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Sujata is the 2017-19 Hanna S. Cohn Equal Justice Fellow. A graduate of the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and Syracuse University, she has extensive community service, community organizing and clinical experience at agencies that serve low-income people including the Public Defender’s office, homeless shelters, nonprofits focused on child advocacy, and after school programs. Before attending law school, Sujata worked as an AmeriCorps paralegal in the Ithaca office of Legal Assistance of Western New York (LawNY) and as an advocate for the Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County in California. Sujata’s Fellowship project will focus on investigating the root causes of the dismal graduation rate of students in the Rochester City School District (RCSD) and directly advocating for youth re-entering RCSD after long-term education interruptions.

Ryan Mullaney is a staff paralegal with the Civil Rights, Education, and Employment (CREE) practice group at the Empire Justice Center’s Rochester office. He provides intake and administrative support to the CREE team. Ryan has a background in legal services, policy advocacy, and community organizing. He has focused on issues related to education, domestic violence, police brutality, and LGBTQ+ rights. Ryan holds a bachelor’s degree from Hobart & William Smith Colleges. He is a native of Schenectady, New York.

Jane Gabriele is an attorney with the Civil Rights, Employment and Education Unit in Empire Justice Center's Rochester Office. She works with parents on education issues. Her focus is primarily on assisting parents with gaining access to special education and compelling school districts to provide each child a free, appropriate education. She offers trainings to parents and local agencies designed to increase their understanding of the process and providing them the tools necessary to advocate for children with special needs. Ms. Gabriele established legal precedent in Appeal of Crawford, Ed. Dept., decision No. 15,801 changing NYS law to reflect a child's actual residence rather than their theoretical one. In 2004, she taught courses in Law and Ethics to students at Bryant & Stratton and currently serves on the Executive Board of the Special Education Task Force. She is the 2009 recipient of the NYS Bar Association President's Award for Pro Bono Service, 2006 recipient of the Jefferson Award for Public Service and 1989 recipient of the JC Penney Golden Rule Award. She received her law degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Law.