Michael Goldfarb Memorial Symposium

Her work seeks to address the relationship between law and equality with a focus on law’s capacity to advance social norms of inclusion in the context of disability.

Her recent academic articles have or will appear in such publications as the Columbia Law Review, New York University Law Review, University of Pennsylvania Law Review, Yale Law Journal Forum, Cornell Law Review, Ohio State Law Journal, and the Journal of Legal Education. Professor Harris recently joined leading evidence law experts as a co-editor of the preeminent evidence treatise, McCormick on Evidence.

Professor Harris also writes frequently about disability and equality law for popular audiences. Her essays have appeared in the New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Ms. Magazine, and Tribune Wire, in addition to academic blogs such as the American Constitution Society’s Expert Forum and Harvard Law School Petrie-Flom Center’s Bill of Health. She is regularly interviewed and has been widely quoted in publications and media outlets such as the New York Times, Washington Post, TIME, Forbes, CNBC, National Public Radio, PBS NewsHour, Chronicle of Higher Education, Guardian, Harper’s BAZAAR, and USA Today.

Professor Harris consults with federal and state lawmakers and legal advocates on issues of legislative and policy reforms related to disability laws. She also serves on the Board of Directors for The Arc of the United States and as Chair of the Legal Advocacy Subcommittee to advise the organization on impact litigation.

Professor Harris graduated magna cum laude from Dartmouth College with a bachelor’s degree in Latin American and Caribbean Studies. She received her juris doctorate from Yale Law and clerked for the late Honorable Harold Baer, Jr., United States District Judge for the Southern District of New York. She has worked in both private and public interest law. Harris practiced complex commercial litigation, securities, and government investigations as a Senior Associate with WilmerHale. She also worked as a staff attorney at Advancement Project, a national civil rights organization, where she assisted grassroots advocacy campaigns to advance racial justice in education and address the school to prison pipeline through legal, policy, and communications efforts.

Natalie M. Chin is an Associate Professor of Law at the City University of New York and Co-Director of the Disability and Aging Justice Clinic (DAJC). The DAJC represents low-income New Yorkers in a range of issues including prisoners’ rights; securing due process protections in areas that include guardianship; alternatives to guardianship; and disability-based discrimination. Prior to joining CUNY’s faculty, Professor Chin was an Assistant Professor of Clinical Law and Faculty Director of the Disability and Civil Rights Clinic at Brooklyn Law School (BLS), where she created and developed the first law school clinic that advocates for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. During her tenure at BLS, the clinic represented clients in federal, state and administrative proceedings. Students advocated on a range of issues, including the right to maintain sexual autonomy, discrimination in access to health care, deaf discrimination, administrative appeals to the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities, parental rights, and ensuring that the due process rights of adults with intellectual disabilities was protected in 17-A guardianship proceedings.

Prior to her teaching career, Professor Chin was a devoted public interest attorney. She litigated cases and led education and public policy reform efforts to achieve equal rights for LGBT people and individuals living with HIV at Lambda Legal. Her litigation also included cases that affect people with mental health disabilities and the elderly, as well as those involving violations of the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments. Prior to starting her legal career, Professor Chin was a journalist in California and worked in South Africa, where her reported predominantly focused on social welfare issues and on Black South African women living in the township and rural areas.

Professor Chin was appointed in 2018 to serve on the Board of Directors of the Disability Rights Bar Association (DRBA). She is also a member of the DRBA’s Diversity Task Force. She is a on the Advisory Committee of the Supported Decision-Making New York State project. Professor Chin is also a former Co-Chair and board member of FIERCE, an LGBT youth of color organization. Professor Chin graduated with a B.S. in Journalism from Boston University. She received her J.D. from George Washington School of Law.

Professor Chin’s scholarship explores the intersections of disability and civil rights law in areas that impact the most fundamental aspects of one’s life, including sexuality, sexual rights and reproductive justice.

Rebecca Cokley is the program officer for the foundation’s first-ever U.S. Disability Rights program, which is focused on strengthening the field, building a pipeline of diverse leadership, promoting disability pride, and mobilizing resources toward disability rights work. She also serves as the foundation’s liaison to the President’s Council for Disability Inclusion in Philanthropy.

Prior to joining Ford, Rebecca was the cofounder and director of the Disability Justice initiative at the Center for American Progress, where she built out a progressive policy platform that protected the rights and services disabled people depend on for survival and also developed innovative solutions like a proposed disabled worker tax credit and increased access to capital for disability-owned small businesses. She also stewarded a campaign that resulted in an unprecedented 12 presidential candidates developing disability policy platforms.

