I have spent my career in a wide variety of law firms & organizations that all have one thing in common – I have had the privilege of helping people navigate some of the most difficult situations of their lives. Ending up in court or before your elected official typically means a person or a system has failed you. It has always been my job to make you feel heard, identify potential solutions to your problem, & guide you through seeking relief. One of the most satisfying aspects of representing clients in Family Court is standing beside them – guiding them through a complicated system that is usually entirely new to them – while they take their voice & agency back.
✧ As a lawyer, I fight alongside my clients to get them back what they lost or to get them what they are owed.
✧ As an advocate, I fight for & alongside people with marginalized identities to elevate their voices & concerns & to secure their own place at the table.
✧ As an educator, I fight to share my knowledge in accessible & entertaining ways. I fundamentally believe that sharing knowledge is power multiplied and that the only stupid questions are the ones left unasked.
✧ As a Legislative Director, I fought on behalf of families alongside New York State Assemblymember Jen Lunsford to make childcare more affordable, protect school funding, and ensure that everyone has access to quality, affordable healthcare.
I am actively involved in the Rochester/Monroe County Domestic Violence Consortium. As a member of the Diversity Committee, I helped develop curriculum for trainings and proposed a project to collect demographic data to identify gaps in service. While serving as a family law attorney at The Legal Aid Society of Rochester, I created and co-chaired its Diversity, Equity, & Inclusivity Committee. The Committee educates Legal Aid’s more than 80 employees in diversity, inclusion, and cultural competence and reviews procedures to ensure Legal Aid accommodates & encourages the growth of its diverse clientele.
In 2021, I earned the New York State Bar Association’s Outstanding Young Lawyer Award, given to one young attorney in New York who “rendered outstanding service to both the community and legal profession.” In 2015, the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York (“WBASNY”) awarded me the Doris S. Hoffman Outstanding New Lawyer Award for “outstanding achievements within the profession [and] outstanding contributions within the WBASNY member’s community.” In 2014, I received The Daily Record’s “Excellence in Law: Up-and-Coming Attorney” award, and in 2019, I was honored to participate in the Shriver Center Leadership for Justice Program.
I joined the Greater Rochester Association for Women Attorneys (“GRAWA”) and WBASNY in 2012. I currently serve as Co-Chair of WBASNY's Membership Committee. In 2019-20, I served on WBASNY’s Board of Directors as Recording Secretary, and on GRAWA’s Board as Treasurer in 2020-21 & 2021-22. I served as GRAWA Membership Chair in 2013-14 and 2014-15, during which time GRAWA reached 300 members for the first time. I also served as Co-Chair of WBASNY’s Membership Committee during 2014-2015, 2015-2016, & 2016-2017, when WBASNY reached record membership numbers, and again in 2021-22 & 2023-23. I also served in a variety of other positions for both organizations.
My cats & I are proud residents of the City of Rochester, but I return frequently to the greater Buffalo area to spend time with my nieces.