Meet the Leaders
Our 2025–2026 class represents a rich diversity of geography, backgrounds, and practice areas. While 30 fellows hail from all corners of California, including both urban and rural communities, ten fellows join us this year from Illinois, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Tennessee, and Washington. Fellows include many Chief Executive Officers, Executive Directors, and other executive managers, as well as senior directors of legal services, litigation, development, communications, pro bono, and various practice areas.
This year’s fellows have deep expertise across an impressive range of legal services issues, including children’s rights and child welfare, civil rights, community economic development, consumer rights, criminal justice, disability rights, domestic violence, economic justice, elder law, family law, housing, immigration, and LGBTQ and gender equity.
Executive Fellow Class of 2026
Abigail Esquivas (She/Her)
Director of Partnerships and Advocacy, Social Justice Collaborative
Amanda Bernardo (She/Her)
Deputy Director, ABA Immigration Justice Project
Amber De Buizer (She/Her)
Chief Development Officer, Law Foundation of Silicon Valley
Andres Rapoport (He/Him)
Director of Litigation, Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County
Ashley Holliday (She/Her)
Executive Director, West Tennessee Legal Services
Brandon Greene (He/Him)
Director of Policy Advocacy, Western Center on Law and Poverty
Carol McBirney (She/Her)
Deputy Director, Legal Aid Society of San Diego
Chelsea Crowton (She/Her)
Supervising Attorney, Southern Nevada Senior Law Program
Chriselle Raguro (She/Her)
Director of Pro Bono and Strategic Partnerships, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area
Diana Cruz (She/Her)
Executive Director, Housing Equity & Advocacy Resource Team
Elizabeth Kristen (She/Her)
Legal Director, California Women's Law Center
Francis Antonio (He/Him)
Director of Operations and Technology, National Housing and Community Development Law Project
Gabriel Negrete (He/Him)
Deputy Director, La Raza Centro Legal
Jenna MacRae (She/Her)
Deputy Director, Elder Law & Advocacy
Joanna Davis (She/Hers)
Managing Attorney, Legal Aid Society of NENY, Inc.
Joseph Calaceto
Director of Development, Northeast New Jersey Legal Services (NNJLS)
Katie Furuyama (She/Her)
Director of Institutional Partnerships, Asian Law Caucus
Linh Nguyen (She/Her)
Legal Services Manager, Tacoma Community House
Lizbeth Silva (She/Her)
Program Manager, The Watsonville Law Center
Lydia Nicholson (They/Them)
Administrator, Los Angeles Center for Community Law and Action
Makiedah Messam (She/Her)
Executive Director, Advocates for Basic Legal Equality
Marcus Tang (He/Him)
Executive Director, California Immigration Project
Margaret DeMatteo (She/Her)
Directing Attorney, California Center for Movement Legal Services
Maria Arrine (She/Her)
Legal Director, African Advocacy Network
Michael Stone (He/Him)
Executive Director, Center for Disability & Elder Law
Michelle Uzeta (She/Her)
Interim Executive Director, Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund
Monica Arellano (She/Her)
Deputy Director, Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles
Nadia Segura Narvaez (She/Her)
Directing Attorney (Small Business Development Program), Bet Tzedek Legal Services
Paul Haidle (He/Him)
Director of Strategic Advocacy, Cabrini Green Legal Aid
Reena Arya (She/Her)
Director of Immigration Legal Services, Jewish Family Community Services of the East Bay
Richard Eisendorf (He/Him)
Director of Development, Senior Legal Services
Sarah Cottingham (She/Her)
Managing Attorney, Step Forward Foundation
Sharon Cartagena (She/Her)
Directing Attorney, Public Counsel
Shelby Emore (She/Her)
Lead Attorney, Dependency Legal Services
Soo Woo (She/Her)
Assistant Managing Attorney (Housing Unit), Northeast New Jersey Legal Services
Stacy Townsend (She/Her)
Senior Attorney (Housing Program), Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto (CLSEPA)
Stephanie Bilinski (She/Her)
Pro Bono Director, Legal Aid Society of San Mateo
Sylvia Torres-Guillén (She/Her)
President & CEO, Disability Rights Legal Center
Vicki Bass (She/Her)
Associate Director of Strategy and Innovation, Disability Rights California
Zoe Cronin (She/Her)
Deputy Director, Greater Boston Legal Services
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