Public Service Awards Celebrates Legal Advocates Who, Often Quietly, Make a Difference
The Public Service Awards Ceremony, which honored the accomplishments of the Class of 2025, as well as three legal professionals who stand out for their excellent work in the field, brought a celebratory crowd to the Forchelli Conference Center for an awards ceremony and reception Tuesday night.
President and Joseph Crea Dean David D. Meyer welcomed guests and said the annual ceremony is one of his favorites, not only because it recognizes the success of students, alumni, and other public interest officials, but because public service is an integral part of the school’s mission.
“Public service is central to Brooklyn Law School’s identity, and it goes back to our very founding as a law school,” Meyer said. “As some of you may know, from the very first three or four Brooklyn Law School classes, starting in 1901, many of our graduates went on to distinguished public service careers as judges, as lawyers working with city government, working in DA’s offices, and in all forms of public service, not only in New York but also across the country. And that tradition of public service, of course, remains central to who we are and very much a part of our lifeblood.”
The evening featured the presentation of three awards to individuals, and saluted the accomplishments of students who performed exceptional public service at organizations ranging from the Law School’s own clinics and pro bono projects to organizations such as Access Justice Brooklyn, Sanctuary for Families, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, and the United Nations. All told, the students devoted more than 64,000 hours to assisting those in need of legal assistance, including immigrants, small business owners, survivors of gender-based violence, and people threatened with eviction, among others.
“Standing Up for the World I Want for You”
The Distinguished Commitment to Public Service Award was presented to Camille J. Mackler, a champion for the legal rights of immigrants locally and nationally. Mackler is currently the founder and chief executive officer of Immigrant ARC (I-ARC), a collaborative of more than 80 legal service providers, and a senior visiting fellow at the Truman Center for National Policy. The award was presented to Mackler by Professor Faiza Sayed, director of the Safe Harbor Project.
“For those of you who work in the immigration field, whether as attorneys or as interns, Camille really needs no introduction,” Sayed said. “Every immigration advocate that I know, including myself, has at some point reached out to Camille, whether it is for help when we have hit roadblocks in individual immigrant client cases, or to address systemic immigration issues that we have noticed in our practice.”
Prior to her work at I-ARC, Mackler led groundbreaking advocacy campaigns for the New York Immigration Coalition, including helping to coordinate the evacuation of Afghans after the 2021 takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban, Sayed noted. She also coordinated legal efforts to respond to the busing of migrants to New York City and State and the family separation crisis at the southern U.S. border. Additionally, when the 2017 Muslim travel ban took effect, she organized lawyers to assist those impacted at JFK International Airport.
In accepting the award, Mackler said that there are many reasons that attorneys are inspired to do public service work, and her own story is just one.
“Each of us carries different experiences, different communities, different motivations. But the important thing is we all show up,” Mackler said. “I have been reminded that being a lawyer, especially being a public service lawyer, isn’t about prestige. It’s about presence. It’s about what we choose to do with the training we have received, and the platform that we have been given, and those moments, the small, quiet, persistent ones, are just as defining as the big ones, maybe even more so.”
In an emotional moment, she called out to her daughter in the audience, who accompanied her to JFK during the travel ban. She was 3 years old at the time.
“I hope you know that every time I’ve raised my voice, every time I’ve stood up in a courtroom or a city hall or an airport terminal, I’ve also been standing up for the world I want for you and for a future that includes all of us,” Mackler said.
“It Nourishes the Soul”
The Faculty Award for Excellence in Public Service was presented to Adjunct Professor of Clinical Law Deborah Berkman, who teaches numerous classes relating to poverty, public interest, and civil rights law, and is also the director of the Shelter and Economic Stability Project at New York Legal Assistance Group’s (NYLAG’s) Public Benefits Unit. The award was presented to Berkman by Associate Dean for Academic and Student Success and Associate Professor of Clinical Law Karen Porter.
“Deb Berkman has been at the cornerstone of the law school’s pro bono projects, a position that allows her to leverage her long and rich career as a legal advocate for individuals and families at the margins of society, and her deep knowledge of the law related to poverty, public interest, and civil rights,” Porter said. “This makes her the perfect person to instruct young attorneys on the power of the law to make a difference, to seek justice, and to effect change.”
She added that Berkman, whose parents are both Brooklyn Law School alumni and in the audience, was born into the work. In accepting the award, Berkman said that many of her students have gone on to work in the public interest or public service sector, and their decision is a testament to Brooklyn Law School’s commitment to public service.
“Their dedication affirms what I believe to be a fundamental truth about public service. It nourishes the soul,” Berkman said. “Now these are undoubtedly challenging times for this community, for our community, but I am confident that each of us can make a meaningful impact in creating a better world. So how can we do that? Well, by remaining committed in our values through service to those in need. This service provides us with the moral clarity to continue this very hard fight.”
“Finding Community”
The Alumni Award for Excellence in Public Service went to Michael H. Williams ’93, who since 2007 has worked as general counsel of Safe Horizon, the nation’s leading victim services organization, where he provides legal, strategic, and operational leadership.
