Staff
Amber W. Harding, Esq.
Executive Director
Amber has been a member of the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless staff for more than 20 years and was appointed Executive Director in November 2022. Amber is responsible for the overall management of the organization and guides the organization’s work toward realizing its vision of a just and inclusive Washington, D.C. Immediately before her appointment as Executive Director, Amber served as the Director of Policy and Advocacy. Amber joined the Legal Clinic as an Equal Justice Works Fellow shortly after receiving her J.D. from Georgetown University. She later founded and directed the David M. Booth Disability Rights Initiative at the Legal Clinic. She is an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University Law Center, where she teaches the Homelessness, Poverty, and Legal Advocacy Seminar. She is on the Board of Directors of ACLU-DC and First Shift Justice Project.
Renata Aguilera-Titus
Director of Communications and Development
As the Legal Clinic’s Director of Communications and Development, Renata leads the organization’s development team and fundraising efforts, provides strategic communications support to programmatic staff, and manages organization-wide communications materials. Renata has a background in direct client services in legal service and anti-poverty organizations, having served as bilingual intake coordinator at the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center and as an anti-poverty specialist at Catholic Charities El Programa Hispano in Oregon. Renata received a master’s degree focused on intercultural and international communication from the American University School of International Service.
LaJuan Brooks
Director of Community Engagement
LaJuan serves as the Legal Clinic’s first ever Director of Community Engagement, leading a team charged with outreach to our client community and engaging the community in advocacy. Her team informs clients about how to access our legal services, arranges legal rights education, supports community members in accessing decisionmakers, including elected officials, and seeks input and feedback from our clients on our priorities as an organization. Prior to her current role, LaJuan was the Legal Clinic’s Administrative Assistant, our organization’s first point of contact who connected low-income community members to the assistance and resources that they needed. Prior to joining the Legal Clinic, LaJuan engaged in mobilizing ad advocacy efforts, including assisting the Fair Budget Coalition with campaigns. LaJuan is a veteran of the U.S. Army.
Deborah Chandler
Finance and Administration Manager
Deborah provides financial and administrative leadership to the organization by coordinating all financial, administrative, and human resources systems. Deborah helps develop organizational and departmental budgets, financial reports, and reports to ensure grant compliance. She also works to ensure that the Legal Clinic has the systems and procedures in place to support effective program implementation, audit processes, and compliance with human resources requirements. Deborah attended Prince George’s Community College and brings to her role professional experience in fiscal management, accounting processes and administration in corporate and non-profit settings.
Joshua Drumming, Esq.
Staff Attorney
As a member of the Legal Clinic’s Policy and Advocacy team, Josh’s work focuses on advocating for client-centered systemic reform in D.C. that promotes housing and racial justice. Josh primarily works on advocating for policy, budget, and programmatic solutions within the District government that will lead to positive change for people experiencing homelessness, in need of deeply affordable housing, and/or utilizing housing subsidies in D.C. In addition to carrying his own caseload, Josh’s work focuses on the homeless services system and issues impacting people residing in encampments. Prior to attending law school, Josh was a Special Education Teacher for grades 6-9. Josh received his J.D. from George Washington University.
Joanna Furmanchik
Outreach Coordinator
As Outreach Coordinator, Jo is part of the Community Engagement team and works to ensure that members of our client community know how to access our legal services, working with attorneys to help ensure that community members know their legal rights and how to access decisionmakers, including elected officials, and are able to provide input and feedback on our priorities as an organization as well as changes to the policies and programs that they are most impacted by. She spends much of her time speaking with clients in shelters, day programs, and in encampments. Since moving to D.C., Jo has provided family homelessness services, street outreach to D.C. encampments, and case management for people with HIV/AIDS who are experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity. Jo received her B.A. in Sociology from the College of Charleston.
Zoe Garcia
Communications and Development Coordinator
Zoe supports the Legal Clinic’s development and fundraising efforts and creates organization-wide communications materials. Zoe has experience in housing-focused community activism and policy, having interned for Springfield No One Leaves, a grassroots, member-led housing organization in Western Massachusetts, before moving to D.C. Zoe attended Mount Holyoke College, where she received a B.A. in Sociology with a minor in Latinx Studies.
Maria Le
Intake and Office Assistant
As Intake and Office Assistant for the Legal Clinic, Maria is the first point of contact for all Legal Clinic clients and potential clients, working to connect low-income community members to the assistance and resources that they need. She also provides administrative support for all staff. Maria has experience in homelessness and community outreach, having worked for a shelter in Montgomery County and Pathways to Housing doing SOAR outreach. Maria received her B.S. in Family Studies from the University of Maryland College Park. She is on the Montgomery County Jewish Collective planning committee.
Charisse Lue, Esq.
Staff Attorney
As a member of the Legal Clinic’s Policy and Advocacy team, Charisse’s work focuses on making client-centered systemic reform in the District of Columbia that promotes housing and racial justice. Charisse primarily works on advocating for policy, budget, and programmatic solutions within the District government that will lead to positive change for people experiencing homelessness, in need of deeply affordable housing, and/or utilizing housing subsidies in D.C. In addition to carrying her own case load, Charisse’s work focuses on the need to expand deeply affordable housing options in D.C. and on issues impacting people residing in public housing. Charisse received her J.D. from the University of Baltimore.
Carlton Martin, Esq.
