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Leaders of The Legal Aid Society are some of the most respected in their fields, offering decades of experience and perspective gained from dedicating their careers to ensuring equal justice.
Twyla Carter (she/her) serves as the Attorney-in-Chief and Chief Executive Officer of The Legal Aid Society, becoming the first Black woman and first Asian American to lead the organization in its 145-year history.
Adriene serves as Chief Attorney of the Civil Practice of The Legal Aid Society and has devoted her entire professional career to challenging poverty and racial injustice for the advancement of equal rights. Adriene is responsible for managing the provision of comprehensive civil legal services through a network of neighborhood offices, courthouse based offices, and specialized city-wide units serving all five boroughs of New York City with over 500 staff working on more than 50,000 cases each year.
Tina has served as the Chief Attorney of the Criminal Defense Practice at The Legal Aid Society since 2014 where they are responsible for the daily operation of all of the practice’s trial, appellate, post-conviction, law reform and parole defense work conducted on behalf of over 200,000 clients. They lead a citywide team of 12 senior managers who, in turn, manage the practice’s over 1100 staff.
From law intern to Chief Attorney, Dawne’s career at The Legal Aid Society spans more than 20 years and it speaks volumes for her commitment to justice for New Yorkers and particularly for its most vulnerable community – New York City’s children.
As an integral leader at the Society, Dawne’s comprehensive knowledge of all aspects of the Juvenile Rights Practice, transformational management style, strategic business acumen, litigation expertise, creativity and perseverance, oversees the operations and delivery of services for more than 34,000 clients each year.
Scott has served as the General Counsel of The Legal Aid Society since 2011. Mr. Rosenberg is responsible for overseeing all legal matters in which the Society is the principal, including compliance with federal, state, and local laws, and not-for-profit governance and regulation. He plays a key role in the negotiation and enforcement of contracts; audits; real estate transactions and lease compliance as well as coordinates the involvement of outside counsel in legal matters where the Society is a principal.
As Chief Operating Officer, Lauren oversees essential administrative functions of the organization, including Finance, Strategic Operations, Human Resources, Facilities, and Information Technology.
Lou serves as Chief Counsel of the Pro Bono Practice at The Legal Aid Society where he is responsible for the recruitment, administration and coordination of nearly 3,000 volunteers annually.
Surya oversees data and technology at The Legal Aid Society, including strategy, planning, advocacy, support, training and staffing across application development and data, infrastructure and user experience teams. Across our practices, the role of technology and data is ever more critical to support our social workers, paralegals, attorneys, investigators and most importantly, to better serve the vulnerable individuals, families and children we work for.
As Chief Financial Officer, Premali is responsible for managing overall finance functions within the Legal Aid Society, including strategy, budgeting, planning, and building finance infrastructure to better support Legal Aid’s mission.
Vincent Paolo Villano joined The Legal Aid Society on October 5, 2021, as Chief Communications Officer with the mandate to lead the organization’s media, content, marketing, and branding strategy. He joins Legal Aid with over a decade of experience in government, campaigns, and advocacy using communications to advance racial, social, and economic justice.
Tami Wilson Rivera is the Chief Facilities and Asset Management Officer of the Legal Aid Society. In this role, Mrs. Wilson Rivera oversees Facilities, Asset Management, Procurement, and Shared Services.
Officers
Chair of the Board of Directors
Vice Chairs of the Board of Directors
Members of the Board of Directors