Four New Director Appointments Announced

Brooklyn Law is proud to announce four director-level roles that became effective July 1, including new titles for three current faculty members, and the appointment of a fourth director who has a special connection to the school.

Brooklyn Law alumna Diane Penneys Edelman ’83, who served as Visiting Director of International Programs for the spring 2023 semester, is transitioning to permanent Director of International Programs, coordinating all aspects of international programs for LL.M. and J.D. students. She will also be an Adjunct Professor of Law, developing and teaching Fundamentals of the American Legal System. Previously, Edelman was Professor of Law and Director of International Programs at Villanova University’s Charles Widger School of Law, where she also served as Director of the Legal Writing Program from 2000 to 2008. Edelman directed and taught in Villanova Law’s summer programs in Montréal and Rome. She is a past president and current board member of the Lawyers’ Committee for Cultural Heritage Preservation, and a Board member of Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts. Read Professor Edelman’s full biography here.

Additionally, Professor Prianka Nair, an Assistant Professor of Clinical Law who was co-director of the Disability and Civil Rights Clinic, is taking on the role of full director of the clinic, which represents adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities with respect to a range of issues, including access to public benefits, housing and guardianship termination, and restoration of rights. Previously, Nair worked as a public interest attorney at Disability Rights New York. She conducted abuse and neglect investigations, focusing on access to services in correctional facilities across New York State. She has also litigated cases and led policy changes to achieve equal rights for persons with disabilities. Read Professor Nair’s full biography here.

Another new transition involves Professor Heidi Gilchrist and Professor Maria Termini, who will be Co-Directors of Legal Research and Writing.  

Gilchrist is a Professor of Legal Writing and teaches the Social Justice Gateway of Legal Writing, and National Security Law. Her scholarship focuses on national security law issues and the intersection of national security with civil rights and human rights law. Prior to joining Brooklyn Law School, she served in the federal government as an analyst at the CIA and subsequently as a liaison to the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in New York City.  Read Professor Gilchrist’s full biography here.

Termini is a Professor of Legal Writing and teaches in the Law School’s externship program. Her scholarship interests relate to legal education pedagogy with a focus on helping students develop the legal reasoning skills needed for effective legal writing and advocacy. Before joining the Law School faculty, Termini was a litigator, practicing in federal and state court. She worked in the Appeals Division of the New York City Housing Authority and as a litigation associate at Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP.  Read Professor Termini’s full here.