The award was presented to Williams by Rose L. Hoffer Professor of Law Elizabeth Schneider, who is the cofounding director of the Edward V. Sparer Public Interest Law Fellowship.
“I am thrilled to be able to introduce today, Michael Williams,” Schneider said. “He was a Sparer fellow and an extraordinary young man who was deeply committed to public interest work and has devoted his career in a variety of different ways to public interest.”
She noted that Williams was a cofounder with Jane Landry-Reyes ’93 of a popular student group, the Brooklyn Law Students for the Public Interest (BLSPI). He started his career as a litigator at the New York City Law Department, but transitioned to roles as in-house counsel at nonprofits, beginning in 1999. He also served as board chair and helped establish the New York Peace Institute, a nonprofit that assists people in navigating conflict.
Williams, who noted that he initially wanted to go into the music business, said he found his way to a satisfying career, starting at Brooklyn Law School, where alongside classmates such as Landry-Reyes, he felt a sense of purpose.
“It was pretty amazing to find community with a group of law students who were passionate about doing work with the public good and making a difference with their law degree. So that really changed my life,” Williams said.
He has been at his current position for “18 fulfilling years,” and continues to find inspiration.
“I’ve learned so many areas of the law and have been able to work with my legal and non-legal colleagues to help the organization grow, mature, and double in size,” said Williams. “The work has been challenging, meaningful, and often fun, and it’s rewarding to work for an organization where you can see and regularly experience the results of your efforts.”
“Fighting for the Rule of Law”
Associate Dean of Experiential Education Susan Hazeldean, who is also a professor and director of the LGBT Advocacy Clinic, presented the awards to students who performed service at anywhere from 100 to more than 1,000 hours.
“It is so inspiring to me to think of all the things that you've accomplished, all the people that you served, and how important that is right now, when we are all called upon to take our place as people who are fighting for the rule of law, for justice, for legal rights, to mean something,” Hazeldean said.
Public Service Law Center Executive Director Amy Hsieh’11, who coordinated the event, called out the work of Pro Bono Project Leaders.
“Over the past three years, these dedicated students have gone above and beyond, not only giving their time and energy, but also stepping into leadership roles that made a real difference in our community,” Hsieh, said, noting that the students organized classmates and worked with the center to execute more than 20 pro bono projects. “They have been instrumental in ensuring that we could serve those in need, and they've done so with unwavering commitment and passion.”
The student honorees are as follows:
Gold, 1,000-plus hours: Akshatha Achar, Eva Ackerman, Gabrielle Avellaneda,
Matthew Capece, Jennifer Evans, Virginia Fatt, Veronica Galek, Katherine Gomez,
Avery Gott, Jennifer Greer, Carly Hecht, Joseph Hennessy, Maria Kilcullen, Sydney Korman, Kathryn Korolishin, Mengfei Leng, Christopher Maiolie, Jenna Marino, Amanda Mintz, Erica Mora, Sydney Oliver, Alexis Raskin, Emily Rieger, Taylor Seymour, Sarah Wintner, Hunter Wise, Morgan Woodbridge, Noah Yuro, and Yaseen Soliman.
Silver, 500-999 hours: Camile Alvarez, Saul Amezcua, Mikko Biana, Danielle Bradford, Laine Cohen, Julien Darsses, Ava Delargy, Elena Gaffney, Evan Glatt, John Godoshian, Liam Higgins, Madeline Hone, Ashley Ketchum, Lauren Kreinces, Matthew Lai, Talia Land, Erica Levy, Christopher Markos, Jeffery Miles, Isabella Neihardt, Alanna O'Hagan, Delenn Robin, Sarah Ryan, Catherine Sautter, Johanna Silva, Logan Strausman, Sinbay Tan, and Eva Van Ophem.
Public Service, 100-499 Hours: Stephanie Argueta, Bridget Bantner, John Battaglini, Joshua Dana, Mingyue Deng, Neha Dhiman, Krista Doherty, Lauren Farfan, Sarah Genchanok, Sarah Gouda, Selma Jay, Hyun Ji Jung, Larkan Kelly, Jungsuh Kim,
Sehee Kim, Yeonjeong Lee, Allison Lewis-Towbes, Natalie Linero, Kevyn McConlogue
Christopher Orjuela, Evan Peller, Olivia Perkins, Christina Philippides, Marisa Rodriguez
Sukhjot Saroya, Bowen Song, Caroline Strauss, Sukhleen Thind, and Nicole Waldman
Pro Bono Leadership: Alessandra Antuzzi, Stephanie Argueta, Anika Austin, Ava Delargy,
Elena Gaffney, Veronica Galek, Taylor Henegar, Mengfei Leng, Nick Lindsey, Kevyn McConlogue, Amanda Mintz, Sydney Oliver, and Caroline Strauss
Access to Justice Pro Bono Scholars: Caroline Cohen, Samantha Frazzetto, Marisa Rodriguez, Phillip Rudy, Michael Sherman, and Gabrielle Troya.