2020 Affirmative Leaders Fellows
Sarah Anker
Deputy County Counsel, Marin County California Counsel
Sarah Anker is a Deputy County Counsel for the County of Marin, and currently practices on the Litigation, Employment/Labor, and Public Protection team. She has six years of experience in civil litigation and is also a member of the office's first affirmative litigation team.
Melanie Ash
Senior Counsel, New York City Law Department
Melanie Ash is Senior Counsel in the Affirmative Litigation Division of the NYC Law Department, where she represents the City of New York as a plaintiff in commercial, administrative, constitutional, and policy-related disputes of all types. She is also Chair of the Law Department’s Women’s Committee. In 2018, she was awarded the Law Department’s Edith J. Spivack Special Recognition Award for dedicated legal service and superior achievement. Melanie co-chairs the Board of the Fifth Avenue Committee, a non-profit Community Development Corporation working to advance social and economic justice in Brooklyn. Melanie has a B.A. (Hons) from Carleton University, an LLB from the University of British Columbia, and an LLM from Columbia Law School. She clerked at the Supreme Court of Canada and is admitted to the bar in British Columbia and New York.
Andrew Braver
Deputy City Attorney, Santa Monica City Attorney’s Office
Andrew Braver graduated from Yale Law School in 2013. After law school, he served as a clerk for Judge Jack B. Weinstein of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York and then as a fellow at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. From 2015 to 2018, he was an attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice. In 2019, he joined the Santa Monica City Attorney’s Office as a Deputy City Attorney in the Public Rights Division.
Richard Coglianese
Solicitor General, Columbus City Attorney’s Office
Rich Coglianese currently serves as Solicitor General for the City of Columbus. He has been a lawyer in public service for 24 years. During the first 22 years, he worked for the Ohio Attorney General in a variety of roles, including elections litigation. He then went to work for Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein in his labor and employment group. Rich heads the affirmative litigation group and also serves as Solicitor General.
Erica Faaborg
Chief Counsel, Assistant City Solicitor, Cincinnati City ATTORNEY'S Office
Erica Faaborg has been engaged in public interest work throughout her legal career. Her first legal job was as an associate in a Chicago-based civil rights firm focusing on police misconduct issues. From there, she went on to clerk for a federal magistrate for four years. She applies the skills and tools she learned from those two experiences to her work in the City of Cincinnati's Quality of Life/Affirmative Litigation division. She supervises a team of talented and dedicated attorneys focused on nuisance abatement and code enforcement litigation in the residential housing context.
Nailah Freeman
Assistant Corporation Counsel, Boston City Law Department
Nailah Freeman is an Assistant Corporation Counsel in the Government Services Section of the City of Boston’s Law Department. She provides legal guidance to various city agencies and commissions and defends city agencies during appeals of administrative decisions. Prior to joining the City, Nailah worked in private practice at an employment law firm, focusing on civil litigation matters. Nailah earned her J.D. from Suffolk University Law School in 2015. During law school, she concentrated in Business Law and served as the President of Suffolk’s Black Law Students Association. She received her B.A. in Economics from Boston College in 2011, where she minored in Faith, Peace, and Justice.
Lydia Furst
Deputy City Solicitor, Philadelphia City Law Department
Lydia Furst is a Deputy City Solicitor with the Philadelphia Law Department in the Affirmative and Special Litigation Unit. Her practice is focused on affirmative litigation and a wide range of general commercial litigation. Prior to joining the Law Department, Lydia spent over eight years in private practice at a large law firm in Philadelphia. A native of Seattle, Lydia is a devoted runner and obsessive cook.
Rose Carmen Goldberg
Deputy Attorney General, California Department of Justice
Rose Carmen Goldberg is a Deputy Attorney General in the Office of the California Attorney General, in the Public Rights Division, Consumer Protection Section. She litigates complex affirmative cases to protect consumers in her native California. Her work focuses primarily on student loans, service members, and veterans. Previously, Rose represented homeless and low-income veterans and military sexual assault survivors as a Skadden Fellow. Following law school, she clerked for the Honorable Theodore A. McKee, former Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Rose is a graduate of Yale Law School (J.D.), Columbia University (MPA), and St. John’s College’s great books program in New Mexico (B.A.).
Rebecca Hirsch
Assistant Corporation Counsel, Chicago City Department of Law
Rebecca Hirsch joined the City of Chicago's Affirmative Litigation Division as an inaugural member in 2018. She works to push back on federal laws and policies harmful to City residents and protects the rights of residents through enforcement of local housing, consumer, environmental, and other code provisions. Before joining the Affirmative Litigation Division, she spent 10 years working in the City's Constitutional and Commercial Division, where she gained extensive experience in First Amendment, Second Amendment, and civil rights law. She is a 1995 cum laude graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law. After graduation, she clerked in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas, and then spent ten years as a litigation associate at two national law firms.