Senior Counsel
As a Case Counseling attorney with the Legal Assistance Project, Carlton provides strategic guidance and ongoing supervision for legal matters arising from client intake. In addition to carrying his own case load, his responsibilities include developing training materials and actively participating in community-based legal services events. Prior to joining the Legal Clinic, Carlton worked at the Homeless Persons Representation Project, the National Homelessness Law Center, and several legal positions in Indiana, including access to justice initiatives and post-conviction relief matters. Carlton earned his J.D. from the Robert H. McKinney School of Law. Carlton teaches a class on Homelessness Law and Policy at his law school alma mater.
Becky O’Brien, Esq.
Legal Director, Legal Assistance Program
Becky serves as the Legal Clinic’s Director of Legal Services, overseeing and leading attorneys and staff in providing direct legal services via our Legal Assistance Project and staff caseloads. Becky provides strategic direction on our legal representation, including ensuring that our legal services are high-quality, low-barrier and quickly available to our clients. Becky initially joined the Legal Clinic as an Equal Justice Works Fellow and remained on staff until moving to Boston for five years. While in Boston, Becky was a staff attorney at Greater Boston Legal Services working in the Elder and Housing Units, specializing in public benefits cases and landlord and tenant issues. When she rejoined the Legal Clinic upon returning to the D.C. area, she built expertise in our legal services model and practice areas as a case counseling attorney and then coordinating attorney with the Legal Assistance Project, supporting volunteer attorneys and clients, until becoming Director of Legal Services. Becky received her J.D. from Catholic University.
Jesse Owens, Esq.
Staff Attorney
As a Case Counseling attorney with the Legal Assistance Project, Jesse provides strategic guidance and ongoing supervision for legal matters arising from client intake. In addition to carrying his own case load, his responsibilities include developing training materials and actively participating in community-based legal services events. Prior to his time at the Legal Clinic, Jesse was an eviction-defense attorney in Wisconsin. Jesse received his J.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Brittany K. Ruffin, Esq.
Legal Director, Systemic Advocacy and Litigation
Brit serves as the Legal Clinic’s Director of Policy and Advocacy, leading systemic advocacy, law reform/policy, and impact litigation efforts focusing on systemic issues that affect marginalized and extremely low-income communities. Brit manages a team of attorneys in creating, promoting, and implementing strategic campaigns and priorities of the organization. Immediately before her promotion to Director of Policy and Advocacy, Brit served as Senior Counsel. Her work has focused on promoting policy, budget, and programmatic solutions that will lead to greater quantity and improved quality of affordable housing for D.C.’s lowest-income residents. Through her advocacy and representation, Brit works to prevent displacement, increase civil rights protections for individuals experiencing/facing homelessness, and reduce barriers to housing, including efforts to increase access for those with criminal records. Prior to joining the Legal Clinic, Brit provided legal support for large-scale litigation in D.C. and was a staff attorney in the Criminal Defense Practice of The Legal Aid Society of New York in Brooklyn, NY, defending the rights of marginalized residents in misdemeanor and felony matters. Prior to attending law school, Brit taught high school special education courses. Brit received her J.D. and Family Law Certificate from Howard University.
Ann Marie Staudenmaier, Esq.
Senior Counsel
As a Case Counseling attorney with the Legal Assistance Project, Ann Marie provides strategic guidance and ongoing supervision for legal matters arising from client intake. In addition to carrying her own caseload, her responsibilities include developing training materials and actively participating in community-based legal services events. Ann Marie has expertise in civil rights in public space and anti-criminalization of homelessness. Prior to the Legal Clinic, Ann Marie was an attorney at Legal Aid Bureau of Maryland. Ann Marie received her J.D. from George Washington University.
Kelsey Vaughan
Volunteer Coordinator
As Volunteer Coordinator, Kelsey is responsible for volunteer recruitment, sustainability, and coordination for the Legal Assistance Project (LAP). Kelsey is the liaison between the Legal Clinic and a number of law firms throughout D.C. She is a key member of the Legal Assistance Project team, working to ensure our services are available and accessible to clients and that our volunteers have a positive pro bono experience. Kelsey got her degree in Philosophy from Trinity College.
Board
- James E. Rocap, III, Esq., Steptoe LLP, (2009 – present), President
- Ericka Aiken-Adams, Esq., WilmerHale, (2017 – present), Vice President
- Valrie E. Ross, Esq., ArentFox Schiff, (2013 – present), Treasurer
- Jon-Michael Dougherty, Esq., Dougherty PLLC (2021 – present), Secretary
- Michelle D. Coleman, Esq., Crowell & Moring (2023 – present)
- Laurie B. Davis, Esq., (1987 – present)
- Jennifer C. Everett, Esq., Alston & Bird (2021 – present)
- Nkechi Feaster, (2018 – present)
- Wesley R. Heppler, Esq., (1989 – present)
- Susan M. Hoffman, Esq., Crowell & Moring, (2006 – present)
- Sterling Howard, Lawyers for Good Government (2014 – present)
- Dianna Key (2024 – present)
- John R. Jacob, Esq., Akin, (2008 – present)
- William M. Leahy, Esq., Apple (2021 – present)
- Henri Makembe, Four Lions Media (2023 – present)
- John Monahan, Esq., Georgetown University, (2017 – present)
- Nicholas Pastan, Esq., Covington & Burling (2023 – present)
- Kristen Reilly, Esq., Combs & Taylor (2023 – present)
- Tiana Russell, Esq., Crowell & Moring, (2017 – present)
- Cathy Solomon (2023 – present)
- Darrell Stevens (2024 – present)
- Marsha Tucker, Arnold & Porter, (1997 – present)
- David Wittenstein, Esq., (2002 – present)
- Daniel I. Wolf, Esq., Gilbert LLP, (2019 – present)
Organization and firm affiliation included for identification purposes only