Prior to her work at American Progress, she served as the executive director for the National Council on Disability, where she worked on sexual violence on college campuses, policing reform, and the civil rights of disabled parents. A three-time presidential appointee, Rebecca served in key policy roles at the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services, as well as oversaw diversity and inclusion efforts for the Obama administration.

Rebecca is a frequent speaker and contributor on issues of public policy and disability inclusion in the media and at major national conferences. She has a bachelor’s degree in politics from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Britney Wilson joined the faculty of New York Law School (NYLS) in May 2021 as an Associate Professor of Law and the Director of the Civil Rights and Disability Justice Clinic. Prior to NYLS, Professor Wilson was a staff attorney at the National Center for Law and Economic Justice (NCLEJ). While at NCLEJ, Professor Wilson litigated civil rights cases around excessive fines and fees and discriminatory policing and disability rights cases concerning the provision of home and community-based services to people with disabilities and disability discrimination in healthcare.

Before NCLEJ, Professor Wilson litigated discriminatory policing cases, including as part of the remedial phase of Floyd v. the City of New York—the landmark case that successfully challenged the NYPD’s stop-and-frisk practices—as a Bertha Justice Fellow at the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR). While at CCR, Professor Wilson also worked on cases involving abusive immigration detention practices and economic justice and voting rights. Prior to NCLEJ, Professor Wilson was a Marvin M. Karpatkin Fellow in the Racial Justice Program at the American Civil Liberties Union where she litigated a range of racial justice issues from the school-to-prison pipeline and the criminalization of poverty to fair housing and inclusion in higher education.

Born with Cerebral Palsy, Professor Wilson has written and spoken extensively about disability, and the intersection of race and disability, for various outlets, including The Nation Magazine, Longreads, This American Life, NPR, PBS Newshour, Colorlines, and The Huffington Post. She has also testified about issues facing people with disabilities before both local and international governing bodies, including the New York City Council and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Also an accomplished writer and artist, Professor Wilson has published and performed short stories, creative nonfiction essays, and poetry, including on the HBO series Brave New Voices.

Shira Wakschlag is the Senior Director of Legal Advocacy and General Counsel for The Arc. Her work involves directing The Arc’s participation in disability rights litigation to advance the rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities nationwide, including cases pertaining to education, voting rights, criminal justice, and health care. Shira also oversees The Arc’s amicus practice, participating in briefs to educate courts around the country about matters critical to disability rights law.

Prior to joining The Arc, Shira worked on civil and disability rights impact litigation in the San Francisco Bay Area as a Skadden Fellow at Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, and as an associate attorney at a civil rights law firm. Shira is the recipient of the 2022 American Constitution Society David Carliner Public Interest Award; has served on the board of the Disability Rights Bar Association; has published articles with the Denver Law Review, the ABA’s Human Rights Magazine, and the University of Minnesota’s Impact Magazine; is regularly quoted in national media on issues pertaining to disability rights law; and regularly presents at conferences on a wide variety of topics in the field of disability and civil rights. Shira received her J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, and a B.A. from Brown University. She is licensed to practice in D.C. and California.

Marco Damiani has served as the Chief Executive Officer of AHRC New York City since 2017, working with its 4,000 mission-driven staff members to build upon the extraordinary almost 75-year legacy of AHRC New York City’s commitment to social justice for children and adults with disabilities. As Forbes Best Mid-Size American Company supporting neurodiverse children and adults, AHRC NYC is one of the largest non-profits in the nation, supporting over 15,000 individuals, and their families.

Marco has spent his career in disability rights, fighting for full inclusion of neurodiverse people into their communities and society at large. As a Direct Support Professional, and then working for a non-profit at the Willowbrook State School as it began closing, he recognized the power of collective advocacy on behalf of people who are perceived as different. As Marco’s career progressed, he devoted energy working to achieve health equity for people with disabilities, playing a major role in developing integrated care models for those underserved by the conventional healthcare system. He remains unwavering in this goal, even as he expands his focus to include comprehensive services and supports. He has served as CEO, and as a senior executive, in several other New York non-profits, and has experience working in state government.