Jake Hudnut
Chief Prosecutor, City of Jersey CitY
Jake Hudnut was sworn in as Jersey City's chief municipal prosecutor in July 2018. His office litigates all criminal misdemeanors and quality-of-life code violations in Jersey City. Since his appointment, Jake issued the first-in-the-state policy decriminalizing marijuana possession, created a diversionary program for Veterans, and launched in-court service referrals for domestic violence victims. He also chairs the Mayor's Quality-of-Life Taskforce, under which seven code enforcement agencies and four police units together concentrate efforts against quality-of-life offenders. The Taskforce has successfully prosecuted absentee landlords, local polluters, negligent businesses, and other public nuisances. Prior to being nominated as prosecutor, he was a successful criminal defense attorney practicing in New York City and across Northern New Jersey.
Meryum Khan
Assistant Attorney General, Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office
Meryum Khan is an Assistant Attorney General in the Fair Labor Division of the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office. Her primary work includes enforcement of laws that enhance the economic security of vulnerable workers, including minimum wage, timely payment of wages, overtime, and child labor laws. Having spent most of her career in public service, Meryum is dedicated to community engagement and advocacy. Meryum is a 2011 graduate of Suffolk University Law School and a 2008 graduate of Syracuse University.
Harpreet Khera
Deputy Chief of the Special Litigation Bureau, Illinois Attorney General’s Office
Harpreet Khera is the Deputy Chief of the Special Litigation Bureau in the Illinois Attorney General's Office. Harpreet has spent her career in public service and helps manage a team of attorneys focused primarily on advancing affirmative civil litigation in the areas of financial fraud, consumer protection, civil rights, ethics, and workplace rights. Harpreet received her B.A. from Washington University in Saint Louis and her J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School.
Jillian Lazar
Director of Investor Protection, Delaware Department of Justice
Jill Lazar joined the Delaware Department of Justice as a Deputy Attorney General in the Consumer Protection Unit in 2012, where she worked largely on investigations and litigation involving residential mortgage-backed securities in the wake of the financial crisis. In 2018, Jill was appointed as the Director of the Investor Protection Unit. She serves on the North American Securities Administrators Association (“NASAA”) committee on Cybersecurity and chairs the NASAA Fintech committee. While at Fordham University School of Law, Jill was a summer clerk for the Honorable Kevin Thomas Duffy, Senior Judge, United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Jane Lewis
Assistant City Solicitor, Baltimore City Law Department
Jane Lewis is an Assistant City Solicitor with the Baltimore City Law Department in the Affirmative Litigation Division. She has been working in public service for the past eight years. She began working for Baltimore City as a Citistat Analyst in 2012, then moved to an attorney position with Housing Code Enforcement. She left Baltimore for two years to work as a litigator in the D.C. Office of the Attorney General, but left after the birth of her first child to work in her current position in the Baltimore City Law Department. Jane graduated from Yale Law School (class of 2010), where she was a member of the Worker and Immigrants’ Rights Clinic and the Yale Law and Policy Journal. She enjoys gardening, exploring Baltimore by bike, and hopes to be able to see live music again someday soon.
Luisanne Liz
Agency Attorney, NYC Commission Human Rights
Luisanne Liz is an Agency Attorney at the New York City Commission on Human Rights. At the Commission, Luisanne investigates and prosecutes discrimination cases against employers, housing providers, and places of public accommodation under the New York City Human Rights Law. Prior to joining the Commission, Luisanne represented refugees facing deportation and seeking asylum, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, and other immigration relief. Luisanne earned a Bachelor of Arts from Fordham University and J.D. from Cornell Law School. As a law student, Luisanne served as an editor of the Cornell International Law Journal and interned at the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Luisanne is a first-generation Hispanic-American from New York. She is the proud mother of a ten-month-old baby. In her spare time, Luisanne enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and meditating.
Daniel N. Lopez
Litigation Counsel, Cameron County Commission Court
Daniel N. Lopez graduated from Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University in May 2014. Upon graduation he joined the Cameron County District Attorney's Office where he worked for over three and a half years trying a wide range of cases from capital murder to traffic citations. Two years ago, Daniel joined the Cameron County Commissioners Court - Civil Legal Division as the Litigation Counsel. He primarily works on employment, civil rights, and administrative law but has worked in several other areas, including most recently COVID response.
Jennie Lusk
Civil Right Bureau Chief, New Mexico Attorney General’s Office
Jennie Lusk is the Civil Rights Division Director for New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas. Under Attorney General Hector Baldera, she has served as director of the Consumer and Family Advocacy, in the Open Government Division, and as communications counsel. Her advocacy history includes ten years at ACLU-NM, serving as vice-president of the Albuquerque Police Oversight Board, organizing volunteers and donors for the United Nations Children's Fund, and visiting North Korea with a National Lawyers Guild delegation. Outside of work, she fundraises for the county Democratic Party and the Emerge program that trains progressive women for elective office.
