We are delighted to welcome Michelle E.E. Avery, Associate Counsel with the Office for Justice Initiatives (OJI), Division of Access to Justice, as the new Director of the New York State Attorney Emeritus Program (AEP).
Ms. Avery will be working closely with the AEP team at Fordham Law School's Feerick Center for Social Justice. Plans include expanded collaborations between the courts and AEP host organizations to enhance the AEP's capacity to meet unmet civil legal services needs for vulnerable populations throughout the state, as well as efforts to strengthen Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice programming for the AEP.
We express our deepest appreciation to New York State Chief Judge Rowan D. Wilson and Deputy Chief Administrative Judge for Justice Initiatives Edwina G. Richardson for their ongoing steadfast support of the AEP.
Ms. Avery joined the court system in April 2023 and in her role provides statewide programmatic support for the Court Navigator Program, trains volunteers, develops legal information resources to assist unrepresented court users and engages in legal and policy research on matters involving access to justice. Ms. Avery is passionate about investigating the diverse methods available to increase the legal capability of unrepresented litigants and lay volunteers.
Ms. Avery draws from eleven years of legal experience that includes advocating for underserved families and individuals in Mount Vernon and New Rochelle City Court, as well as Pelham Town Court as a Housing attorney, intellectual property work for sole proprietors, consumer work for Bank of America, and public interest work for organizations such as the Guardian ad Litem 4th Circuit, to advance the mission of the Office for Justice Initiatives. She received her B.S. degree in Policy Analysis and Management from Cornell University, M.P.S. degree in Arts and Cultural Management from the Pratt Institute and J.D. degree from Florida Coastal School of Law.
We look forward to working closely with Ms. Avery and her colleagues at OJI to usher in a new era of growth and sustainability for the program.
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Dec 16, 2024
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by Attorney Emeritus Program
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