In recognition of Marco’s work, he has received numerous honors and awards. Among them is an appointment to the NYU College of Dentistry Dean’s Strategic Advisory Council and recipient of the Kriser Medal, the College’s highest honor; Pace University’s Opportunitas-in-Action Medal; The Arc of the US National Convention of Executives Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award; Certificate of Special US Congressional Recognition for outstanding and invaluable service to the community; The Excellence in Autism Award from Mental Health News Education; The Crain’s NY Business and Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield Whole Healthcare Hero and The Catholic Health System Healthcare Hero Award. He has received Citations from The NYS Assembly and the Bronx Borough President for Meritorious Advocacy and Community Service.

Marco is a Mayoral Appointee of the NYC Community Services Board, NYC Mayor Eric Adams’ Transition Team Member, Board Member of the Inter-Agency Council for Developmental Disabilities, NY Disability Advocates, Care Design NY, Metro Community Health Centers, and Cafe Joyeux US, an international network of cafes staffed by neurodiverse people. He has published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities and the Journal of Social Work in Disability and Rehabilitation. Marco has an M.A. in Developmental Psychology from Columbia University, a B.S. in Psychology from Manhattan College, and pursued doctoral studies in Educational Psychology at NYU. He attributes his success to the collective work and shared vision of many colleagues over the years, their enduring commitment to promoting social justice for people with disabilities, and his steadfast commitment to Stand for Something.

Rebecca A. Seawright represents the Upper East Side, Yorkville, and Roosevelt Island in New York’s 76th Assembly District. As the first woman to serve the district and since her election in 2014, she is known as a strong voice for over 133,000 constituents, securing over $15 million in funding for public schools, senior centers, parks, and non-profits.

Appointed by the Speaker in 2023, she holds the leadership position of Chair of the People with Disabilities Committee. Previously, she served in leadership as the Chair of the Majority Steering Committee, Secretary of the Majority Conference, and as Chair of the Task Force on Women’s Issues. Nominated by her colleagues, she serves as a Director of the Legislative Women’s Caucus and works with her colleagues as part of the Bipartisan Pro-Choice, Jewish, Environmental, and Gun Reform Legislative Caucuses. As a member of the Ways and Means; Banking; Codes; Higher Education; and Judiciary committees, Seawright is motivated to protect her constituents’ interests in our great State of New York.

Inspired to renew the movement for the federal Equal Rights Amendment to guarantee that our rights are anchored in our state and U.S. constitutions, she proudly authored and passed an Equal Rights Amendment to our New York State Constitution. For the first time, voters will have the opportunity to vote on the equal rights amendment as a ballot referendum in the 2024 general election.

A champion for high-quality, public education, Seawright champions our public schools and helped obtain more than $1 billion in new state support and sponsors the Teach LGBT curriculum bill to ensure that the NYS Education Department develops curriculum on the historical treatment of and contributions by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in America.

Rebecca fights for our community through major environmental and sustainability initiatives such as her sponsorship of air quality monitoring legislation to mitigate the impacts of a waste transfer station at East 91st Street. She is a leading advocate for affordable housing and landmark housing reform laws to abolish vacancy decontrol and restrict rent hikes. A proponent of strong democratic values, Rebecca strongly supports reforms to run elections efficiently, accurately, and with integrity to protect our voting rights. Notably, for the 2020 General Election and the 2021 New York City Primary, Rebecca successfully secured additional early voting and Election Day poll sites.

Her bills have been signed into law requiring all those convicted of hate crimes to undergo tolerance training as a condition of their sentence and rehabilitation; reinstating the Clean Waterways Fund; capping annual fees from lenders; implementing a study on consumer financial literacy; streamlining boards of election; requiring health insurance policies to include 3-D Mammography at no cost to the consumer; encouraging greater representation of women on corporate boards; and identifying how many policy-making positions are held by women in the New York State government. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Rebecca co-sponsored emergency legislation that suspends rent payments for small business commercial tenants and certain mortgage payments due to COVID-19.

Rebecca is the recipient of The Schneps Media Power Women of Manhattan ’22; The Schneps Media Power Women of The East End ’22; The Queer Big Apple Corps Award ’22; Women’s eNews 21 Leaders for the 21^st Century ’21; The Met’s 13th Annual Women’s Award ’20; Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney Fearless Girl Award ’19; A Place to Be(ad) Me Honoree ‘19; Super Happy Healthy Kids Black Tie Gala Honoree ’19; James Dudley Luce Foundation Humanitarian of the Year ’19; Lenox Hill Neighborhood House Elizabeth Rohatyn Award ’17; The New York Board of Rabbis Humanitarian of the Year ’15; and The Feminist Press at The City University of New York 40^th Anniversary honoree ’10.

