First Annual Access to Justice Pro Bono Recognition Reception
April 13, 2015NSLS Announces New Service Expansions
June 8, 2015The Suffolk Pro Bono Project is pleased to honor Tiffany N. Moseley as its Pro Bono Attorney of the Month. Although a relatively new attorney, Ms. Moseley has already represented multiple pro bono clients, successfully completing their matrimonial matters. We are extremely pleased to recognize her for the generous and great work she has done in such a short amount of time.
Tiffany N. Moseley is a young attorney in a solo practice who specializes in family, matrimonial, and guardianship law. She also serves as 18b assigned counsel in the Suffolk County Family Court, appearing in court daily in her active practice. Ms. Moseley is one of several participants in Touro’s Community Justice Center, the first law school incubator project to operate on Long Island, which opened its doors in November, 2013 and provides reduced-fee legal representation to low and middle income clients.
After obtaining her undergraduate degree from Seton Hall in 2008, Ms. Moseley was a Pre-Kindergarten school teacher for one year. She then attended Touro Law Center. In 2010, Ms. Moseley was honored by Touro as a Public Interest Fellow in connection with her work at the law school’s Family Law Clinic. While a law student, Ms. Moseley also interned with the Suffolk County Attorney’s Office and New York City Legal Aid’s Criminal Division. She continued her training in matrimonial matters at Mallilo & Grossman, a law firm in Flushing, NY. She began there as a legal intern during her final year of law school and then became an associate upon graduating Touro in 2012. Ms. Moseley’ varied experience during and immediately following law school proved invaluable to her as she moved on to her solo private practice.
Despite the challenges of launching her own legal practice at the Community Justice Center incubator project, Ms. Moseley was motivated to do more and give back. In 2012, she contacted the Project to offer her assistance and agreed not only to accept matrimonial referrals, but to take on more than one case at a time. Her background in family and matrimonial law was a perfect fit for the Project, which receives hundreds of inquiries each month for divorce representation.
Since first contacting the Project, Ms. Moseley has completed several pro bono cases. She not only successfully advocated for her clients, but extended herself above and beyond what would normally be expected. One example would be the repeated assistance she gave a pro bono client who homeless at the time and living in an emergency shelter without any of his personal possessions. Ms. Moseley stored a suit for him in her office, which he would then change into just before their court appearances. When this same client did not have a way to return to his shelter following their meetings at Ms. Moseley’s office, she arranged for transportation for him back to his shelter.
When asked why she has devoted so much of her time to pro bono work in the early stages of her legal career, Ms. Moseley stated, “I have real concern for those who need an attorney but can’t afford one. I want to help people in need, and this allows me a way to do it.” She also believes the work she’s done through the Project has greatly benefited her professionally, by providing her opportunities to appear before Suffolk County judges and opposing counsel previously unfamiliar with her, and to build relationships with them during the course of her pro bono matters.
Maria Dosso, Nassau Suffolk Law Services’ Director of Communications and Volunteer Services, notes, “Tiffany has been an active and committed participant in the Pro Bono Project since the very start of her career. We are so impressed with her eagerness and her commitment, and we’re grateful for the fine work she’s done.”
In addition to recently starting her own practice, Ms. Moseley recently started a family, giving birth to her first child, her son Cameron, earlier this year!
The Pro Bono Project’s clients have greatly benefited from Ms. Moseley’s efforts and legal expertise. We look forward to a long association with Ms. Moseley. It is with great pleasure that we honor her as Pro Bono Attorney of the Month.
The Suffolk Pro Bono Project is a joint effort of Nassau Suffolk Law Services, the Suffolk County Bar Association and the Suffolk County Pro Bono Foundation, who, for many years, have joined resources toward the goal of providing free legal assistance to Suffolk County residents who are dealing with economic hardship. Nassau Suffolk Law Services is a non-profit civil legal services agency providing free legal assistance to Long Islanders, primarily in the areas of benefits advocacy, homelessness prevention (foreclosure and eviction defense), access to health care, and services to special populations such as domestic violence victims, disabled, and adult home resident. The provision of free services is prioritized based on financial need and funding is often inadequate in these areas. Furthermore, there is no funding for the general provision of matrimonial or bankruptcy representation, therefore the demand for pro bono assistance is the greatest in these areas. If you would like to volunteer, please contact Ellen Krakow, Esq. 631 232-2400 x 3323.