Dear Friends,

An extraordinary experience marked my family's recent winter getaway in the Pocono Mountains. As we trekked across a frozen-solid lake, a woman doing the same with her dog passed us by and, shivering but friendly, quickly introduced herself as her dog's ball landed by our feet. "Hi! I'm Clare!" In an instant, I realized I needed only to re-introduce myself, because Clare was in fact a friend of mine from law school who a subsequent review of our text message histories made clear I last saw in December 2012. A sharp winter chill - still going strong as I write this, weeks later - gave way to a warm rekindled connection, a fresh start on our hike, and a moment for me to share a bit with my classmate about the impact of the place I'm proud to work - the City Bar Justice Center.

Warm connections, old and new, mark this newsletter as well! In December, our Homeowner Stability Project and Consumer Bankruptcy Project combined to form our new Homeowner and Consumer Debt Advocacy Project. We also welcomed Degna P. Levister as the new director of our Elder Law Project. You'll learn more about these exciting developments in this newsletter.

We're also excited to announce and warmly welcome you to the City Bar Justice Center's 21st Annual Gala, Open Doors | Fresh Starts, on Wednesday, April 15th at the New York City Bar Association's majestic Midtown Manhattan home. Read about our honorees and view ticketing and sponsorship details below. We hope to see you there!

This edition also includes the start of our next batch of Volunteer Spotlights, courtesy of our Pro Bono Initiatives team and featuring our 2025 Outstanding Pro Bono Service Awardees. They look forward to sharing their experiences with you all!

Thank you, as always, for your unwavering support. It's only February, but I believe that 2026 will be one of our most impactful years yet as we continue rising to the moment in meeting the evolving needs of the community we're proud to serve. Thank you for reading, and thank you for your support!

Best regards, 

Kurt M. Denk 

Executive Director 



ANNUAL GALA ANNOUNCEMENT

The City Bar Justice Center is excited to announce our 21st Annual Gala, Open Doors | Fresh Starts.

Please join us as we honor Goldman Sachs, Ropes & Gray, and the Honorable Jonathan Lippmann.

We hope to see you there on Wednesday, April 15 at the New York City Bar Association in Midtown Manhattan!

If you have any questions, please contact our Director of Advancement, Jaclyn Kramer: jkramer@nycbar.org

INTRODUCING THE

HOMEOWNER AND CONSUMER DEBT ADVOCACY PROJECT

In December, the City Bar Justice Center announced the merger of its Consumer Bankruptcy Project and Homeowner Stability Project into the new Homeowner and Consumer Debt Advocacy Project to increase support for New Yorkers of limited means seeking a fresh start towards greater economic security. The merged project is led by Edward Mostoller, who previously directed the Homeowner Stability Project.

"I look forward to building on the successes of my former colleague, longtime Justice Center attorney Ramona Morel, who expanded our consumer bankruptcy practice and its 'fresh start' clinics to also address education debt relief," Mostoller said. "As we usher in a new era for the City Bar Justice Center's comprehensive homeowner assistance and consumer debt support efforts, joining these two projects allows us to enhance services delivery in legal practice areas that often overlap."

Simone Haines and Emily Tran have continued their roles as staff attorneys with the combined project, focusing on homeowner matters such as foreclosure defense, tangled title and estate resolution, and deed theft and property scam prevention. Senior project coordinator Jennifer Arocha has shifted her responsibilities from the Consumer Bankruptcy Project to the new project's homeowner stabilization efforts.

Khadeja Usmani joined as a project coordinator in January to assist with the project's Chapter 7 bankruptcy and education debt relief work, including supporting the Justice Center's valued partnership with New York's Education Debt Consumer Assistance Program (EDCAP). An additional staff attorney will soon round out the team.

More information about the Homeowner and Consumer Debt Advocacy Project can be found on our website.

WELCOME DEGNA P. LEVISTER TO THE ELDER LAW PROJECT

The City Bar Justice Center is pleased to introduce Degna P. Levister as the next director of the Elder Law Project. Levister succeeds Vivienne Duncan, who departed the Justice Center in December after 25 years of dedicated service.

"I am looking forward to building on the City Bar Justice Center's legacy of assisting New York City elders with their life planning legal challenges. These individuals are beloved members of our community, and factors beyond their control should not prevent them from accessing legal services that will support their autonomy and allow them to plan effectively for their family's future," Levister said.

Levister joins the Justice Center following a nearly 20-year tenure at CUNY Law School. She also served as executive director of CUNY Law's Pipeline to Justice, which provides access to law school for people historically excluded from the legal profession.

She holds a B.A. in philosophy from Stony Brook University, and a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School, along with an M.A. in philosophy and education from Columbia University Teachers College.

Beyond legal work, Levister is a registered professional nurse, having received her training from Saint Vincent's Medical Center. She recently practiced with Harlem Hospital and the New York Foundation for Senior Citizens Homecare.

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT

Sarah Park, Senior Counsel at the Hearst Corporation, was honored with a 2025 Outstanding Pro Bono Service Award for her work with the Federal Pro Se Legal Assistance Project in the Eastern District of New York.

What inspires or motivates you about doing pro bono work?

"Every time I go to the courthouse for a Fed Pro clinic, the litigants I meet seem genuinely grateful for the change to talk through their issues. People who may be considering litigation, or who are defending a litigation, are often vulnerable and under considerable stress. Taking the time to listen carefully and show you've given their case some thought goes a long way. A few hours of a litigator's time can be invaluable to someone overwhelmed by the court system."

Interested in hearing more about Sarah's experience? Read more of her Volunteer Spotlight on our website.