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
Elizabeth Fischer
Managing Attorney, Criminal Defense Practice
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
Alexzandria Poole
Staff Attorney
Andrew Sullivan
Staff Attorney
Ashley Downs
Investigator
Brandy Robinson
Supervising Attorney
Blase Kearney
Senior Trial Attorney
Brian Gagniuk
Attorney, Felony Non Support
Cait De Mott Grady
Staff Attorney
Cassandra (Sandee ) Stone
Office Administrator
Cheryl Quick
Supervising Attorney
Cody Bradford
Client Advocate
Cynthia Mercado-Cooke
Training Team Administrator
Daisha Hill
Social Work Supervisor
Dalton Roberson
Client Advocate
Dante Taylor
Human Resources Manager
Dezha Dial
Staff Attorney
Devon Milner-Young
Investigator
Don Johnson
Attorney, Felony Non Support
Earl Washington
Staff Attorney
Elizabeth Young
Staff Attorney
Emily Elijah
Staff Attorney
Emily New
Staff Attorney
Eunice McCall
Team Adminstrator
Glen Oh
Staff Attorney
Hannah Baron
Staff Attorney
Holly Wickham
Social Worker
Hunter Jones
Investigator
Jackie Pilcowitz
Staff Attorney
James O’Donnell
Senior Trial Attorney
James Parker
Staff Attorney
Jeff Knoche
Staff Attorney
Joe Bruce
Investigator
Jonathan Hordos
Staff Attorney
Kristine Longstreet
Supervising Attorney
Kim Basen-Mishon
Senior Trial Attorney
Ken Riggins
Staff Attorney
Kenneth Jackson
Investigator
Kristen Key
Team Administrator
Kristin LaVoy
Training Director
Lauren Anderson
Staff Attorney
LaBonnie Woodard
Receptionist
Lauren Pereny
Staff Attorney
Mark Procida
Supervising Attorney
Meit Birabiro
Social Worker
Mike Davisson
Social Worker
Nanci Kastaw
Staff Attorney
Nancy Richards
Senior Trial Attorney
Natalie Phelps
Staff Attorney
Rachel Primo
Investigator Supervisor
Renee Barnes
Receptionist
Renee Wilson
Team Administrator
Robert Burton-Harris
Staff Attorney
Sophie Loeb
Client Advocate
Stephanie Farkas
Staff Attorney
Tiffani Palmer
Team Administrator
Tim Wrather
Staff Attorney
Tyrone Bickerdt
Staff Attorney
William Noakes
Staff Attorney
Zoe Whitehouse
Access to Justice Policy Fellow
Harlem Staff
Allen Heaston
Staff Attorney, Family Defense Practice
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
Anjuli Branz
Staff Attorney, Criminal Defense Practice
Anne Dean
Staff Attorney, Criminal 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
Bethany Woosen
Data Specialist
Carolyn Klemens
Human Resources Manager
Cheryl Moody
Controller
Christina Villegas
Social Worker, Criminal Defense Practice
Clara Hammond Oakley,
Staff Attorney, Criminal Defense Practice
Danielle Jackson,
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 Bender
Staff Attorney
Elsie Chandler
Senior Trial Attorney, Director of Youth Law Practice
Emily Harris
Staff Attorney, Civil Defense Practice
Esther Lee
Social Worker, Family Defense Practice
Eulalia Q. Sullivan, J.D.
Civil Defense Practice
Garrett Salzman
Investigator, Criminal Defense Practice
Grace Engelman
Legal Advocate, Civil Defense Practice
Greg Gomez
Supervising Attorney, Criminal 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
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
Lisa Freedman
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
Sarah Merchant
Social Worker, Family 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
William Botchway
Legal Advocate, Housing Defense Practice