2026 Brooklyn Legal Services Champions of Justice Celebration

Please join Brooklyn Legal Services for our Champions of Justice Celebration on October 15th from 6 p.m. – 8:30 p.m at Brooklyn Law School.

Purchase tickets below and add the event to your Outlook Calendar here and Google Calendar here.

This special event raises much needed funds to assist Brooklynites who need our help. This year, we honor dedicated and long-serving board members.

Our Honorees

Fredericka P. Bashir, Esq.

Fredericka P. Bashir, Esq., is the owner of The Law Office of Fredericka P. Bashir, a firm specializing in special education litigation. A former member of the Assigned Counsel Panel of the Office of the Attorneys for Children; Director of the Children’s Law Center; Managing Attorney of the HIV Law Project; and Of Counsel to Day One, Fredericka has dedicated her life and career to facilitating equal access to justice for New York’s most vulnerable populations. Admitted to the New York State Bar and the Federal Bar of the Eastern District of New York, she serves as Board Treasurer and a member of the Development Committee of Brooklyn Legal Services.

Deborah G. Howard

Deborah G. Howard (ret.) is a longtime Brooklyn community development leader and former Executive Director of Pratt Area Community Council (now IMPACCT Brooklyn), where she led tenant organizing and community revitalization efforts in Central Brooklyn. Ms. Howard began her career in community development as a VISTA Volunteer in Chicago at Voice of the People in the early 1970s after graduating from Knox College in Urban Studies. She also has a degree in nonprofit management from the Harvard Kennedy School. Deborah has served on the Brooklyn Legal Services Board since 1991 and dedicated her career to affordable housing, neighborhood revitalization, and community advocacy.

Kevin R. McConnell

Kevin was born and raised in Newark Ironbound. His passion for social justice was developed through his parents’ union activities and the poverty he saw in his hometown. Kevin attended NYU Law where he worked for the rights of prisoners and juveniles at the Legal Aid Society. As a Staff Attorney at Brooklyn Legal Services he learned what it takes to be an effective advocate for social justice: courage, confidence, passion and intelligence. He carried these skills through his time as an Assistant AG and as a founding partner at the tenant rights law firm of Himmelstein McConnell. Kevin is retired but his work continues: a Board Director at Brooklyn Legal Services, a member of the NYC Bar Association’s Judiciary Committee, an athlete at Achilles International and an advocate for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Celeste Morris

Celeste Morris is President of MorrisAllsop Public Affairs, a strategic communications and government relations firm. A longtime civic leader and advocate, she has served as a member of the Brooklyn Legal Services Board for over 15 years. She has enjoyed her time as a board member, Chairperson Emeritus, and currently chair of the Development Committee. She is the founder of the Advocacy Academy at the Medgar Evers College Center for Law and Social Justice dedicated to training good cause-community-based leaders in the skills necessary to make their voices heard. Ms. Morris also serves as Treasurer of the Board of Directors of Higher Heights for America, a national organization whose efforts support the election of Black Women to nationwide, statewide, and city-wide offices.

Richard T. Ross

Richard T. Ross is a Partner in the Mergers & Acquisitions practice at Ashurst Perkins Coie. He represents companies, private equity funds, hedge funds, and investment banks in a variety of corporate transactions. He advises clients in both U.S. and cross-border deals on public and private company M&As, divestitures, distressed transactions, negotiated and contested takeovers, leveraged buyouts, spinoffs, strategic investments, and joint ventures. Richard also counsels clients on a broad range of corporate, securities, and business-related matters. These include directors’ duties and responsibilities and other aspects of corporate governance and disclosure issues. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Brooklyn Legal Services.

Michael L. Williams

Michael L. Williams, who was born and raised in Harlem, is a Telecommunications Data Engineer with the New York City Police Department (NYPD) and a proud US Navy veteran, where he served as a Cryptologic Technician for five years. His career in telecommunications has spanned roles from a Telecommunication Analyst to Level 3 Telecommunications Engineer for the Americas Region to a global financial services company. Michael is the Chair of the Brooklyn Legal Services Board and has provided longstanding leadership in support of BLS’s mission to expand access to justice for low-income New Yorkers, which aligns with his lifelong dedication to service, equity, and community empowerment.

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Seeds of Liberation

Seeds of Liberation is a grassroots movement grounded in collective action. We are more than an organization; we are a community-driven response to systemic oppression, striving to create a world where liberation is interlinked and accessible for all.

Sponsorship and Tickets

Sponsorships and tickets can be purchased online by filling out the form below. If you would like to pay by check or wire transfer/ACH, please contact Jose Monzon at [email protected] or (646) 442-3651.

Donate Today

Even if you can’t attend the event, you can still make a gift to Brooklyn Legal Services. A donation in any amount makes a difference in the lives of low-income Brooklynites.