LEGAL MOMENTUM - Key Persons
Alejandra joined Legal Momentum in 2023 and serves as the Development, Events & Appeals Associate. Prior to joining Legal Momentum, she worked in Outreach & Communications at BIGVISION, a nonprofit that provides community for youth in recovery from addiction; later holding roles in hospitality management. A long time recovery room volunteer at Planned Parenthood NYC, Alejandra was the first young adult board member at Planned Parenthood of Arizona. Her interest in nonprofits began at a young age growing up in Phoenix, AZ and transitioned with her when she moved East.
She holds a M.S. in Nonprofit Management from Columbia University & B.A. from Bryn Mawr College in English Literature and Spanish.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board Officers Team
- Secretary
Azaleea is the Legal Director at Legal Momentum, overseeing the organization's litigation and policy initiatives. She has dedicated her career to advancing social justice, with a particular focus on promoting and defending the rights of survivors of gender-based violence. She spent over a decade providing direct legal services to survivors at various nonprofit organizations across NYC where she represented clients in complex family, matrimonial and domestic violence cases in the NYS Family, Supreme and Integrated Domestic Violence Courts.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- President
- LM President / CEO
- President and CEO of Legal Momentum, the Women 's Legal Defense and Education Fund
Carol Baldwin Moody serves as President and CEO of Legal Momentum, The Women's Legal Defense and Education Fund. Carol assumed this role in April 2018 after serving on the Legal Momentum Board for two years and receiving its Aiming High Award in 2011.
Carol has developed a reputation for her outstanding efforts to fight for equality. Her work specifically focuses on educational, economic and gender equality. Known as a tireless mentor and advocate for diversity for decades, Carol has taken on many roles to serve the community. For the University of Pennsylvania, she served on the Minority Permanence Committee, this year celebrating the 25th anniversary of its launch of the Brister Society of the University of Pennsylvania. She served on the board of the Toigo Foundation, an organization dedicated to preparing under-served professionals for leadership roles. And Carol held a prominent seat on the Board of the New York Chapter of INROADS, working to help businesses gain greater access to diverse talent. She served as pro bono counsel to the 214 Bradhurst Housing Development Fund and served as Associate for the seminal case of Berkman v. the City of New York.
In addition to receiving numerous awards for her advocacy work, Carol is widely recognized for her broad regulatory experience, domestically and internationally. With a strong focus on organizational culture, her specialties include expertise in global risk management, regulatory compliance, and corporate governance. In 2010, Black Enterprise named Carol as one of the 75 most powerful women in business. In honor of her work and influence on diversity, Nationwide Insurance African American Women's ARG established the Carol Baldwin Moody Impact Award. Carol moved to full-time service in the public sector in 2011, taking on the role of acting Chief Operating Investment Officer for CalPERS, the nation's largest public pension fund with a fair value of investments of over 300 billion dollars.
Carol sits on the Boards of Security Mutual Life - Insurance Company of NY and the School Committee of Germantown Friends School. Her professional associations include the Executive Leadership Council, the Council on Foreign Relations, and Columbia Law School Board of Visitors. Carol holds a JD from Columbia University School of Law and a BSE from the Wharton School.
Carol Baldwin Moody has developed a reputation for her outstanding efforts to fight for equality. Her work specifically focuses on educational, economic and gender equality. Known as a tireless mentor and advocate for diversity for decades, Carol has taken on many roles to serve the community. Carol serves as President and CEO of Legal Momentum, The Women's Legal Defense and Education Fund. Carol assumed this role in April 2018 after serving on the Legal Momentum Board for two years and receiving its Aiming High Award in 2011.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Chairman, Hospitality Practice Group / Fox Rothschild LLP
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Chief Client Officer / Baker Botts LLP
Crystal Williams joined Legal Momentum in 2013, bringing over twenty years of experience in non-profit fundraising management, development revenue-generating strategies, and event planning. Currently the Director of Development, Events & Appeals, her responsibilities include the renowned Aiming High Luncheon and Women of Achievement Awards Dinner. Crystal also oversees the day-to-day operations of the development department.
With almost three decades of service at Legal Momentum, Cynthia is the indispensable backbone of the office, keeping the organization running and staff members support service.
Kyra works in the Legal Department to advance laws and policies that promote expanded protections for victims of gender-based violence and equality in schools and the workplace by engaging in impact litigation, legislative advocacy, and training initiatives.
Before joining Legal Momentum, she was an Associate at a law firm in Washington, D.C. Her pro bono work includes litigating before the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for domestic violence survivors. She received her J.D. from The George Washington University Law School where she was a member of The George Washington Law Review, on the Executive Board of GW Moot Court, and a Pro Bono Honors Recipient. She received her LL.M. at Columbia Law School where she interned with Legal Momentum both her fall and spring semesters.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Member of the Board Officers Team
Job Titles:
- Corporate Secretary
- General Counsel
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Honorary Director
- Retired Contributing Senior Executive Editor
Job Titles:
- General Counsel
- Member of the Board Officers Team
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Partner / Holland & Knight
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board Officers Team
- Vice Chair
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Partner / Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
- Managing Partner / KNDO Advisors Corp.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board Officers Team
- Vice Chair
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Partner / Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP
Lynn Hecht Schafran, Esq. is Senior Vice President at Legal Momentum and has been Director of Legal Momentum's National Judicial Education Program to Promote Equality for Women and Men in the Courts (NJEP) since 1981. Lynn also serves as a senior staff attorney, litigating and writing in the areas of rape, domestic violence, the intersection of sexual assault and domestic violence, and gender bias in the courts.
Job Titles:
- Chief Compliance Officer
- Member of the Advisory Board
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Retired Partner / Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
Job Titles:
- First Vice Chair
- Member of the Board Officers Team
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Director, Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion / Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
Job Titles:
- Honorary Director
- Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary / New York Public Library
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Co - Founder
- Honorary Director
- Legendary Co - Founder
Legendary co-founder Muriel Fox, still an active member of our Honorary Board of Directors.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Senior Vice President, General Counsel / Logicalis, Inc.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board Officers Team
- Vice Chair
Sandra Brown Basso joined Legal Momentum in December 1995 with extensive experience managing a diversity of high priority projects for executive-level personnel in both the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors. As Chief of Staff, she supports the President and Board of Directors and works closely with all Legal Momentum departments and leadership teams. Sandy holds a B.A. degree in English from Wesleyan University.
Job Titles:
- Deputy Legal Director and Director of Economic Justice
Seher is the Deputy Legal Director and Director of Economic Justice at Legal Momentum, where she leads the Women Valued Initiative. Seher engages in litigation, policy advocacy, and educational outreach to advance economic security and workplace equality for women and girls, with a focus on assisting low-income and immigrant women.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Partner / Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLP
Job Titles:
- Honorary Director
- Vice Chairman / Fairchild Fashion Media Inc.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board Officers Team
- Treasurer
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Partner / Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
- Partner / Outten & Golden LLP
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Partner / Latham & Watkins LLP