felony Non Support

Michael Carter
Supervising Attorney

Nanci Kastaw
Staff Attorney

Nancy Richards
Senior Trial Attorney

Robert Burton-Harris
Staff Attorney

Sophie Loeb
Client Advocate

Stephanie Farkas
Staff Attorney

Tiffani Palmer
Team Administrator

Tim Wrather
Staff Attorney

Valerie Albright
Staff Attorney

William Noakes
Staff Attorney

Zoe Whitehouse
Access to Justice Policy Fellow
Harlem Staff

Alodie Efamba
Staff Attorney, Family Defense Practice

Amanda Anger
Social Worker, Family Defense Practice

Amelia Bedoya
Advocate, Family Defense Practice

Amy Kwak
Staff Attorney, Civil Defense Practice

Anna Luft
Staff Attorney, Civil Defense Practice

Annoguie “Annie” Viruet
Facilities Manager

Antoinette Pick-Jones
Staff Attorney, Family Defense Practice

Ariana Brill
Equal Justice Works Fellow

Ariel Tejada
Community Intake Advocate, Criminal Defense Practice

Austen Refuerzo
Supervisor, Right to Counsel, Civil Defense Practice

Ayami Hatanaka
Parent Advocate, Family Defense Practice

Carolyn Klemens
Human Resources Manager

Cheryl Moody
Controller

Clara Hammond Oakley,
Staff Attorney, Criminal Defense Practice

David Miranda
Senior Arraignment Attorney, Criminal Defense Practice

Demi Licona
Team Administrator, Criminal Defense Practice

Devin Conway
Staff Attorney, Criminal Defense Practice

Dori Brail
Supervising Social Worker, Family Defense Practice

Elizabeth Fischer
Supervising Attorney, Criminal Defense Practice

Elsie Chandler
Senior Trial Attorney, Director of Youth Law Practice

Esther Lee
Social Worker, Family Defense Practice

Helen Montalvan
Parent Advocate, Family Defense Practice

Helmis Ortega
Paralegal, Criminal Defense Practice

Henna Khan
Staff Attorney, Criminal Defense Practice

Jahnavi Bhaskar
Staff Attorney, Criminal Defense Practice

Javionte Johnson
Staff Attorney, Criminal Defense Practice

Jane Merrill
Staff Attorney, Criminal Defense Practice

Jeffrey Oakley
Staff Attorney, Family Defense Practice

Jenzo DuQue
Investigator, Criminal Defense Practice

Jeremiah Rygus
Staff Attorney, Criminal Defense Practice

Jeremy Tinsley
Staff Attorney, Criminal Defense Practice

Josh Hagelgans
Social Worker, Criminal Defense Practice

Kate Ferguson
Staff Attorney, Family Defense Practice

Kristin Heavey
Senior Trial Attorney, Criminal Defense Practice

Liza Oviedo
Team Administrator, Family Defense Practice

Mariel Hooper
Poverty Justice Solutions Fellow, Civil Defense Practice

Marisa Beckley
Client Advocate, Criminal Defense Practice

Maya Sikand
Immigrant Justice Corps Fellow, Civil Defense Practice

Meghna Philip
Staff Attorney, Criminal Defense Practice

Melida Ramirez
Team Administrator, Criminal Defense Practice

Melissa Mora
Immigration Attorney, Civil Defense Practice

Meredith McBride
Staff Attorney, Family Defense Team

Michael Weinstein
Supervising Staff Attorney, Family Defense Practice

Michael Woodruff
Staff Attorney, Criminal Defense Practice

Michelle Gonzalez
Immigration Attorney, Civil Defense Practice

Michelle Villaseñor-Grant
Senior Trial Attorney, Director of Training and Continuing Development

Molly Rugg
Staff Attorney, Civil Defense Practice

Monica Shah
Law Graduate, Family Defense Practice

Nicole Seigel
Social Worker, Family Defense Practice

Neysha Suarez
Receptionist

Patricia Williams
Receptionist

Rebecca Mielczarek
Supervising Social Worker

Reid Murdoch
Fellow/Staff Attorney, Family Defense Practice

Russell Morse
Client Advocate, Criminal Defense Practice

Ryan Napoli
Supervising Attorney, Family Defense Practice

Sadie Miner
Social Worker, Family Defense Practice

Sam McCann
Communications Specialist

Sara Wolkensdorfer
Supervising Attorney, Civil Defense Practice

Scott Foletta
Supervising Attorney, Immigration Defense Practice

Tiffany Wang
Staff Attorney, Criminal Defense Practice

Tony Acosta
Executive Assistant

Trevor Boeckmann
Staff Attorney, Family Defense Practice