Public Service Awards to Honor Class of 2026 and Leaders in the Field

Brooklyn Law School will celebrate its longstanding commitment to public service at the annual Public Service Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, April 21, 2026 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. in the Forchelli Conference Center, followed by a reception.  

The event is organized by the Public Service Law Center and, under the leadership of Executive Director Amy Hsieh ’11, brings together students, faculty, alumni, and public service leaders to recognize extraordinary contributions to justice and access to legal services. 

"This ceremony is a powerful celebration of the Class of 2026’s extraordinary commitment to public service and the thousands of hours they have devoted to supporting individuals and communities in need, often in ways that quietly but meaningfully expand access to justice," said Hsieh. "It also honors community leaders, faculty, and alumni—like Jameel Jaffer, Dean Karen Porter, and Julie F. Kay—whose careers exemplify the impact of sustained public service in strengthening our communities and our democracy, and encourages our students to remain steadfast in their commitment to public interest as they begin their legal careers. 

Celebrating the Class of 2026 

Members of the Class of 2026 have performed exceptional public service throughout law school, devoting more than 77,000 hours to pro bono and public service work. 

Students have served through the Law School’s clinics and pro bono projects, as well as at organizations including The Legal Aid Society, Youth Represent, the New York City Department of Social Services, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. 

During their time at Brooklyn Law School, students have supported immigrants and small business owners; survivors of gender-based violence; people threatened with eviction from their homes; and government agencies providing critical public services. 

In addition to working with nonprofit organizations, students have developed dozens of pro bono projects that help improve the quality of life for vulnerable individuals and families. Project leaders have dedicated their time and expertise to running more than 20 active pro bono projects at the Law School.  

This year, nine Pro Bono Scholars are dedicating their final semester to full-time service, contributing thousands of hours to nonprofit organizations. 

Honoring Public Service Leaders 

The ceremony also recognizes faculty, alumni, and practitioners whose careers exemplify outstanding public service. 

Distinguished Commitment to Public Service Award 

Jameel Jaffer 
Executive Director, Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University 
Keynote Speaker 

Jaffer is a leading civil liberties attorney and scholar and the inaugural director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University. He previously held senior leadership roles at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), overseeing work on democracy, free speech, privacy, technology, national security, and international human rights. 

He has argued cases in multiple federal appellate courts and the U.S. Supreme Court, testified before Congress, and written widely on civil liberties and state power. His work has appeared in the New York Times, The Guardian, the London Review of Books, and Foreign Affairs.  

Faculty Award for Excellence in Public Service 

Professor Karen Porter 
Associate Dean for Academic and Student Success; Associate Professor of Clinical Law; Executive Director, Center for Health, Science, and Public Policy 

Professor Porter is recognized for her leadership at the intersection of law, health, and public policy and for her longstanding commitment to student mentorship and public service education. 

She teaches public health law and related courses that prepare students to address urgent health justice challenges and serve communities with skill and care. Within the Law School, she has advanced initiatives including Lawyers Leading Change, expanding opportunities for leadership, equity, and service. 

Her public service includes working with the New York State Task Force on Life and the Law and the Empire State Bioethics Consortium, where she contributes to shaping policy on issues such as end-of-life care and public health response.  

Alumni Award for Excellence in Public Service 

Julie F. Kay ’95 
Founder and CEO, Reproductive Futures 

Kay is an international advocate for reproductive rights and legal reform. She is the co-author of Controlling Women: What We Must Do Now to Save Reproductive Freedom and has worked extensively on access to telemedicine abortion, emergency and post-abortion care. 

She began her career at the Center for Reproductive Rights after clerking for U.S. District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf. She later served as lead counsel in ABC v. Ireland, a landmark case before the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights challenging Ireland’s restrictions on life-saving abortion care. 

Her career also includes leadership roles at Legal Momentum, the Ms. Foundation for Women, and the Abortion Coalition for Telemedicine, among other organizations advancing reproductive justice and legal reform. 