Caitlin Micko
Assistant Attorney General, Minnesota Attorney General’s Office
Caitlin Micko is an Assistant Attorney General at the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office. Her work focuses on enforcement of the state’s consumer protection laws. Prior to joining the office, Caitlin worked as a civil rights attorney in employment law. Caitlin received her undergraduate degree from Gonzaga University and her law degree from William Mitchell College of Law.
Jeremiah Miller
Assistant City Attorney, Seattle City Attorney’s Office
Jeremiah Miller has engaged in litigation on behalf of working people since he became a lawyer in 2008. He has prosecuted anti-discrimination, wage and hour, workplace safety and health, and anti-retaliation cases in administrative and federal courts to ensure fair, equitable and safe employment conditions. Jeremiah is currently with the Seattle City Attorney's Office in the Regulatory Enforcement and Economic Justice unit.
Kenny Minaya
Chief of Staff, New York City Department of Consumer Affairs
Kenny Minaya is the Chief of Staff at the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP), a position he has held since August 2016. He oversees the agency's intergovernmental affairs division and advises the Commissioner on policy and operational matters. Prior to DCWP, Kenny worked as the Program Coordinator for Catholic Migrations Services' Immigrant Tenant Advocacy Program. In that role, Kenny supervised the program's tenant organizing activities, and litigated matters on behalf of tenant associations and individuals against their landlords. Kenny graduated from the CUNY School of Law in 2012.
Danielle Newsome
Assistant District Attorney & Labor Liaison, Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office
Danielle Newsome joined the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office in September 2019 as an Assistant District Attorney and as the office’s first Labor Liaison. In her new role within the Economic Crimes Unit, she investigates and prosecutes wage theft, labor trafficking, and a number of other crimes against workers. Prior to joining the Philadelphia DAO Danielle practiced labor and employment law, and represented labor unions and individual workers. Between earning her bachelor’s degree in industrial and labor relations from Cornell University and her J.D. from Temple University School of Law, Danielle worked as a union organizer and began teaching workshops and courses for worker advocates and activists.
David Pai
Deputy Attorney General, California Department of Justice
David Pai is a Deputy Attorney General in the California Department of Justice's Public Rights Division. His work focuses on land use, conservation enforcement, and ensuring the public trust for all Californians. Previously, he litigated public employment and public safety concerns. In totality, his practice mirrors the breadth of the State's interests—from defending pre-hiring physical requirements for public safety-related jobs to helping state agencies balance housing production needs with environmental stewardship, to ensuring public access to shorelines and beaches. David earned his J.D. from University of California, Hastings College of the Law and his B.A. from Boston University.
Shareese Pryor
Bureau Chief of the Civil Rights Bureau, Illinois Attorney General’s Office
Shareese Pryor is the Chief of the Civil Rights Bureau of the Office of the Illinois Attorney General, where she is in charge of overseeing investigations, litigation, and legislation to address patterns and practices of discrimination in Illinois. Shareese previously served as an Assistant Attorney General for the Office and worked on legislation to improve Illinois higher education institutions’ responses to campus sexual assault. She also worked on litigation involving a company engaging in national origin discrimination of its employees. Before joining the OAG, Shareese worked at Legal Aid – Chicago (formerly LAF). Shareese obtained a B.A. from Barnard College and a J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School.
Sara Schaefer
Assistant City Attorney, Austin City Law Department
Sara Schaefer currently works as an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Austin in Austin, Texas. She is a litigator who handles personal injury cases, employment law cases, public health litigation, and civil rights litigation for the City. Prior to her time with the City of Austin, Sara practiced criminal law as a public defender with the Colorado State Public Defender in Colorado Springs. Sara attended The University of Texas School of Law and earned her J.D. in 2014. Her undergraduate degree is from the University of California, Berkeley.
Jason Searle
Litigation Unit Attorney, Navajo Nation Department of Justice
Jason Searle works for the Navajo Nation Department of Justice (NNDOJ) Litigation Unit. His unit brings affirmative litigation, primarily in federal court, and also defense work in both federal, state, and Navajo judicial and administrative tribunals. His current defense work primarily involves employment matters, but also touches on the assertion of Navajo judicial and regulatory jurisdiction and defense of the Indian Child Welfare Act. His current affirmative litigation is primarily against the federal government Two of the most prominent cases are the Bears Ears litigation, challenging Trump's purported abrogation of the Bears Ears National Monument, and the CARES Act litigation, challenging the U.S. Department of the Treasury's attempt to divert COVID-19 relief funds for tribal government to corporations. Jason is originally from Utah and Idaho. He graduated from the University of Michigan Law School and started his career with NNDOJ. He is licensed with the New Mexico and Navajo Bar Associations.
