The Legal Aid Society held its 144th Annual Meeting on Wednesday, December 16, 2020, where staff were recognized for their service and dedication to the organization and its clients.

The Orison S. Marden Awards were created in 1976 during Legal Aid’s centennial year to recognize the excellence of the staff and to honor the memory of Mr. Marden, a partner at White & Case who served as a Director and Chairman for many years.

“We are so proud of our staff for their tireless dedication and commitment to our clients and the issues that impact low-income New Yorkers,” said Janet Sabel, CEO and Attorney-in-Chief of The Legal Aid Society. “It is an honor to recognize these individuals and all staff members of Legal Aid.”

The Orison S. Marden Award for Core Staff was presented to Ferdinand “Freddie” Cesarano, Paralegal in CDP’s Special Litigation Unit. Rolando Gonzalez, Staff Attorney in the Community Development Project of HCLO, received the Orison S. Marden Staff Attorney Marden Award. Cara Chambers, Director of the Juvenile Rights Practice’s Education Advocacy Project, Hasan Shafiqullah, Attorney-in Charge of the Immigration Law Unit, and Andrea Yacka-Bible, Supervising Attorney in the Criminal Appeals Bureau, received the Orison S. Marden Manager Awards.

The Sandra Scott Memorial Award honors the memory of our beloved Chief Financial Officer who lost her battle with cancer in 2016. Reshamjeet Singh, The Legal Aid Society’s Controller, was presented with this year’s award.

Members of the staff who are celebrating their 25th, 30th, 35th, 40th, 45th and 50th anniversaries with The Legal Aid Society were also honored:

50 Years
Herbert Grant, Paralegal, Brooklyn Civil, and Irwin Shaw, Attorney-in-Charge of Manhattan CDP.

40 Years
Trelinda Farrer, Forensic Social Worker Assistant, Queens CDP

35 Years
Rosemary Buckmon, Office Manager, CAB; David Crow, Staff Attorney, CAB; Harold Ferguson, Staff Attorney, CAB; Adrienne Gantt, Supervising Attorney, CAB; Daniel Greenbaum, Attorney-in-Charge, Staten Island JRP; Arthur Hopkirk, Staff Attorney, CAB; Rosemarie Jackson, Investigator, Brooklyn CDP; Richard Joselson, Supervising Attorney, CAB; Michael Letwin, Staff Attorney, Brooklyn CDP; Clifford Levin, Staff Attorney, Brooklyn CDP; Nancy Little, Staff Attorney, CAB; Margarita Menuar, Paralegal Casehandler, HCLO Civil; Michael Murphy, Staff Attorney, Bronx CDP; and Michelle Iris Noah, Staff Attorney, Brooklyn JRP.

30 Years
David Affler, Staff Attorney, Queens CDP; Juan Beritan, Staff Attorney, HCLO; Steven Berko, Staff Attorney, CAB; Richard Blum, Staff Attorney, Employment Law Unit; Laura Boyd, Staff Attorney, CAB; Desiree Buenzle, Staff Attorney, Brooklyn CDP; Susan Clement, Staff Attorney, Appeals, JRP; Olayinka Dan-Salami, Supervising Attorney, Bronx CDP: Ellen Dille, Staff Attorney, CAB; Melodie Donovan, Complex Administrator, Brooklyn, CDP: Yvonne Floyd-Mayers, Staff Attorney, Immigration, Civil; Michelle Fox, Staff Attorney, CAB; Angel Frau, Staff Attorney, Bronx CDP; Lisa Freeman, Director of Special Litigation, JRP Admin; Cathy Goldstein, Staff Attorney, Bronx JRP; Elon Harpaz, Staff Attorney, PRDU; Willie Jones, Staff Attorney, Manhattan JRP; Sheryl Karp, Supervising Attorney, HCLO Civil; Melvin Kenny, Paralegal ll, CDP Admin; Brad Martin, Staff Attorney, Manhattan JRP; Amelia McGovern, Staff Attorney, Manhattan CDP; Irmin McKenzie, Support Staff, Brooklyn CDP; Guy Mills, Paralegal ll, Rikers CDP; Steven Miraglia, Staff Attorney, CAB; Paul Montgomery, Staff Attorney, Queens CDP; Claudia Montoya, MICA Attorney, Bronx CDP; Vance Phillip, Paralegal, Brooklyn CDP; Ora Raymore-Kenlock, Support Staff, Brooklyn JRP; Marcus Reina, Support Staff, Manhattan CDP; Raymond Rogers, Staff Attorney, JRP Admin; Carol Santangelo, Supervising Attorney, Bronx Civil; Kristina Schwarz, Staff Attorney, CAB; Amy Serlin, Staff Attorney, Brooklyn JRP; Robert Staten, Investigator BNO Civil; Stephen Terry, Staff Attorney, Brooklyn CDP; and Gregory Williams, Support Staff, Manhattan CDP.

25 Years
Elizabeth Barroso, Support Staff, Bronx JRP; Charlie Cheng, Support Staff, Manhattan CDP; Warren Deans, Support Staff, Water Street Admin; Theresa Emeterio, Forensic Social Worker Assistant, Bronx CDP; Ana Maria Ferrin, Staff Attorney, Queens CDP; Katherine Fitzer, Staff Attorney, Brooklyn CDP; Demetra Frazier, Staff Attorney, Manhattan JRP; Wanjuri Hawkins, Forensic Social Worker, Immigration Civil; Jacqueline Holmes, Support Staff, Bronx JRP; Saleem Khan, Paralegal, Queens CDP; Margaret McClean, Paralegal ll, Brooklyn CDP; Samuel Medina, Paralegal ll, Queens JRP; Efrain Olmo, Paralegal ll, Brooklyn CDP; and Anna Vaysleyb, Paralegal Casehandler, BNO Civil.