Student Recognition 

Pro Bono Leadership Awards 

Student leaders are recognized for founding, revitalizing, and sustaining the Law School’s pro bono projects, which provide direct legal services while expanding access to justice. 

Ayanna Agarrat; Neil Begelman; Zoe Bishop; Meaghan Brady; Daniel Chambers; Claire Cooper; Samantha Dumas; Cyerra Fernandes; Hector Giuria; Sophia Horan; Kay Kelly; Theresa Kircher; Elise Letanosky; Maureen Maher-Patenaude; Philipine Mariaud; Haley Mortell; Justin Murphy; Danella Rivera Morán; Olivia Schatz; Lillian Schmoker; Megan Simola; Lindsey Singer; Oliver Tell; Courtney Ulrich 

Access to Justice – Pro Bono Scholars 

The Law School’s Pro Bono Scholars are spending their final semester providing direct legal services to low-income individuals: 

Hayley Broich; Zachary Elmaghraby; Jonathan Hamimov; Willis Huynh; Kay Kelly; Carter Kuhl; Sonia Paz Canton; Marielis Perez; Cheyanne White 

Public Service Awards – Class of 2026 

Gold (1,000+ hours) 
Muhammed Aly; Samantha Aronson; Bailey Baumgarten; Alexander Becker; Hayley Broich; Cristina Cebotaru; Rachel Chanderdatt; Bryn Clark; Emma Cohen; Zoe DeVito; Taylor Ehrlich; Julia Ferguson; Kay Kelly; Elise Letanosky; Maureen Maher-Patenaude; Mary McGregor; Madison Miraglia; Marielis Perez; Bin Qing Zheng; Kayla Ryan; Chandani Shah; Abigail Switzer; Anna Young 

Silver (500–999 hours) 
Neil Begelman; Samantha Beigelman; Zoe Bishop; Meaghan Brady; Landon Brickey; Lejla Cekic; Daniel Chambers; Kaila Chen; Anna Coll; Caitlin Connor; Claire Cooper; Emily Day; Berta de la Rosa Cosculluela; Sybil Eklof; Zachary Elmaghraby; Nyaila Elmore; Sabrina Farahani; Katherine Fitzgerald; Jonathan Hamimov; Ava Hansen; Anthony Hernandez; Michael Herrington; Shayna Hochberger; Jialiang Huang; Willis Huynh; Chelsea Jones; Brian Karavias; Morgan Ketas; Marina Khan; Andrew Kim; Christian Krug; Carter Kuhl; Haley Lustbader; Autumn Mena; Sonia Paz Canton; Jimena Pinzon de la Mora; Tayyaba Rehman; Gabriela Rivas-De Leon; Mollie Rouan; Zoe Schacht; Lillian Schmoker; Nicole Strzepek; Mingze Sun; Courtney Ulrich; Celina Vicioso; Isaac Ward; Cheyanne White; Sam Wise 

Public Service (100–499 hours) 
Pavitra Antony; Jordyn Baker; Spencer Barich; Kolette Bodenmiller; Dina Bodner; Kiyon Cho; Paige Cook; D’Shandi Coombs; Lauren Dougherty; Dillon Fine; Niki Gerakaris; Hector Giuria; Carly Goldstein; Keyana Griffith; Germaine Harbaugh; David Hecker; Afsana Hussain; Sara Kazemi; Bilal Laghari; Elizabeth Lebci; Zilana Lee; Cristina Lynch; Philipine Mariaud; Kaylee Martinez; Daisy Mendez; Stephanie Mirto; Justin Murphy; Rachel Nazar; Olusimisola Oduntan; Meghan Patel; Jared Pitser; Danielle Rye; Hannah Saadon; Sabrina Schamroth; Sriramani Seethamraju; Yiyang Shen; Megan Simola; Sophia Todd; Sydney Villanueva; Emilie Winter; Denise Yildirim; Sophia Zaraei; Raquel Zohar 

The ceremony highlights the central role public service plays in the Law School’s mission. It recognizes distinguished leaders in the field alongside sustained student-driven work that expands access to justice and strengthens communities.