Ryan B. Smith
Deputy Attorney General, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office
Ryan B. Smith was selected as an inaugural Honors Fellow at the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. At the conclusion of his fellowship, Ryan was hired as a permanent attorney in the Fair Labor Section where he protects workers’ rights, engages with stakeholders, and assists the Impact Litigation Section on national matters. Before joining the Office, Ryan clerked for New Jersey Supreme Court Justice Faustino Fernandez-Vina. He graduated from Michigan State University and Penn Law. At Penn, he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Law and Social Change and received the Benjamin R. Jones Award for outstanding contribution to the public interest.
Emma Sokoloff-Rubin
Clinical Fellow & Visiting Lecturer in Law, San Francisco Affirmative Litigation Project Fellow (SFAlP)
Emma Sokoloff-Rubin is a Lecturer in Law and San Francisco Affirmative Litigation Project (SFALP) Fellow at Yale Law School. SFALP partners students with lawyers in the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office to conceive, develop, and litigate public interest lawsuits. Emma earned her J.D. from Yale Law School, where she was a member of the Clinical Student Board. She went on to clerk for Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer of the District of Connecticut. Prior to law school, Emma worked as a journalist covering public schools in New York City. Her work has appeared in The Atlantic, Foreign Affairs, The Nation, Chalkbeat New York, and the Yale Historical Review, among other publications. She is the co-author of Sustaining Activism, a book about a women’s movement in southern Brazil.
Dan Sutton
Deputy Chief of Policy, Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office
Dan Sutton is the Deputy Chief of Policy for the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office. Prior to this role, he served as Senior Policy Counsel to Rhode Island’s first Secretary of Commerce, Senior Policy Advisor to the Emergency Manager of the City of Detroit during the city’s bankruptcy, and the assistant to the President's advisor on the national security budget at the White House Office of Management and Budget during the Obama Administration. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School and Georgetown University.
Michelle D. Thomas
Chief of Civil Rights Section, District of Columbia Attorney General’s Office
Michelle D. Thomas is the Chief of the Civil Rights Section at the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia (OAG). Prior to joining OAG, she served in various senior-level management and legal positions in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. She holds a B.S. in Finance from California State University Fresno, an M.B.A. in Management from U.C. Berkeley and a J.D. from Howard University School of Law.
Kaitlin Toyama
Staff Counsel, California Department of Fair Employment and Housing
Kaitlin Toyama is a staff attorney with the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH), where she handles a wide variety of cases involving discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations. Her primary practice focuses on sexual harassment and gender pay equity. Kaitlin joined the DFEH as a Civil Rights Fellow in 2017 before being hired on as Staff Counsel. Prior to law school, Kaitlin worked in the environmental justice sector with the Community Water Center. Kaitlin earned her J.D. from UC Hastings College of the Law and B.A. in Urban and Environmental Policy from Occidental College.
Jed Untereker
Senior Division Chief of the Civil Division, El Paso County Attorney's Office
Jed Untereker is the head of the civil division for the El Paso County Attorney's Office, where he’s worked for the past five years. Prior to that, he worked for ten years with non-profits in Chicago and El Paso focusing on low-wage worker rights and civil rights.
Danielle Vappie
Deputy Counsel, LOS ANGELES COUNTY COUNSEL
Danielle Vappie has been a Deputy Counsel with the Los Angeles County Counsel's office for two years. Prior to joining LA County Counsel, Danielle was the Law Firm Director for Los Angeles Dependency Lawyers (LADL), the largest non-profit in the country representing parents and guardians in the dependency system. Danielle spent 12 years at LADL where she took part in legislative advocacy and two amicus briefs. She started at LADL as a staff attorney and handled writs and trainings. Danielle has been practicing law for 16 years. She is married with two kids, Joelle (11) and Jiselle (9).
Eve Weissman
Deputy Attorney General, New Jersey Attorney General’s Office
Eve Weissman is a Deputy Attorney General in the newly formed Affirmative Civil Rights and Labor Enforcement section of the NJ Division of Law. Prior to joining the Division of Law, Eve worked at New Economy Project, where she brought impact litigation to curtail discriminatory and abusive financial practices. She also provided legal assistance to low-income people on a variety of financial justice and consumer rights issues. Eve previously worked in the Homeowner Defense Unit of Staten Island Legal Services and served as a law clerk to the Honorable Cheryl L. Pollak in the Eastern District of New York. Eve obtained her law degree from the University of California, Berkeley and her bachelors from Vassar College.
