The Public Interest Leadership Program, entering its seventh year, is a 12 month leadership development program for lawyers in their first ten years of practice.  The program is built around the goal of identifying and developing attorneys to serve as civic, bar, and professional leaders of the future.

This 2009-2010 Public Interest Class includes lawyers in a variety of practice settings. They come from small, medium, and large law firms, legal services organizations, government agencies, and corporate legal departments:

Lindy L. Aldrich, Victim Rights Law Center
Lindy Aldrich is a Staff Attorney at the Victim Rights Law Center (VLRC).  At VRLC, Lindy represents victims of sexual assault across the Commonwealth in a wide range of legal areas, including her specialty of federal and state government benefits. She also serves as the coordinator of the VRLC’s pro bono panel, the Rape Survivors Law Project, providing trainings and case facilitation for attorneys and paraprofessionals throughout Massachusetts. Prior to attending Suffolk, Lindy had a 10 year career in advertising and marketing. Lindy graduated from Suffolk University Law School in May 2006.

Kristopher Neil Austin, Foley Hoag LLP
Neil Austin is an Associate at Foley Hoag LLP.  Neil’s litigation practice has a strong focus on white-collar and securities matters. His areas of emphasis include business crimes and related government investigations, securities and corporate disputes, and accountants’ professional liability. Neil maintains an active pro bono practice focused on issues of immigration law. Prior to attending law school, Neil worked as a Research Associate at Princeton Economics Group.  Neil graduated from Boston University School of Law in 2003. 

Kathleen Celio, Suffolk County District Attorney's Office
Kathleen is an Assistant District Attorney in the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office in the Appellate Unit.  As an Assistant District Attorney, Kathleen researches, writes and argues appellate briefs on behalf of the Commonwealth in the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court and the Massachusetts Appeals Court.  Prior to attending law school, Kathleen spent a year as a full-time volunteer through the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. Kathleen graduated from Boston College Law School in 2005. 

Raymond C. Estes, Rubin and Rudman, LLP
Raymond is an Associate Attorney at Rubin and Rudman LLP.  Raymond has a broad transactional practice with a particular focus in commercial real estate acquisition, disposition, leasing and financing. He has volunteered with the Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts and Citizen Schools.  He also serves as Co-Chair of the Legislation and Public Policy Committee of the BBA Real Estate Section.  Raymond is a member of the Board of Trustees and Corporate Clerk at the Puppet Showplace Theatre, a non-profit performing arts organization. Raymond graduated from Suffolk University Law School in 2004. 

Anne Giovanoni, Alkermes, Inc.
Anne is a Corporate Attorney at Alkermes, Inc.  At Alkermes, her areas of practice include corporate organization, board of directors, research and development, clinical development and human resources. Anne is deeply involved with Community Servings, an organization that provides free home-delivered and medically-tailored meals to people in eastern Massachusetts.  Prior to attending law school, Anne worked in clinical research at Alkermes, Ophthalmic Research Associates and Veterans Administration Outpatient Clinic.  Anne graduated from Suffolk University Law School in 2005. 

Eric M. Gold, Greenberg Traurig, LLP.
Eric is an Associate at Greenberg Traurig.  Eric’s area of practice includes civil and criminal litigation, including class actions, SEC enforcement proceedings, Department of Justice investigations and commercial cases.  He represented pro bono clients in asylum and immigration proceedings, housing and eviction cases.  During law school, he participated in the civil justice clinic acting as a guardian ad litem for unrepresented children.  Eric graduated from Washington University School of Law in 2004.

Angela Gomes, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
Angela is a Corporate Associate at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.  Angela’s practice areas include mergers and acquisitions, securities regulation, corporate finance and corporate governance.  In addition to her pro bono cases, she serves as a co-captain of MLAC’s annual Walk to the Hill and GLBS’ Associates drive.  Prior to joining Skadden, she was a referral paralegal with the Volunteer Lawyers Project of the Boston Bar Association.  Angela graduated from Boston University School of Law in 2005.

