Attorney Emeritus Program Advisory Council

The New York State Attorney Emeritus Program (AEP) Advisory Council is co-chaired by Justice Chiristine M. Clark of the Appellate Division, Third Department, and Professor John D. Feerick, the former dean of Fordham Law School.

The Advisory Council confers with the AEP team and leadership on ways to ensure that volunteers provide high-quality legal services, to make the volunteer experience as satisfying and desirable as possible, and to help guide outreach, recruitment and recognition strategies. The AEP is staffed by court personnel and a team at the Feerick Center, including two AmeriCorps VISTA members.

The Council also serves as a bridge to the bar, the legal services community, and the nonprofit sector.

Ex Officio

  • Helaine M. Barnett, Co-Chair, Permanent Commission on Access to Justice
  • Edwina G. Richardson, Deputy Chief Administrative Judge, Office for Justice Initiatives, New York State Unified Court System
  • Michelle Smith, Chief of Staff, Office for Justice Initiatives, New York State Unified Court System

Co-Chairs

  • Hon. Christine M. Clark, Associate Justice, Appellate Division, Third Department
  • John D. Feerick, Founder and Senior Counsel, Feerick Center for Social Justice, Fordham Law School

Council Members

  • Robert Abrams, Former Attorney General of New York State
  • Jacqueline Adorno, Managing Attorney for Pro Bono and Volunteer Programs, Mobilization for Justice
  • Akua Akyea, Associate Dean for Career Development, Cornell Law School
  • Lauren Axelrod, General Counsel, New York City Bar Association
  • Kathy Hirata Chin, Retired Partner, Crowell & Moring LLP
  • Catherine A. Christian, Partner, Liston Abramson LLP
  • Christine M. Fecko, Executive Director, The IOLA Fund of the State of New York
  • Fern A. Fisher, Special Assistant to the Dean on Social Justice Initiatives, Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University and Executive Director, Legal Hand, Inc.
  • Sheila A. Gaddis, Of Counsel, Barclay Damon LLP
  • Natalie M. Gomez-Velez, Professor of Law, The City University of New York (CUNY) School of Law
  • Stephen W. Greiner, Retired Partner, Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP
  • Heidi Lee Henderson, President & Chief Executive Officer, Access Justice Brooklyn
  • Adriene L. Holder, Chief Attorney of the Civil Practice, The Legal Aid Society
  • Caprice R. Jenerson, President and Attorney-in-Charge, Office of the Appellate Defender
  • Peter Kempner, Legal Director, Volunteers of Legal Service
  • Glenn Lau-Kee, Partner, Lau-Kee Law Group PLLC
  • Tanisha S. McKnight, Chief Operating Officer, United Way of New York City
  • Kelly McGovern, Director of Pro Bono Affairs, Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc.
  • Catherine Richardson, Retired Member, Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC
  • Alan Rothstein, Retired General Counsel, New York City Bar Association
  • William T. Russell Jr., Partner, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
  • Arlene Sanders, Managing Attorney, Legal Aid Society of Mid-New York, Inc.
  • Cynthia Schrock Seeley, Attorney, Law Office of Cynthia Schrock Seeley
  • Robert C. Sheehan, Retired Partner, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates
  • Keisha Williams, Deputy Director of Programs, Neighborhood Legal Services