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LDF Staff Attorneys

New York National Office

John A. Payton

President and Director-Counsel

Within the last year John Payton, the sixth President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, has led the... More

Debo P. Adegbile

Associate Director-Counsel/Director of Litigation

Debo P. Adegbile is Associate Director-Counsel/Director of Litigation and is responsible for supervision of the legal program at the NAACP Legal... More

Jeffrey Robinson

Associate Director-Counsel for Programs and Administration

Jeffrey Robinson is Associate Director-Counsel for Programs and Administration  who helps supervises the operations at the NAACP Legal... More

Joseph H. Duff

Senior Counsel

Joseph H. Duff joined the staff of the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc. in November 2008, as Senior Counsel, assisting the... More

Elise C. Boddie

Deputy Director of Litigation & Senior Policy Counsel

Elise C. Boddie has rejoined the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund (LDF) as Deputy Director of Litigation & Senior Policy Counsel.... More

Melissa Bruijneel

Managing Attorney/Paralegal Manager

Melissa Bruijneel joined LDF as Managing Attorney/Paralegal Manager in October 2010. As Managing Attorney, she assists attorneys with bar... More

Matt Cregor

Assistant Counsel of the Education Practice

Matt Cregor joined the LDF staff full-time in July 2010 after serving as a consultant for LDF’s “Dismantling the School-to-Prison... More

Ryan Downer

Assistant Counsel of the Economic Justice Practice

Ryan Downer joined LDF’s Economic Justice Practice as a Skadden Fellow in September of 2009. His fellowship project focuses on combating source of... More

Ryan P. Haygood

Director of the Political Participation Group

Ryan P. Haygood is the Director of the Political Participation Group at the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc.  In that... More

Damon T. Hewitt

Director of the Education Practice

Damon Todd Hewitt recently re-joined LDF following a leave during which he served as Executive Director of the New York Police-on-Police Shootings... More

Dale Ho

Assistant Counsel of the Political Participation Group

Dale Ho joined the staff of LDF in September 2009 as Assistant Counsel in the Political Participation Group.  His work at LDF includes... More

Rachel M. Kleinman

Assistant Counsel of the Education Group

Rachel M. Kleinman joined LDF as an Assistant Counsel in the Education Group in May 2011. Prior to joining LDF, Rachel was a litigation associate... More

Natasha Korgaonkar

Assistant Counsel of the Poltical Participation Group

Natasha Korgaonkar joined the staff of LDF in March 2011 as Assistant Counsel in the Political Participation Group.  Her work at LDF includes... More

Jin Hee Lee

Assistant Counsel of the Criminal Justice Practice

Jin Hee Lee joined LDF’s Criminal Justice Practice in July 2008.  As Assistant Counsel, Ms. Lee is engaged in advocacy to... More

ReNika Moore

Director of the Economic Justice Practice

ReNika Moore is Director of LDF’s Economic Justice Group.  As Director, Ms. Moore supervises and coordinates EJ’s litigation, public... More

Johnathan Smith

Assistant Counsel of the Economic Justice Practice

Johnathan Smith joined LDF’s staff as Assistant Counsel in the Economic Justice Group in October 2010.  Prior to joining LDF, Mr. Smith spent... More

Leticia Smith-Evans

Assistant Counsel of the Education Practice

Leticia Smith-Evans joined LDF in July 2008 as an assistant counsel.  Leticia primarily focuses on ensuring equal access to educational... More

Vincent Southerland

Assistant Counsel of the Criminal Justice Practice

Vincent Southerland joined LDF in August of 2008. He is an Assistant Counsel in LDF’s Criminal Justice Practice, representing death... More

Johanna Steinberg

Assistant Counsel of the Criminal Justice Practice

After working as a paralegal and research director for LDF prior to law school, Johanna Steinberg rejoined LDF as Assistant Counsel in the... More

