Parent Representation Advisory Committee (P-RAC)

ILS Parental Representation Advisory Council (“P-RAC”)

In furtherance of its statutory mission to “monitor, study and make efforts to improve the quality” of public defense in New York, ILS established the Parental Representation Advisory to support community-building among providers from around the state and to provide a direct forum for consultation, empowerment, and collaboration with ILS to influence local and statewide policy and practice relevant to the quality of publicly funded parental legal representation pursuant to the Family Court Act. The PRAC had its first meeting on August 30, 2018.

Members of the ILS Parental Representation Advisory Council (as of January 2021)
Raymond Bara, Oneida Public Defender, Civil Division
Kim Bode, Family Court Staff Attorney, New York State Defenders Association
Chelsea Carter, Assistant Public Defender, Ontario County
James Farrell, Assistant Public Defender, Saint Lawrence County
Tammy Feman, Appeals Bureau Chief, Legal Aid Society of Nassau County
Adele Fine, Managing Attorney, Family Court Bureau, Monroe County Public Defender Office
Linda Gehron, President and CEO, Hiscock Legal Aid Society
Suzanne Graulich, Administrator, Assigned Counsel Plan, Schoharie County
Emma Ketteringham, Managing Director, Family Defense Practice, The Bronx Defenders
David Lansner, Esq., Lansner & Kubitschek, NYC
Andrea Loigman, Senior Associate Counsel, Family Law Division, The Legal Aid Society of Westchester County
Linda Lovell, Assistant Public Defender, Cattaraugus Public Defender Office
Joyce McMillan, Founder, JMac for Families and Parent Legislative Action Network (PLAN) Coalition
Lauren Shapiro, Family Defense Practice, Managing Director
Joanne Sirotkin, Attorney-In-Charge, Legal Services of Hudson Valley (White Plains Office)
Rhonda Weir, Attorney, Family Court 18B Panel, New York City