The Office of Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright, the community’s office, on York Avenue and 79 Street is where constituents are welcome. Rebecca takes great pride in being a resource for her community, and neighbors have come to rely on the hundreds of community events supporting seniors, rent freeze clinics, housing legal clinics, health and wellness forums, and resource fairs she has sponsored.

Laura J. Kennedy has been an active member of AHRC New York City’s Board of Directors for over three decades, where she served as President for two terms and chaired many committees. She also served as President of The Arc New York. Since 2018, she has been a member of The Arc of the United States’ Board of Directors where she has served as Treasurer, Chair of the Policy and Positions Committee, and now, the prestigious position of President. Laura is a parent of a woman with a developmental disability and has, along with her family, been a strong advocate on the local, state, and national level. After 28 years, she retired as Director of the Staten Island Early Childhood Direction Center, a New York State Education Department technical assistance center for families and professionals.

While President of The Arc New York, Laura formed a workgroup that is currently preserving the organization’s significant collection of disability history. She has been an active member of the Willowbrook Legacy Committee, a collaborative between the College of Staten Island, its Archivist, and the disability community in preserving and recognizing the Willowbrook Consent Judgement. She served on the Board of the Staten Island Developmental Disabilities Council for over 35 years, the community where she resides in. Laura is now very involved in the national disability rights community and the struggle for social justice.

Raymond Ferrigno has served on AHRC New York City’s Board of Directors since 2009. Moved by a desire to understand better and support the needs of his son, Nicholas, Ray became involved with AHRC New York City’s Brooklyn Blue Feather Elementary School on Court Street in Brooklyn where Nicholas attended. Ray was impressed with how AHRC New York City answered the growing need for educational programs and how it developed a Middle/High School program to transition students from Brooklyn Blue Feather Elementary School. Enormously grateful for the forward-thinking and proactive work of AHRC New York City, Ray became increasingly involved during Nicholas’ time at the Middle/High School and then, in 2009, was invited to join the AHRC New York City Board of Directors. Since that time, he has served on several committees and, when the Board decided that an Audit Committee would be an important addition to the standing committees of the Board, Ray was invited by the Board President to chair the Committee and has chaired or co-chaired it ever since. Ray has also served and chaired the Technology Committee, the Annual Meeting of 2014, the 67th Annual Dinner in 2016, and co-chaired the Executive search committee in 2017 which selected our current CEO, Marco Damiani. Ray is the Co-Chair of the Staten Island Borough Committee and a member of the Children and Education Committee and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee.

Ray started his career in electrical contracting, working for a family-owned business, after which he entered the New York City Department of Education system as a Physics teacher and has remained for 26 years. During his tenure, Ray has also served as Coach, Department Supervisor, Coordinator of the building response team, and mentor of the FIRST Robotics team. Ray has both a B.S. and M.S. from Brooklyn College and a professional diploma in educational administration and supervision from Fordham University.

Ray is married to Margaret, his wife of over 30 years, with whom he has two beautiful children, Juliette and Nicholas.

Shirley Berenstein currently holds the position of Vice President for Public Information and External Affairs at AHRC New York City and has managed this function for the organization for close to 20 years. In this capacity she runs the departments that are responsible for providing the outside world with information about AHRC NYC, shaping the organization’s image and targeted messaging both within and outside the institution. The responsibilities of her departments include the creation of publications, websites, films, engagement in social media initiatives, membership campaigns, media promotion, advocacy efforts, grant writing, marketing, and the running of AHRC NYC special events, in addition to, interfacing with the public as regards obtaining services and supports.

Shirley has worked at AHRC NYC for four decades beginning her career as a school principal and later becoming Director of Program Development. Under her leadership, amongst many other programs, she developed a pediatric AIDs program for AHRC NYC in the 1980s, and the organization’s TBI long-term services and supports initiative in the 1990s upon the request of then-OMRDD. Shirley obtained grant funding from Foundations and governmental agencies for many of the projects developed, recently securing monies from OPWDD to support the development of an Agency Information Platform or long-term services and supports electronic health records.

A native New Yorker, she is a graduate of Queens College of the City of New York, Columbia University Teachers College, and NYU School of Organizational and Administrative Studies, and completed the Certificate Program in Bioethics and Medical Humanities, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine/New York University. She serves on the Board of Directors of Tamar Rogoff Performance Projects. Her passion for social justice is a natural outgrowth of growing up with a sister, now deceased, who had Down syndrome.