Legal Aid Staff News

Katie Feldman was promoted to Managing Attorney of Legal Aid’s Health-Education-Work-Income and Immigration Practice. Ms. Feldman assumed the role after longtime Legal Aid attorney Stephanie Jackson retired. Ms. Feldman previously worked with the New York firm Kelley Drye & Warren and joined The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland in 2007.

Howard Strain and Deborah Dallmann were promoted to Senior Attorney. Mr. Strain has played a leadership role in building collaborations and engaging in advocacy in the eastern counties, and been a leader in the use of technology for the Family Law Practice Group. Mr. Strain has also been a leader in the statewide on-line forms project, and serves on Legal Aid’s Advocacy Committee and Litigation Committee. Ms. Dallmann has great expertise in public benefit and veterans issues. She has also advocated for low-income clients’ rights with Consumer Protection and the ADAMHS Board. Ms. Dallman is also a leader of Legal Aid’s Persons with Disabilities Vulnerable Population Committee.

Legal Aid welcomed new attorneys in recent months, including:

Jessica Baaklini, a lawyer who will be part of Legal Aid’s medical-legal partnership team with the MetroHealth System,
Dan Natalie, a supervising attorney in Legal Aid’s Intake and Volunteer Lawyers Program,
Arcola Whatley, an attorney who will focus on legal work related to barriers to employment for low-income clients, and
Eric Zell, an attorney focused on consumer rights.

Legal Aid also welcomes new support staff who join various departments to help Legal Aid fulfill its mission to the community. The new staff include: Elizabeth Callam (Volunteer Lawyers Program), Rachel Riemenschneider (ACT 2 and the Volunteer Lawyers Program) and Amy Vavra (Development & Communications).