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

Alex Fields
Assistant to Managing Director

Alexzandria Poole
Staff Attorney

Andrew Sullivan
Staff Attorney

Angela Bosetti
Staff Investigator, Criminal Defense Practice

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

Lene Maxwell
Client Advocate for Civil Defense Practice

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

Tyrone Bickerdt
Staff Attorney

William Noakes
Staff Attorney

Zoe Whitehouse
Access to Justice Policy Fellow
Harlem Staff

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

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

Demi Licona
Team Administrator, Criminal Defense Practice

Devin Conway
Staff Attorney, Criminal Defense Practice

Dori Brail
Supervising Social Worker, Family Defense Practice
![Bender photo[3]](https://secureservercdn.net/50.62.89.79/egs.840.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Bender-photo3-300x300.jpg)
Elizabeth Bender
Staff Attorney

Elsie Chandler
Senior Trial Attorney, Director of Youth Law 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
Social Worker, 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

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

Meghna Philip
Staff Attorney, Criminal Defense Practice

Melida Ramirez
Team Administrator, Criminal Defense Practice

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

Monica Shah
Law Graduate, Family Defense Practice

Nicole Seigel
Social Worker, Family Defense Practice

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

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
Texas Staff

Alex Alonso
Investigator

Amairani Carrizales
Investigator

Bobbie Morales
Investigator

Fabiola Martinez
Team Administrator

Faith Castillo
Staff Attorney

Guillermo Urbina
Staff Attorney

Irina Alejandro
Client Advocate

Isabel Alonzo
Team Administrator

Jeff Hohl
Senior Trial Attorney

Karen Sova
Staff Attorney

Katherine Shamsie
Staff Attorney

Kennison Evans
Staff Attorney

Kimberly Torell
Program Manager

Laura Wallin
Spanish Interpreter

Leland McRae
Senior Trial Attorney

Linda Avila
Office Manager

Meenu Walters
Supervising Attorney

Megan Harris
Team Administrator

Melissa Smyth
Immigration/Padilla Attorney

Omar Saucedo
Social Worker

Rebecca Davalos
Senior Trial Attorney

Ruby Guizar
Receptionist

Sarah Montrose
Team Administrator

Victoria Chuffo
Staff Attorney