Adam Hollingsworth, Attorney General of Massachusetts
Adam is an Assistant Attorney General in the civil rights division of the Attorney General’s office.  Adam’s areas of practice include constitutional and statutory civil rights laws.  He investigates and litigates civil rights cases in state and federal court in areas such as housing and disability discrimination, voluntary school desegregation, and hate crimes.  He has handled pro bono matters including asylum seekers, affordable housing development and prisoner representation through the New England Innocence Project.  Prior to joining the Attorney General’s office, Adam was an associate at Goodwin Procter LLP.  Adam graduated from Georgetown University Law Center in 2004.

Georgia J. Maheras, Health Care For All
Georgia is the Private Market Policy Manager at Health Care For All (HCFA).  At HCFA, she manages policy work on private market initiatives including comprehensive cost control, private market health reform implementation, general prescription drug policy and general private insurance policy.  She is an active member of the Health Law Advocates’ pro bono legal network.  Prior to joining HCFA, she was a Staff Attorney at Health Law Advocates.  Georgia graduated from Suffolk University Law School in 2006.

Carla P. Moniz, Greater Boston Legal Services
Carla is a Staff Attorney in the Immigration Unit at Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS).  She primarily represents domestic violence and sexual assault survivors in obtaining lawful and permanent resident status through the Violence Against Woman Act (VAWA).  At GLBS, she developed and implemented the collaborative monthly Immigration Clinic between Healing Abuse Working for Change (HAWC), Neighborhood Legal Services, and GBLS, to ensure survivors of domestic violence in the North Shore area have access to legal advice and/or representation.  Prior to law school, Carla worked in social services and advocacy with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth for seven years.   Carla graduated from City University of New York (CUNY) School of Law in 2006.

Seth B. Orkand, Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP
Seth is an Associate in the Litigation/Controversy Department at WilmerHale.  Seth serves as the coordinator of WilmerHale’s partnership with the Lawyers Clearinghouse.  He also represents pro bono clients in housing and Social Security Disability Insurance cases.  While in law school, he interned with the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague.  Prior to law school, he worked in software design and consulting in Massachusetts and Texas.  Seth graduated from Boston College Law School in 2007. 

Colin G. Van Dyke, Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C
Colin is an Associate in the Environmental Section/Energy and Clean Tech Practice Group at Mintz Levin.   Colin’s practice areas include environmental litigation, regulatory compliance, enforcement, and permitting matters.  At Mintz Levin, Colin manages the firm’s Lawyers’ Clearinghouse homeless legal clinics.  In addition, he provides pro bono representation in cases that include benefits and housing, civil rights litigation and non-profits engaged in organic farming and green building.  In law school, Colin volunteered and coordinated the participation of BU School of Law students in Shelter Legal Services legal clinic.  Colin graduated from Boston University School of Law in 2005.

Angelica M. Vargas, Clubhouse Family Legal Support Project
Angelica is a Staff Attorney at Clubhouse Family Legal Support Project (CFLSP).  Angelica’s practice areas include divorce, paternity, custody, and visitation, and guardianship of a minor.  At CFLSP, she provides legal representation and assistance to parents with mental health issues in family law cases.  In law school, Angelica was an advocate and Team Leader in the Domestic Violence Institute program at Boston Medical Center.  She has also interned with the Suffolk District Attorney’s Office and the Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee.  Angelica graduated from Northeastern University School of Law in 2007.

Natalie R. Wagner, Bank of America
Natalie is an attorney currently serving as Vice President/Fiduciary Officer for the Global Wealth and Investment Management group at Bank of America in Boston as part of a team that is responsible for coordinating and discharging key risk management functions for the Private Bank.  She has previously worked as Chief Legal Counsel at the Massachusetts State House for the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight, among other policy and political roles.  She is a member of the Boards of Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House in Cambridge and Casa Myrna Vazquez in Boston.  Natalie graduated from Harvard Law School in 2005. 

Sarah W. Walsh, LibbyHoopes, P.C.