Christina Swarns

Director of the Criminal Justice Practice

Christina Swarns joined LDF as the Director of the Criminal Justice Practice in November 2003.  Prior to joining LDF, Ms. Swarns worked as... More

Ria Tabacco

Assistant Counsel of the Economic Justice Practice

Ría Tabacco joined LDF as Assistant Counsel in the Economic Justice Group in December 2011.  Prior to joining LDF, she served as a law clerk... More

Leah Aden

Assistant Counsel of the Political Participation Group

Leah Aden joined LDF's staff in February 2012 as a NAACP LDF Fried Frank Fellow, working in the Political Participation Group.  Prior to... More

Community Organizers

Lumumba Akinwole-Bandele

Senior Community Advocate

Lumumba Akinwole-Bandele is the Senior Organizer in LDF’s Criminal Justice Project.  He is a community organizer and... More

Marquis Jenkins

Community Engagement Advocate

Marquis Jenkins is a Community Organizer in LDF’s Criminal Justice Project.  In that capacity, Marquis works to support the organizing... More

Washington, DC Office

Leslie M. Proll

Director of the Washington, D.C. Office

Leslie M. Proll is the Director of the Washington, D.C. office of LDF.  She has worked for LDF since 1998.  Leslie oversees LDF’... More

Joshua Civin

Assistant Counsel of the Economic Justice and Education Practices

Joshua Civin rejoined LDF as an Assistant Counsel in 2009, after serving as an Arthur Liman Public Interest Fellow in 2004-2005 and as an intern... More

Eric Rafael González

Educational Policy Advocate of the Education Practice Group

Eric Rafael González joined LDF’s Washington, D.C. office in October 2010. Serving in the new role of Education Policy Advocate, his work focuses... More

LDF Staff

Executive Officers

  • John A. Payton

    President and Director-Counsel
  • Debo P. Adegbile

    Associate Director-Counsel/Director of Litigation
  • Jeffrey Robinson

    Associate Director-Counsel for Programs and Administration
  • Joseph H. Duff

    Senior Counsel
  • Valerie T. Broadie

    Director of Development
  • Kevin C. Thomson

    Chief Financial Officer

Communications

  • Lee A. Daniels

    Director of Communications
  • Kathryn Bowser

    Art Director
  • Mel Gagarin

    Media Relations Manager
  • Charles Greene

    Web Technical Manager
  • Kevin Lewis

    Assistant Web Technology Manager

Information Services

  • Donna S. Gloeckner

    Director of Information Services
  • Joon Bang

    Information Management Coordinator
  • Jacqueline Barbour

    Information and Technical Services Specialist

Development

  • Valerie T. Broadie

    Director of Development
  • Lois Henry

    Manager of Foundation and Corporate Relations
  • Gregory Worley

    Annual Giving Manager
  • Monique Brizz-Walker

    Manager of Special Events

Finance

  • Kevin C. Thomson

    Chief Financial Officer
  • Lito Pernia

    Controller

Human Resources

  • Monica M. Garcia

    Director of Human Resources
  • Esme Broderick

    Assistant to the Senior Counsel and to the Director of Human Resources
  • Earl Cunningham

    Information and Office Services Clerk
  • Julie Lewis

    Receptionist
  • Melissa Potter

    Assistant to the Director of Human Resources

Executive Office

  • Eve Anderson

    Executive Assistant to the President Director-Counsel/Board Liaison
  • Vincent Di Santo

    Executive Assistant to the Associate Director-Counsels

Administrative and Support Staff

Paralegal

Joseph Puma

Legal Secretary

Linda Lacks

Zenzele Scott

Diane Simmons

Phyllis Alleyne

Finance

Yvette Fields

Marcia Tuckett

Communications

Kasha Dragon

Development

Mae Bush

Yurima Ramirez

Sabrina Powell-Wynder

Scholarship

Maruja Corro

Information Services

Sharmaign Griffin

Peter Lacks

Washington, DC Office

Opal Bond

Debra Finley